Mystery Fareham figures in early photographs...

While putting together the recent heritage photographic exhibition, Life Through the Lens for Westbury Manor Museum, we noticed that a number of individuals appeared to crop up in three separate photographs.

We think all the photographs date from around 1900. As surviving images from that period aren’t particularly common, the chances of the same individuals appearing in two random street scenes (let alone three!) even in the same town, would seem highly unlikely.

The same two young men appear in both the view of The Square in Titchfield and with the water carrier, again in Titchfield. One of the men also seems to be in the photograph of coalmen from Wood & Co Coal merchants, with their wagons at Fareham Quay.

They clearly stand out in each photograph with the distinctive, if slightly shabby, uniforms they are wearing.

But who are they and why have they ended up in these three photographs?

One theory is that they are post boys. If the photographer wasn’t local and arrived in town looking for contacts to introduce him to the most photogenic local sites, perhaps the ‘postie’ was the first port of call?

What do you think?

Do you recognise the uniform?

You can see the full exhibition here .

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