Postcards of town's maritime history go on show

One of the 1,000 postcards is from the Ipswich Regatta celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897

One thousand Victorian and Edwardian picture postcards of maritime Ipswich have been deposited at Suffolk Archives by the Ipswich Maritime Trust (IMT).

Five albums containing the postcards dating from 1880 to 1919 have been given to The Hold - the home of the archives in Ipswich.

The collection originally belonged to Leonard Woolf - a lifelong collector and member of IMT who left the postcards in his will.

A spokesperson for the archives said they were "delighted" to have received the postcards.

Mr Woolf's collection included this "beach" scene at what is now Cliff Quay

IMT archivist Stuart Grimwade said the collection was one of the "largest of its kind of the same general location focusing as it does on the river and dock area".

"And having been through the postal system – when stamps cost just a halfpenny – they contain many messages of social interest as well as showing the huge variety of local maritime scenes around the turn of the 19th Century," he added.

"We already hold extensive maritime records, ranging from the Ipswich Dock Commission volumes to the charcoal drawings by Valerie Irwin that record the demolition of Cranfields Flour Mill on the waterfront," said The Hold's senior archivist Bridget Hanley.

"So it’s lovely to have another part of Ipswich’s maritime story, available to view now and to be continually updated.”

A spokesperson for The Hold said: "We are very grateful to Leonard, and other members of IMT, for putting in so much effort, and amassing an astonishing record of life on the waterfront at a time when the river was so important not only for commerce, but also for leisure.

"Paddle steamers feature strongly in the collection, and there are wonderful images of people enjoying the Ipswich Swimming Club, or walks through parkland overlooking the Orwell.”

To ensure generations to come can enjoy the collection, IMT took the decision to copy the images.

Over the past 20 years all the postcards have been scanned by the team.

The photos are available to view on the trust's website and can be viewed in person at The Hold.

'Kindred spirits'

Mr Woolf, who was born in 1934 and died in 2018, left the postcards to the IMT in his will.

He had been involved in agriculture, horticulture and environmental issues all his life, being presented in 2015 with a Green Hero award for his environmental campaigning by BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.

IMT member, Bob Pawsey, assisted Mr Woolf in bidding for and purchasing suitable postcards to add to the collection.

"They were kindred spirits," recalled Mr Pawsey's daughter, Emma Pawsey.

"They shared a deep affection for their hometown, and a fervent dedication to preserving its rich maritime heritage."