The John B. Thorp Archive: A photo essay
Photographer's marks on a glass plate negative of Thorp's celebrated Charring Cross model of around 1930. Notice the child in the background watching the photographer at work...
An early job for archivists was the evaluation of many boxes of glass plate negatives to assess their condition and archival needs.
An original glass plate negative shows John B. Thorpe holding one of his models, probably in around 1930.
A wonderfully staged image of a modelmaker completing a scale model in the showroom of Thorp's Grays Inn Road offices. A scene familiar to me from my days as a professional modelmaker many years after this image was taken.
Goves were essential for examining many of the archives items, both to protect the items and those examining them.
After many years of being stored in the modelmaking workshops of thorp Modelmakers, it is surprising that many records have survived.
A wonderful example of how carefully recorded the work of Thorp Modelmakers was. This print of the 'Crystal 61' model includes notes about its construction that can be compared with modern modelmaking techniques.
Dr David Lund examines some of the loose photographic prints that needed to be identified.
