SMGC Shaw - Fred Shaw Photographs - [1890-1950]
The Fred Shaw photograph collection comprises negatives, slides and photographs taken by Fred Shaw from the 1890s to the 1940s, mostly of Gypsy sites and families in England, with some local views of Friern Barnet, Hertfordshire. P1-289 and PA2-40 were listed by Dorothy Blair c.1953; some negativ...
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| Archive level description: | Sub-sub fonds |
| Physical Description: | 21 boxes |
| Dimensions: | P-PD are 3 x 4 inches (82 x 107 mm); PE are 8.5 x 6.5 inches (164 x 215mm). |
| Languages: | English |
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| Summary: | The Fred Shaw photograph collection comprises negatives, slides and photographs taken by Fred Shaw from the 1890s to the 1940s, mostly of Gypsy sites and families in England, with some local views of Friern Barnet, Hertfordshire. P1-289 and PA2-40 were listed by Dorothy Blair c.1953; some negatives are noted as missing on Blair list. All negatives have contemporary dated and localized captions describing the subject written by Shaw. 21 boxes of of glass plate negatives |
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| Date: | [1890-1950] |
| Reference Number: | SMGC Shaw |
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| Custodial History: | A collection of glass negatives presented to the Gypsy Lore Society by Helen Shaw, widow of Fred Shaw, in January 1950 and deposited by the Society on permanent loan in the Scott Macfie Collection at the University of Liverpool Library in February 1950. |
| Biographical/Administrative Information: | Frederick James Shaw (1867-1950) was born in London, and lived in Friern Barnet, Hertfordshire. A fluent speaker of various Romani dialects from childhood, he joined the Gypsy Lore Society in 1908, soon after its revival by R.A. Scott Macfie, and was Honorary Treasurer of the Society 1922-1930. He worked as a printer, but was also an expert photographer and many of his photographs of the Gypsy families he encountered were published in the Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society. He bequeathed his collections of books, photographs and photographic negatives to the Gypsy Lore Society at the University of Liverpool. Fred Shaw's correspondence with Scott Macfie describes his Sunday cycling and "tramping" excursions with his camera, around North Middlesex, South Hertfordshire, and Surrey, looking for Romani-speaking subjects for his photographs. He also travelled to horse fairs such as Brough Hill, in company with other members of the Gypsy Lore Society. Fred Shaw was a keen Territorial soldier and served as an ARP (air raid precaution) Warden during the Second World War. He was an active member of the local branch of the British Legion, whose members attended his memorial service at Friern Barnet parish church, January 13 1950, in full regalia. There were no flowers at the funeral, by his own request, but his coffin was covered with red poppies. Sources:
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