When I was a student in Liverpool in the 1980s I lived near the Taveners confectionary factory on Beech Street, so of course I had to visit Sweet, the current exhibition about the company at the Museum of Liverpool. Like a lot of firms in the first half of the twentieth century, Taveners organised staff outings, and the display includes two photographs of such events in the 1930s. No doubt everyone wore their 'best' for these outings, but they are still a wonderful record of what working people, and especially young working women, wore at the time.
The first photograph was of the workforce in 1930, about to set off for the annual picnic in a fleet of charabancs.
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| Click on any image to enlarge it |
A 'sharra' was a vehicle with rows of bench seats across it. There was a canvas cover which could be pulled up over the passengers if it rained - the covers are visible folded up at the back - but they were usually driven open-top if possible. The destination was probably Blackpool, which is about 45 miles from Liverpool. I imagine that the journey could get quite chilly, hence all the coats and (firmly pulled on) hats.
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| Hats and berets all round |
One lady is taking no chances with the cold, and is wearing a fur stole.
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| Perhaps she just wanted to show off her fur |
A couple of the men in the party are wearing open neck shirts, while others have stuck to wearing ties. Almost all of them have some kind of headwear.
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| I hope those large caps are well-secured! |
The second photograph was taken four years later, in the Spanish Hall of the Blackpool Winter Gardens. The photo is a little blurred in places, but there's still a wealth of detail to look at.
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| Note the 'Spanish' decor |
Even though it's indoors, some are still wearing their coats, including another fur.
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| Short sleeves and fur coats |
A few women are wearing brimmed hats or berets, and there are even a few party hats.
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| A beret, and two brimmed hats |
Mostly though it's a sea of bobbed, waved, hair.
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| Lots of Marcel waves |
I wonder if these two planned to wear similar (possibly identical) jackets? The fact that they're sitting together suggests that they did.
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| Sisters? Twins? |
Leaving aside the party hat, this pair look very stylishly dressed.
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| Is that some sort of button-on cape? |
I would love to see a colour photograph of this print.
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| Oh to have some of that fabric! |
The drapery of this dress obviously got a little crushed under a coat.
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| Tell-tale creases |
Meanwhile these impressive sleeves, surely inspired by Letty Lynton dress, seem to have survived unscathed.
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| So many 1930s details |
Although the workforce appears to be largely young girls, there are some older women there as well.
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| Similar hairstyles to the younger women |
The top table appears to be mostly men, presumably in more senior positions. This seems to have been a more formal outing than the picnic (certainly it involved a sit-down meal), so ties are being worn.
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| Waistcoats, watch chains, and pocket handkerchiefs |
Among the women standing behind them, the lady on the far left looks quintessentially 1930s. Sadly, that part of the photo is a little blurred, so I couldn't get a good close-up of her outfit.
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| Like a fashion illustration |
The rest of the display was interesting, but unsurprisingly these two photographs were the highlight for me. It just goes to show that you never know where a bit of costume history is going to turn up. Sadly, the Beech Street factory closed last month as production was moved elsewhere. I hope that the Taveners archive is retained, ideally by the museum. Who knows what else it contains?
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