Life Through the Lens

Alfred Rowden was a keen amateur photographer and natural historian in Exeter. This photograph shows members of the Exeter Camera Club on a field trip to Stoke Woods, on the outskirts of Exeter.

This image is probably of William Weaver Baker himself. It is a black and white image which was printed onto a red-tinted lantern plate to give the red effect. This is a very unusual historic image recording part of the photographic process.

This image shows farmers at work in the mid-Devon village of Black Dog. Even though it was taken at a time of social change before the Second World War, it shows a scene familiar to modern farmers.

The freezing of the River Exe was a memorable occasion in the city, and perhaps provided some small distraction from the horrors of the First World War.

This image raises more questions than answers. Are the boys washing or playing a game? The tin-shack building in the background is not a typical Devon building, so where was this photograph taken? Why was the photograph taken? Without any surviving records about the photograph these questions are likely to remain unanswered.

This photographic slide shows a Band of Hope group gathering outside Exeter Cathedral. The Band of Hope were an organisation which promoted abstinence from alcohol, and specifically targeted children in the hope they would shape their futures without alcohol.

This magic lantern slide shows a collection of parish registers, the majority of which are in poor condition with torn covers and damaged pages. The title and topic of the slide suggests Baker was interested in preservation of historic objects, and this photograph is an early example of the topic of object conservation.

Museums have recognised photography as a useful method of display for many years. This image shows a RAMM gallery about 80 years ago. In the foreground is a display of glass plate slides of Devon stone crosses, carefully back-lit to enable visitors to see them.

This records a typical South West industry of the time. It raises questions about fishing and the practice of photography. Does the picturesque setting reflect the reality of the fishermen’s lives? Where was the photographer situated?

Images like this remind us that photography as an art form has not evolved in isolation. The setting and composition of this image is similar to many Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings which were produced in the same era as this photograph.

This is one in a series of glass slides recording archaeological sites on Dartmoor. Sadly neither the location of the archaeology or the name of the photographer was recorded. The images are thought to date from the early 20th century.

Many historic photographs record important events or places of historic interest, yet this image records a domestic scene of a room in a house. Despite its apparent familiarity it remains a mystery as no records survive of where or when this photograph was taken.

It is perhaps possible to guess the motive behind this image – recording a scene of daily life. Today it provides a glimpse into the realities of this woman’s world. We do not know who she was, where or when she lived. We can only guess why she waits in the doorway.

This photograph is from a series recording a family holiday to Lynton and Lynmouth. It shows part of the narrow gauge railway between Lynton and Barnstaple, which operated between 1898-1935.

This image shows a woman sitting on grass in what appears to be a garden. The subject is probably Nancie Madge Platten (1898-1971) of Leicester, England, who was the niece of the photographer's wife Lilly.

Mr Weaver Baker was a prolific amateur photographer who lived in Exeter for much of his life. He was interested in the process of photography and experimented with different techniques, including the early use of colour photography like this image. The woman is thought to be his wife Lilly Burgess Baker.

This photographic image dates from the First World War and shows a soldier in his uniform. The insignia on his cap and shoulders tell us he was in the Australian Imperial Force, but we do not know his name, whether he survived the war, or why we have his photograph in the museum’s collection.

This image by William Weaver Baker is unusual as it shows another cameraman in action. The man in the photograph is Frederick Richard Rowley (1868-1939) who was curator of RAMM between 1902 and 1934.

This image by William Weaver Baker shows a group of people sat at a table with a tea pot. It is likely the man at the back of the group may be Weaver Baker himself and the woman sitting to his left is probably his wife Lilly Burgess Baker.

Alfred Rowden was a keen amateur photographer and natural historian in Exeter. He often gave talks at local field clubs, illustrated with magic lantern slides. He recorded scenery and wildlife specimens around Devon, but occasionally photographed local people and culture too.

The sign attached to the dog in this slide reads ‘Vote for Crawley’. The lack of information recorded on the slide makes the date and location of this scene unknown. It possibly relates to Baron Frederick Crawley who was MP for Prestwich from the late nineteenth century until 1918.

This image is a reminder of the person behind the camera – their interests and sense of humour. It is part of a set entitled ‘Cat study’. Further series by the same photographer include ‘Kitten study’ and ‘Dog study’.

This is one of three images from a series bearing the same title, and possibly captured in the same evening. As individual images they are picturesque, but taken together they show the photographer experimenting to create the ‘perfect’ romantic image.

This is one of three images from a series bearing the same title, and possibly captured in the same evening. As individual images they are picturesque, but taken together they show the photographer experimenting to create the ‘perfect’ romantic image.

This is one of three images from a series bearing the same title, and possibly captured in the same evening. As individual images they are picturesque, but taken together they show the photographer experimenting to create the ‘perfect’ romantic image.

This image records the ship Lorna Doone moored at Ilfracombe. The destination board states she is heading for Weston-Super-Mare and Newport (Wales). It is one of the earliest photographic images in RAMM’s collection and was taken at a time when leisure time and travel were becoming more common for the working classes.

F.R. Rowley was Curator of this museum and a keen amateur photographer. Here he records a dolphin washed up on a beach in Devon. He subsequently brought the dolphin to the museum and its skeleton was taken into the Natural History collection.

The exterior of the museum is recorded here during a time of rapid social change, typified with a motor car on the left of the picture and a horse and cart at the right. The ‘ghost’ figures are a result of the technology which required long exposure times to capture the image.