Images of Victorian Hull published in 2011

This is the third volume of drawings by Hull's prolific artist Frederick Schultz Smith. The previous books were a huge success in 1989 and 1990, and now Hull Museums are holding an exhibition of his work in the Maritime Museum, from 9 May until 11 September 2011.

In support of the exhibition, and the improved storage of Smith's drawings, I have produced this full-colour book containing around 140 of his drawings. Showing Hull in the 1880s and 1890s, Smith captured scenes before street photography became popular, recording many buildings before demolition. He also recorded the expanding City as it spread through Sculcoates, along the Beverley Road, into West Hull, and East across the river. Along with a selection from the City Centre, these form the five chapters of the book; each chapter has a contemporary map showing the locations of the images.

Due to the greatly improved family history resources, and extensive research, I have been also able to produce a more accurate record of Smith's family history. His life is discussed in detail from birth in May 1859, to his death in 1925. Images of his birth-place, and his home in Hull are also included. 

Apart from one or two images, the book features drawings by Smith that have never appeared in print before, and at a better quality than was previously available. The book is 225 x 245 mm, and has 112 pages and is available through Brown's Bookshop in Hull, Waterstone's in Hull, the Museums' shops, Ferens Art Gallery, Garlands of Bridlington, the Carnegie Heritage Centre, Queen Street School Museum in Barton upon Humber, and the Hessle Bookshop. It is also be available on eBay, Amazon, or direct from me via the 'contact' button above - please email if you require further details. Priced at £12.99 - and just £2.00 postage. 

Friends and family can haggle for a discount - email for details :-)

The West Park published in 2011

This short history of Hull's second public park, discusses the West Park from its inception in the 1860s, through to the present day 'regeneration' of the entrance.

Illustrated throughout, with 30 photographs and maps, it is an A5 booklet of 24 pages. Printed in black and white, with a full colour cover it contains many views of the park never before seen in print.

Associated buildings, such as the Carnegie Library, KC Stadium, and the City Police Fire Box No.6 are all described, as well as features in the park that you will never have known about until now. Also discussed are the park's many sporting facilities, and its past relationship with Cricket and Hull City to name but a few.

Available direct from me - email for details, using the contact button at the top of the page, or from the Carnegie Heritage Centre, at the West Park Gates.

Hull Then & Now 2 published in 2010

The second volume of then and now images Hull Then & Now 2, with more pages, more old images (over 300) and more text than volume one. The images are taken mostly from my collection again, and I was commissioned to write and design the book by Carnegie Heritage Centre Ltd. 

I have tried to respond to the many requests to feature other areas of Hull, and so you are taken on a vaguely circular route around the city, beginning at the most requested area The Avenues. The other chapters of the book are Prince's Avenue (including the Dukeries and Pearson Park) St John's Wood & Newland Avenue, Newland & The Cottingham Road, The Road to Stoneferry (including Cleveland Street, Wilmington and the Groves), Market Gate, Low Gate & High Gate (three old town streets in detail), and Myton (with images from North and South Myton). The introduction features an appreciation of a very important person in the history of Hull's architecture - Hull's first City Architect Joseph Henry Hirst - the architect of the Carnegie Library building.

This is selling much faster than the first volume - so be sure and get your copy now. See carnegiehull.co.uk for details, or pop into Waterstones.

Nya Jee Salone : My Mother Sierra Leone published in 2010

Another publication that I designed and published on behalf of Lee Karen Stow, this illustrates the work of one of the Wilberforce Women - Francess Ngaboh-Smart. Francess is a young lady from Freetown who is making a career for herself as a photographer in circumstances so difficult that it's impossible not to admire her.  

Go to leekarenstow.com for details

Heritage Panels 2 installed 2010

A second selection of panels for Hull Forward, that were erected to inform the public at large regarding the history of the vacant land in Blackfriargate that is awaiting redevelopment. This photograph shows one of the panels on the south side of the plot.

Heritage Panels installed in 2009

In 2009 I was asked to supply artwork and historical text for a number of heritage panels that were to adorn areas of the old town in Hull that were due for redevelopment. Working in association with Hull Forward, several panels were produced in Humber Street and Wellington Street/Queen Street. The image here shows the Wellington Street corner panel being fitted, and all of the panels feature historical information about the area.

The Carnegie Heritage Centre : a Brief History published in 2009

This is a short history of the old Carnegie Free Library on the Anlaby Road, near West Park Gates. I compiled it for the charity of which I am a founding member: The Carnegie Heritage Action Team, which was formed to save the building from dereliction in 2006.

