Surrey History Centre holds some wonderful photographic collections which provide an important visual insight into the social history of people, places and events.
One such collection is the archive of Westcott photographer, Walter Rose (reference 10569). In early 2024, one thousand glass plate negatives were donated by photographer Keith Harding who had been custodian of the collection for decades since acquiring it from local historian, David Knight. As a friend of the Rose family, Mr Knight had originally been given the photographic collection by Dolly Rose, niece of Walter Rose.
This extensive collection of photographs, dating mainly from the late 19th century to the early 1900s, has been digitised for ease of access. A self-taught photographer, Walter Rose captured everyday life in and around Dorking and Westcott, as well as across England and Wales. From the makeshift studio in his garden, Walter photographed members of his family as well as many local residents. His niece Dolly (whose mother died in childbirth) was raised by Walter and his wife Ellen. The couple clearly doted on their young ward and she features prominently in the collection.
Walter John Rose was born in Westcott in 1857, the son of John Rose, an agricultural labourer, and Jane Rose (née Wilkins). He lived at 1 Westcott Street all his life. As a pupil at the village school, he was inspired by the headmaster, Charles Brown, who experimented with the new form of photography using gelatin dry plates. On leaving school, Walter Rose was employed as a gardener with his brother Ernest at Holcombe, Westcott Common. On the advice of a family friend, William Edgerton Hine, Walter unsuccessfully applied for a job in the library at Harrow School where Hine was art teacher.
Undaunted, Walter pursued his passion for photography and it was probably on his marriage to Ellen Johnson in 1897 that he erected a wooden studio and converted the shed into a dark room in the garden of 1 Westcott Street. His main sources of income were likely from the production of picture postcards and photography commissions from local businesses and families.
As well as the studio portraits, Walter's photographs cover a range of subjects - from family and friends enjoying holidays to scenic landscapes around Britain, and from views of churches, monuments and country houses to local businesses and industries. Outside of Surrey, Walter and Ellen appear to have travelled extensively, and popular locations included North Wales, Hampshire (where Ellen Rose had family connections), Sussex and Devon.
The collection features several 'Westcott characters', such as Maurice Charman with his donkey-drawn cart, Zephaniah Greenfield, known as the 'Sabbatical Milkman', gardener Joe Walton, and a young man known to Dolly Rose as 'that boy chap'. There are people from all walks of life, from Ted Woodnut, publican of the Cabin Inn, to Emily Seymour, Dowager Marchioness of Hertford, who resided at Brooklands in Westcott. Celebrated Dorking artist, Charles Collins and his sizeable family also appear, along with the Brooks, Balchin, Grace and Johnson families of Westcott.
Worth mentioning are the photographs of Westcott National School which offer a keen insight into elementary education at the turn of the century. Children were prepared for their expected station in life: boys participated in gardening, beekeeping and nature lessons while girls learnt the traditional skills of cookery, needlework and childcare. In writing and drawing classes, we can see that pupils were expected to keep their left hands behind their backs!
So many aspects of life in Westcott – and beyond – are portrayed in fascinating detail by Walter Rose. There are plenty of photographs in the collection that have not yet been identified so we welcome any further information. Thumbnail images of the Walter Rose collection can be viewed on our online catalogue and high resolution images can be viewed in our searchroom.
The images are also available to view on Keith Harding's Goodness Gracious website.
Sources
- Keith Harding, 'Dorking and District in Old Photographs' (1993)
- Westcott Local History Group newsletters, from 1998 (reference J/406)
Images
Select image to view a larger version.
- Walter Rose, taken in his photographic studio, Westcott, 1900s (reference 10569/1/1/1/13)
- Dolly Rose, aged three, in the garden at 1 Westcott Street, Westcott, 1910 (reference 10569/1/1/3/18)
- John Rose and a young man (known to Dolly Rose as 'that boy chap') standing in a doorway, 1890s (reference 10569/1/1/4/2)
- A drawing lesson for boys in the classroom, Westcott School. The pupils are sketching a chair with their right hands; their left hands are held behind their backs, 1900s (reference 10569/1/3/9/12)
- Team of surveyors and workmen laying drains, The Green, Westcott, 1904 (reference 10569/1/3/3/3)