The Tuke Work Experience Project, Part 3: Views of York

We are finishing off the series of Tuke work experience blog posts with an entry from Alex and Martha who looked at some views of York, and the Tuke house.

We start with some views of York from Alex:

One of the most interesting items I have had the opportunity of handling this past week has been a collection of 10 photographs of the City of York c.1860. Seeing photos of instantly recognizable sites dated over 150 years ago is absorbing. The collection of photographs had been selected to be included in the memoir of Samuel Tuke, 1784-1857. It is of great interest that these particular images were chosen to best represent York and Samuel Tuke’s life, suggesting they were just as important to the local area then as they are now.  Samuel was heavily involved in The Retreat, a mental health hospital in York that still survives today, just 5 minutes from The Borthwick Archives. The Retreat was established by Samuel’s grandfather William Tuke, and the Borthwick holds most of their records.

Collection - Tuke 79 – TUKE/2/2/6/3/6

Above we can see a photograph of Micklegate Bar, a photograph of a print of Ouse Bridge, a photograph of 8 figures in front of Ackworth School, a photograph of the south side of York Minster, a photograph of a print of Walmgate Bar, a photograph of Lindley Murray's house in Holdgate, a photograph of a print of Chichester Cross, a photograph of the tomb of Archbishop de Gray in York Minster, a photograph of a sketch of the Shambles in York, and a carte de visite photograph of Samuel Tuke.

Martha found some photographs of the Tuke's house in Lawrence Street:

Whilst going through the Tuke archives one of the most fascinating things I discovered was in the photography collection. The pictures show where the Tukes used to live in York, and the family’s house was located on Lawrence Street. It is a shame that the house has not been preserved, as it is now surrounded by a busy road, and the beautiful gardens attached to the house have since been filled with an industrial estate. It is sad to think that the many people, who pass the house every day, are unaware of the rich history that it holds.

The pictures show the house and garden in there former glory taken in the 1850s, and we can see members of the Tuke family in the pictures. 

Tuke 85 -  photograph of the front of the Tuke's house in Lawrence Street, 1850s Reference TUKE/2/4/1/19/1.

Tuke 85- Esther Tuke in the Tuke's garden at Lawrence Street, ?1850s Reference TUKE/2/4/1/19/3

To read more about our student volunteers' work with the Tuke archive, please see Growing Up Tuke and Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Bonaparte?