by Ray Duffill
The latest exhibition at Hedon Museum offers a unique glimpse into how Hedon’s main streets appeared during the 1950s.
Arthur Johnson, for his studies in architecture during that decade, produced giant panel boards of photos of the town centre frontages, with his architectural drawings of the same buildings displayed above.
The result is a fascinating view of how St Augustine’s Gate, Market Place and Souttergate looked in the mid-1950s.
The boards, produced by Arthur for exam purposes only, have never been on public display before.
He passed his exams and went on to become a working architect, designing local homes as well as serving as honorary architect for St Augustine’s Church.
The family of the late architect has donated the boards to the museum, where they are now the focus of the exhibition.
Some of the boards have decayed and been damaged over the years, so they have been carefully photographed for posterity, with prints available to buy.
The prints will be of particular interest to those currently living in the buildings, or with family and historical links to the streets. For older residents and those researching family histories, the boards will evoke a strong sense of nostalgia.
The exhibition is open every Saturday and Wednesday from 10am to 4pm. The entrance to the museum can be found by following the public signs on Watmough’s Arcade or via What3Words at caves.consoles.scorch.