Workers installing a lightning conductor on the All Saints’ Church steeple in Oxford, England, in the early 1900s. – Vintage Photograph

On September 25th, 1975, Mr Herbert Payne brought an old and fascinating photograph of Oxford to Thames Star, an English local newspaper. The photograph, taken at the turn of the century, shows workers installing a lightning conductor on the All Saints’ Church steeple in Oxford, England. Included in the picture is Mr Payne’s father Bertie, who was an apprentice for the engineering firm doing the work, and is the fourth figure on the steeple. Right at the top is a London-based steeplejack named Mr Douglas who was brought in specially for the job. Mr Payne was reminded of his old picture when he recently visited Oxford and saw the church tower encased in scaffolding while rebuilding was taking place.On September 25th, 1975, Mr Herbert Payne brought an old and fascinating photograph of Oxford to Thames Star, an English local newspaper. The photograph, taken at the turn of the century, shows workers installing a lightning conductor on the All Saints’ Church steeple in Oxford, England. Included in the picture is Mr Payne’s father Bertie, who was an apprentice for the engineering firm doing the work, and is the fourth figure on the steeple. Right at the top is a London-based steeplejack named Mr Douglas who was brought in specially for the job. Mr Payne was reminded of his old picture when he recently visited Oxford and saw the church tower encased in scaffolding while rebuilding was taking place.

Dimensions: 24.8 x 30.2 cm

IMS SKU: SCAN-NQOX-04926772

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OCR computer generated text:

GB NEOFORD FLP 7700

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20 SEP 1973 COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPY le and it was all done by ladders THAMES STAR prides itself on good local coverage, but we were more than a bit sur- prised when a gentleman from Stafford came into the office with a two-month-old copy of the Star. Mr Herbert Payne had been sent a copy by a Kidlington relation, and thought Thames Star would be the ideal show- case for an old and fascinating photograph of Oxford handed down to him by his grandpar- ents. The photograph is of the All Saints’ Church steeple in High Street having a lightning conductor fitted at the turn of the century. Included in the picture is Mr Payne’s father Bertie (cir- cled) then an apprentice for the engineering firm coing the work, who is the fourth figure on the steeple. Right at the top is a London-based steeplejack named Mr Douglas who was brought in specially for the job. Mr Payne was reminded of his old picture when he came to Oxford a couple of weeks ago and saw the church tower as it is now, encased in scaf- folding while rebuilding goes on. a the nineteen- “Back hundreds when the picture I was taken they had none of this tubular scaffckling,” said Mr Payne. “They just used wooden ladders. and very dangerous it was ” 25 SEP 1975 GB FLP 7703 32 7 61%