Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - October 2022

[kenkimber]

The apparent condition of the nearside running board and paintwork suggests, to me, that the van was a few years old when the photograph was taken, yet the ‘ accumulator ‘ seems pristine by comparison - so one wonders if it might have built onto a secondhand C cab ?

[Mike Costigan]

That's quite possible, Ken; it's easy to assume that a period photo shows a vehicle as new or nearly new, but there's no really good reason why this should be so.

[Steve kay]

Interesting overlaps in historical research. I have just spent a few, well, more than a few, minutes trying to trace Morgan Bros, to find out when they were in business. Trade directories and the journals archive of Nation Library of Wales have not come up with a single reference or advertisement. Anyone else found anything, or has everyone got better things to do on a Thursday evening.

[Lance Sheldrick]

I remember that R.J.Wyatt captioned this photograph in his "Austin Seven a Pictorial History" as 1928 and that "Morgan Bros covered 250 miles a week with this van delivering radio batteries", which would suggest that he had some information, or maybe it was just written on the back of the original photo.

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Correction, not in "Pictorial" but Wyatt's "Austin Seven".

[robert regan]

morgan brothers may not have existed after 1941 when the luftwaffe paid Swansea a visit for three nights in 1941 and removed all of the city centre and parts of mansel street + many others regards to all Rob.

[Mike Costigan]

A quick google search reveals several Morgans in Swansea involved in the electrical trade - they may or may not have any connection with the 1920s Morgan brothers.

Here's Mansel Street, probably in the late 1920s:


  mansel street swansea.JPG (Size: 81.18 KB / Downloads: 111)

[Steve kay]

Certainly post 1922, when the Albert Hall became used as a cinema. No sign of which Gloria Swanson movie, so was the date after she moved into talkies. As for what the man is doing on the porch, or porte cochere, one can only speculate. Rather surprisingly, the Albert Hall has survived, though unused since 2007. Looking it up on the computer will show the latest owners announcing plans for its future.