E W Parken

Post Card

1.

Post Card Porttraits - EW Parken

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

The post card above is from EW Parken.  The address on the back is given as:

-  22 Dalry Road Edinburgh, and

-  The Studio, Victoria Road, North Berwick.

This photo, at first sight, looks asif it may be a photograph of a painting.  But I believe it was, in fact, a carefully composed group, taken in EW Parken's studio. The pillar on the left and the window can also be found in other post cards by Parken

Address  -   2 or 22 Dalry Road?

I know of another photograph by EW Parken, on the back of which there is a printed note that clearly reads:

Copies and Enlargements from this card may be had from EW Parken

2 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh &
The Studio, Victoria Rd, North Berwick.

Where there are discrepancies between the addresses given by photographers on the backs of their photos and the addresses given in trade directories, I would normally believe the former, but in this case I believe that no 22 is probably the correct address. 

-  No 22 appeared in Slater's Directory, MacDonald's Directory and nine different editions of the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory.

-  No 22 is also an address that was home to many different photographers over the years, but I have no record of any being based at No 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  The photograph that I refer to above with the suspect address on the back is owned by Phil Wilson, showing one of his family, Mary Wilson, dressed in   'girls' brigade' costume, taken probably about 1916-17.

  

Comment

1.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Thank you to Archie Foley for sending me a message about the studio addresses of EW Parkin.

Archie wrote:

Postcards

"I have:

1.  a postcard of a concert party at North Berwick, East Lothian, taken  pre- WW1. 
The card is published by EW Parken.
It gives studio addresses:

-   22 Dalry Road, Edinburgh.

-  Victoria Road, North Berwick

2.  a postcard of a concert party at Leven, Fife, taken 1928 and a postcard dated 1931.
These cards were published by EW  & DF Parken.
They have both  been stamped with an ink stamp, giving a studio address of:

-   Talbot Studio, Leven, Fife.

Questions

(a)  Did EW Parken move from his Edinburgh studio to a studio in Leven?

(b)  Was DF Parken, who had joined the Parken business by 1928, the son of EW Parken?

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  August 2, 2013

Replies

EW Parken's Studios

I have lists giving the names and addresses, and some brief family  histories taken from the censuses, of most of the early Scottish photographers. 

These have been compiled by Richard Torrance, but unfortunately, they only cover the years up to 1914.  The only studio address that I have found for Parken in these lists are:

-  EW Parken, 105 South Bridge, Edinburgh (1910-13) and

-  EW Parken,  22 Dalry Road, Edinburgh  (1911-14+).

So I'm not able to answer Archie Foley's questions.  However the evidence does seem to suggest that the answer may well be 'Yes' and 'Yes'.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 2, 2013

  

Comment

2.

Michael Woodley

Thank you to Michael Woodley for also sending me a copy of a postcard by EW Parken.

Michael wrote:

Post Card

2.

"I have been trying to find out about E W Parken of 22 Dalry Road, Edinburgh.

Here is one of his old photos that he took of my Great Aunt.  It is a postcard, dated on the back 27 February 1919.

Postcard

RAF Vehicle

Studio portraits published as postcards were popular around 1919,
Very few of these postcards appear to have ever been sent through the post.

This picture is unusual in being an outdoors photo, rather than a studio photo.

C

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Michael Woodley

Back of Postcard

The back of this postcard has been date-stamped: '27 FEB 1919'.

E W Parken then had studios at 22 Dalry Road, Edinburgh and at North Berwick.

The Back of a Postcard Portrait by E W Parken - Michael Woodley's Great Aunt in an RAF Van, 1919 ©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Michael Woodley

Questions

(a)  Would this be a true photograph of my Great Aunt in the RAF at the time?

(b)  Do you know what happened to EW Parken?

Michael Woodley:  December 28, 2014

Reply to Michael Woodley

Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to either of the questions that Michael Woodley asks above.  I hope that somebody else might be able to help to come up with answers.

If you'd like to send a reply to Michael, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on his email address  to you.    Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  February 9, 2014

  

Click here to select Other Photographers

  

 

__________________