Horace Simpson's family photographs

In 2022 we added a beautiful collection of 119 glass plate negatives to our collections. The photographs date from 1900 to 1925. They were taken by Horace Simpson. The photographs were kindly donated to us by Horace's granddaughter.

Horace was a local coal miner. He worked at Whitwood Colliery, a Henry Briggs, Son & Co pit.

Horace married Louisa Greenwood on 26 December 1903. Their service was at Normanton Primitive Methodist chapel, Wakefield Road.

Glass plate negative showing a couple (Horace and Louisa Simpson) posing on bicycles on a tree lined lane. Both wear straw hats.

Horace and Louisa Simpson cycling together (early 1900s)

Horace and Louisa had two sons.

Horace Junior Simpson was born in 1905.

: Portrait, showing a boy (Horace Simpson Junior) wearing a striped hat and shirt, posing with a cricket bat and ball. Appears to be a backdrop behind. Plate number '40'.

Horace Simpson Junior in his cricket outfit, around 1910

David Greenwood Simpson was born in 1916.

Portrait, showing a baby in a frilly white dress (David Greenwood Simpson), on a chair upholstered with patterned fabric. Painted backdrop of trees and a wall behind.

David Greenwood Simpson enjoying his baby portrait, around 1916

The two boys were both lovingly captured in charming portraits by their father. Horace composed all sorts of little scenes with them. He used a home studio set up and their beautiful garden as backdrops.

Portrait, showing a boy (Horace Simpson Junior) in a sailor style suit, sitting on a tricycle made of a rocking horse set on three wheels. Backdrop of trees behind.

Horace Simpson Junior on a rocking horse tricycle

Portrait, showing a boy in jumper and glasses (Horace Simpson Junior) smelling a flower while sitting in a garden arbour.

Horace Simpson Junior in the family's garden arbour, around 1917

Portrait, showing two boys (Horace Simpson Junior and a cousin), standing in a garden with an arbour behind. One has a hand on the others shoulders. They wear jumpers, shorts and long socks. They hold a toy and a hoop.

Horace Simpson Junior and a cousin in the garden, with a toy and a hoop, around 1917

Like many local families, the Simpsons enjoyed trips to the seaside at Scarborough. Horace didn't miss the opportunity to get some holiday snaps!

Showing a family group at the seaside in Scarborough. Five adults and two children. They all wear large hats and are very well dressed. One of the children carries a bucket and spade.

The wider Simpson family at Scarborough. Including Louisa, her mother Nancy Greenwood, Louisa's sister Ellinor and her husband John (who was also Horace's brother). With their children.

A young boy on a donkey on the beach at Scarborough, with a large crowd on the sand behind and buildings on the promenade

Horace Simpson Junior on a donkey at Scarborough

Horace Sr loved hobbies which allowed him to spend time in the open air. It was a welcome contrast to his work down the pit.

He and Louisa enjoyed cycling, gardening and taking family trips together.

a man with a hat and pipe crouching on a garden path, with his arm outstretched to a plant

Possibly Horace Simpson in the Simpson family garden

showing a smiling woman in a floral blouse and long skirt crouching on a garden path with her hand on her hip.

Louisa Simpson in her family garden

, showing a woman in Edwardian dress (Louisa Simpson) standing next to a boy (Horace Simpson Junior) who is crouched at the edge of a boating lake, watching a model boat on the water

Louisa and Horace Simpson Junior at a boating lake

Online photography collections

You can browse over 20,000 digitised photographs from around the Wakefield district in our online collections.

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Collections online

Horace Simpson's family photographs

Online photography collections

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