Silver Street, Halifax A D 1868

Print of Silver Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, by J. R. Smith, as it appeared in 1868.

Postcard of a print from 1893, drawn by Joseph Rideal Smith and printed by Stott Brothers, lithographers of Halifax, from Smith's series of a dozen views, "Old Halifax", the set selling for 50 shillings. So commercially successful were Smith's drawings that he became known as "Old Halifax".

From the postcard: "This View taken from Hall End, showing the Commercial Bank, the White Lion Hotel, & the Globe Inn, is respectfully dedicated to William Ambler, Esq., .J.P., Kirby Leas, by his humble & Obedient Servant, J.R. Smith."

Joseph Rideal Smith was born in 1837 at the Waggoner's Inn, which was on the top side of Northgate. He studied as an architect, but due to ill health returned to Halifax in 1870, gaining employment at the Duke of Bedford's estate. After this he worked as the town's first sanitary inspector, and had great influence in building the Halifax goyte* system. He married Miss Empsall of Craven Edge in 1873 and they had one daughter. Smith died in 1915.

After showing one of his sepia drawings based on an old photograph to Alderman Ramsden of the Waggoner's Inn, Ramsden was so impressed that he encouraged Smith's work. Smith went on to produce a set of prints bound into books with the original print on the front cover. Each print was dedicated to local patrons and people of standing.

*goyte - man-made underground passage to channel water.

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