Diary 12

There are still unanswered questions,but the main one is now resolved. Albert Chambers was the organist and choirmaster of Stone church for several decades and a highly regarded photographer.

14th May

I have been trying to get hold of a light box, as an alternative to placing the large glass negatives against the window. No luck. I know  photographing a negative works. The snag is the image of the houses behind the window, although blurred, are discernible. I had put a piece of tracing paper on the glass. It worked after a fashion, but too much light was lost. Then I remembered a chap I had bought some etched glass from some time ago. I got in touch. “Could you grind the face of a piece of glass; nice and fine?” He could and now he has. It worked perfectly so 12 inches by 10 inches glass plates can now be scanned, or more correctly photographed. But let’s say revealed; it sounds more in keeping with finding hidden treasure.

4th June

I’ve been to Kidderminster Library. I felt they must have something on Albert so I decided to have another go. As I asked the librarian in the local history section he tapped on his keyboard. Then he said, “We have one work by – – you did say A.D. Chambers?”

“Yes. You do?”

“Yes; just one work. It’ll be in that cabinet.”

He got some keys and presently I was engrossed in an album of his, full of photographs with neatly handwritten captions. The book was entitled, “Water mills, windmills and other scenes fast disappearing, by A. D. Chambers 1935.”