Durham Memories - Softcover

Durham Memories recalls day-to-day life at the turn of the twentieth century through both words and pictures. It depicts the people, places and events of the Durham of Joseph Landt Mawson's childhood and aims to preserve those memories for future generations. A variety of illustrations, from photos and drawings to documents and objects (after all, how many youngsters today are familiar with such things as pince-nez spectacles, or mangles and possers?) come mainly from Landt's own archives and Michael Richardson's Gilesgate Photographic Archive. They complement the text and bring the memoirs vividly back to life, as ever more of the old city is lost and built over as Durham continues to grow, change and evolve.

J. Landt Mawson's family had lived in Durham for generations. In these memoirs he recalls his childhood in Durham, where his father worked as a solicitor. Landt was born on 19 August 1890 and lived there almost all his life. Amanda was born in Durham but brought up near London. She has since lived and worked in this country and abroad, returning to live in Durham a few years ago. She began researching her family history five years ago, tracing one branch of her grandfather's ancestors living in the City Centre since at least 1650. The manuscript of these 'memories' was still in her grandfather's desk and she found the illustrations in his photograph albums, his sisters' paintings and drawings and later in Michael Richardson's extensive collection.