New Historic England photo collection reveals 1930s North East from the air

Historic England is publishing a unique collection of 242 pre-war aerial images featuring the likes of famous North East landmarks Smith’s Docks and Cullercoats Bay

Today, Historic England publishes the Air Pictures Portleven Collection - a unique collection of interwar aerial images taken by little known aerial photographer, Arthur William Hobart, which has been newly digitised by the Historic England Archive.

The collection features 242 black and white aerial images showing the national landmarks, towns, industrial sites, construction projects and seaside resorts of 1930s interwar England.

Featuring everything from national landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral, seaside resorts such as Cullercoats Bay, and industrial sites including Battersea Power Station and Smith’s Docks in North Tyneside - the content of the photographs reflect the market demands of the time.

The Collection forms a part of a larger and mostly undiscovered body of Arthur William Hobart’s aerial photography work, thought to be around 10,000 images. Born in London in 1882, Hobart was an early commercial aerial photographer who started in the business around 1920.

In the 1930s, aerial photography was a young industry which emerged after the First World War. This way of capturing new developments and industry of the time provides a fascinating and informative insight into a changing country. The collection shows how the business evolved to capture the interests and needs of this interwar decade.

The Air Pictures Portleven Collection takes its name from a misspelling of ‘Porthleven’, a Cornish fishing village where Hobart lived.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England said: “Flicking through these photos lets you take flight over 1930s England, to see the changing face of the country in the interwar period. Many of us will not have seen so many well-known landmarks and sites from this fresh perspective provided by aerial photography.

"We are the guardians of the largest national collection of aerial images in the country and hope that releasing this Collection helps inspire people to learn more about their local history through our online Aerial Photography Explorer tool."

To entire Air Pictures Portleven Collection can be viewed on the Historic England website. Take a look at some of the famous North East landmarks below:

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