Bedford Lemere Collection (1860s-1944) Gallery

RMS Olympic BL24990_021

RMS OLYMPIC, White Star Line. View of the boat deck, looking aft, showing lifeboats and funnels. The Olympic was the first of a class of luxurious express transatlantic ocean liners, and entered service with the White Star Line in 1911 as the largest cruise liner in the world. Sister ship of the RMS Titanic, she was the only one of the class to prove a success, serving until 1935. After the Titanic sank in 1912, her stokers went on strike until sufficient lifeboats were provided for all passengers and crew. The ship was then refitted and additional safety measures installed. In 1914 the Olympic was requisitioned as a troopship, served in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, and brought US troops to Europe in 1917. She returned to civilian service in 1920. Photographed by Bedford Lemere, Southampton, October 1921

© Historic England

Woolworths, Kingston-upon-Thames BL25186

F W Woolworth And Company Limited, Kingston Upon Thames, Greater London. The front of the Kingston-upon-Thames branch of F W Woolworth & Co Ltd (Woolworths) 3d and 6d stores. Photographed 2nd Nov 1920. From the information provided in the Bedford Lemere daybook, the exact location of this Woolworths branch is unclear. It is not thought to be in the Market Place where they were located from 1931 until closure. The architects are recorded as North, Robin and P J Wilsdon

© Historic England Archive

Waring & Gillow Factory, August 1916 BL23600_002

WARING AND GILLOW FACTORY, White City, Hammersmith, London. A large crowd of people gathered outside the premises of Waring and Gillow in White City, converted for use as a munitions factory during the Great War. The furniture manufacturers, Waring and Gillow were formed in 1897 by the merger of Gillow of Lancaster and Waring of Liverpool. They established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture to some of the richest families in the country. During the First World War, Waring & Gillow (who commissioned this photograph) began producing goods for the war effort. Their factory at White City, made tents for the military. The company also manufactured ammunition belts for use with machine guns, nosebags for horses and protective clothing for use during gas attacks. Photographed by Bedford Lemere & Co. in August 1916

© Historic England