Please visit the website for more details, and even get involved if you are interested in local or family history. See www.carnegiehull.co.uk

Hull Then & Now published in 2008

Once again I was hired to research, write and design this project to a print-ready stage. This time by the Carnegie Heritage Action Team, a local charity of which I was a founding member, and still work with and support on a voluntary basis. It was another luxuriously presented book – similar to The Anlaby Road, and with it's presentation I think the benchmark has been set for the quality of local history books in this region. Produced mainly due to local sponsorship it has sold 2,000 copies in two years, raising much-needed funds for the charity, which maintains The Carnegie Heritage Centre - see www.carnegiehull.co.uk

Wilberforce Women published in 2007

I was hired by the Wilberforce Women group to layout and design this fascinating and moving book. It contains many marvellous photographs produced by women in Hull, and women in Hull’s twin city of Freetown in Sierra Leone. It was a pleasure to meet the women and some of the ladies from Freetown, and was a very rewarding project. The credit for the project lies with Lee Karen Stow, a local photographer and reporter, and the sales raise funds to continue the photographic exchange between the women of the two cities – SO BUY ONE!

Contact leekarenstow.com for details

The Anlaby Road published in 2007

I was hired to produce this by a local group 'The Friends of Lonsdale', to raise money for their cause. It was financed with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, hence its ridiculously cheap cover price. Covering the complete history of the road from Hull to Anlaby, and all of the streets that run off it, I think it stands as a good piece of research. It won an award from the Hull Civic Society for being "an exceptional local history".

This was the first book that I ended up not just writing and researching, but tried my hand at designing it and laying it out to a print-ready stage too - a steep learning curve. It was well worth the extra effort and time, as the finished article sold 2,000 copies in just over six months. It still appears on e-Bay every now and then should you want one – or you could be old-fashioned and look it up in the libraries.

A companion website, containing the full book as well as many additional photo albums for the streets, can be found here: www.anlabyroad.com

Then & Now Beverley published in 2006 (re-printed 2011)

This was the third book that I wrote for the Tempus group, and sold very well; it features old pictures of Beverley from my collection, matched with modern images that I took of the same scenes in 2006 (starting a bit of a trend). Also becoming hard to find now.

Having been out of print for a while this book is about to be reprinted and should be available in November 2011.

Hull Pubs & Breweries first published in 2004 (reprinted in 2006 and 2011)

The second book that I wrote for Tempus Publishing, and the most successful, selling out the first run inside a year. Still one of the most regularly stolen books from the libraries in Hull apparently, and was also the best-selling book in Hull in Christmas 2004. I think its probably the most comprehensive and well illustrated book on the subject, and had good reviews from even the hardest of the local history critics. Still available in the reprinted form and contains one of the best selection of old Hull pub pictures produced so far (mostly from my collection).

This has been out of print for a few years now, but has been re-printed and is now available once more. Contact me for details.

Kingston Upon Hull : The Second Selection first published in 2002 (reprinted in 2005)

The first book I wrote for Tempus Publishing, which sold very well and was soon reprinted. A good selection of old photographs of Hull from my collection. The 'first selection' was produced by the late Ben & Mavis Chapman, hence the title of mine being 'the second selection', and theirs was good too. Mine is still available in its reprinted form although Ben & Mave’s is harder to find – try the car-boot sales and eBay.

A Toast To The Town : A History Of Beverley's Public Houses published in 2001

The second and final book I produced with Kingston Press, which sold very well despite the ambiguous title (nothing to do with me). Using pictures mostly from my collection, it records the history of every known pub and brewery in Beverley, but is now very rare indeed.

I have made an edited version available in the Pubs and Breweries pages on this website, as it seems particularly hard to find second-hand. 

Lost Pubs Of Hull  published in 1999

I had the great pleasure of working with my late friend Graham Wilkinson on this one. Sadly Graham died in 2007, but I think this and two of his other books – FORGOTTEN HULL and FORGOTTEN HULL TWO, stand as worthy tributes to his knowledge of Hull's social history, an expert on Hull's public houses, and unrivalled knowledge of the Hessle Road and Myton area. It was a pleasure to know and work with Graham, and it is a shame that its never gone to reprint. This was the best selling book in Hull over Christmas 1999, and is very hard to get hold of now.

If you are interested in lost pubs, check out my Pubs & Breweries pages, which feature many of Hull's lost pubs as well as all of Beverley's.

Aspects Of Hull  published in 1999

This was the first proper book that I was involved with, and was made up of a selection of articles by local people with an interest in aspects of Hull's history. I ended up writing two chapters, and its quite a good read.