How do you confuse a cataloguing Archivist? By photographing stone archways that did not actually exist!

A few years ago, a collection of miscellaneous photographs of Berkshire were deposited with very little information about their origin (ref. D/EX2546/1). The Archivist cataloguing this collection went about the usual processes of trying to date them and identify their locations. This included looking for small clues within the images themselves and comparing them with similar historic images online.

Arches in Windsor 1897, ref. D/EX2546/1

This was largely 'business as usual' until looking at this photograph of Windsor depicting a distinctive stone archway. The structure could not be found in this area when checking present day Google Map images. Nor was it located in other historic photographs dated around the beginning of the twentieth century. Surely, such a beautiful structure could not have been knocked down?

After much head scratching, a postcard of the exact same image was found online with the caption, ‘Jubilee Arch by Common Lane, 1897’. As many people will know, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on 22 June 1897. With this information, a quick search on the online catalogue led to a programme of ‘The Arches erected in honour of Her Majesty the Queen on her Return to Windsor’, dated 1897 (document reference: WI/D15/1). This included printed images of several arches around Windsor and Eton which no longer exist, so the plot thickened.

Cover of a programme called The Arches erected for Queen Victoria's jubilee 1897, ref. WI/D15/1

Further sleuthing online led to a photograph of an arch near Eton College in the Royal Collection which is described as ‘temporary wooden arch, on Slough Road, Eton, made to look like brick and stone’. This was for the Golden Jubilee but appears to be the same style as those erected for the Diamond Jubilee. So, at last, it could be concluded that there were in fact no stone arches there at this time, but they were instead wooden structures created to mimic the look of stone to mark the jubilees of Queen Victoria.

Since cataloguing this bundle, other photographs of the 1897 Diamond Jubilee arches have been deposited at the archives. This includes what appears to be the same archway as the one in the original photograph and therefore provides more evidence.

These arches were created almost like stage scenery from painted wood, canvas and plaster. Without this context, an Archivist or researcher could be easily fooled by this trick of the eye!

These structures were the creation Arthur Young Nutt, and his vision was again employed in 1899 to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. Some arches were more elaborate, and others were more realistic. Images of these temporary arches can be found in the New Windsor parish records (document references: D/P149/28/55-56).

The photographs of the stone-like arches are very convincing, so we can only imagine what it must have been like to experience them in person. Would they have confused passersby, or would their true nature be more visible up close? It is hard to grasp this from just looking at black and white photographs. These are questions that may never be answered, but at least the mystery of the elusive arches could be solved.