Early in 2022, a Stoke Auction House advertised a Royal Doulton Bowl for sale.
Peter Tilley, a local resident of Lancaster and a keen amateur wildlife photographer, saw it advertised and realised it was a unique item with links to Lancaster.
The pottery fruit bowl is decorated in a typical victorian style but unusually has a tube lined inscription “Lancaster Photographic Society 1910, G A BOOTH”. After successfully purchasing the bowl, Peter contacted Brad to discover whether Society had any records from this period.
After a thorough search of the records and minutes a few facts were discovered. G A Booth was probably never a member of the Society in part because he was a resident of Preston. However in 1909 he was asked to officiate a Lantern Slide Competition, though there are no records of the result. Then in Dec 1909 as part of LPS’s Annual Exhibition he held an Illustrated Lecture “Natural History Photography” a subject that he was apparently experienced in.. This may be the reason for the presentation of the bowl.
Peter’s next step is to visit the County Archives and trawl the trade directories and the 1911 census....
Lancaster Photographic
Society November 1910
GA Booth
bowl interior
