As Time Goes By – George Knight

The Victorian cabinet card was a thin photograph measuring about 100mm X 140mm that was pasted onto a thicker cardboard mount measuring about 120mm x 195mm.

Popular from the late 1870’s and throughout the 1880’s and 1890’s, the card designs dated the photographs. By the 1880’s, cabinet card mounts sometimes had bevelled edges and were often finished in gold or silver edging or lettering. The name and address of the photographers always appeared on the front. There were often elaborate designs on the back of the card advertising the photography as art. Towards the 1890’s, the cards were generally plain in dark colours.

Photographers Walter Barrett of 1, Clarendon Gardens, Henry Hogben of 80, Queen Street and Gordon T Allen of 14, Broad Street were known to produce cabinet cards that retailed at a dozen for half a crown.

It is unfortunate that many Ramsgate cabinet cards that are with us today do not have the identities as to who the subject is.

The cabinet card I have posted on my Facebook page is one of many showing George Knight. George was a crew member of the Ramsgate tug “Vulcan” which worked with the Ramsgate lifeboat “Bradford” to help rescue the crew of the barque (a sailing ship) called “The Indian Chief” on January 5, 1881. The photograph is of George with his medals awarded for his role in the rescue that was taken in later years by George Colwell of 14 Broad Street.

Written by:
Councillor Tony Ovenden
Councillor for Sir Moses Montefiore Ward