sn Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 If you are a steam enthusiast and you've a few books of railway photographs to your name then H.C Casserley is a name on the photo credits that pops up over and over and over again. Got me wondering about who he was? He seems to have traveled the length and breadth of the UK taking photos from around the 1920's to the 50's. I like his work because it's far removed from the work of many of that era who only ever photographed express trains. Was he a man of money who didn't have to work I wonder? What was his background? Anyone know? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Google is your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._C._Casserley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 12, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2011 Google is your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._C._Casserley The usual Wiki-mix, with useful and plausible facts interspersed with the rather-less-likely! I enjoyed this bit "In 1937 he replaced it with one of the new Leica 35 mm cameras, which was much more convenient and served him until the end of his career, being replaced with an identical model when the original was stolen in 1963." By 1963, new Leicas were much better than the small but inconvenient model from 1937, so it seems unlikely he would have sought out the pre-war version secondhand when a much more effective modern coupled-rangefinder and bayonet lenses were on offer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 H C Casserley was an amateur train and model railway expert, writer, and photographer, but spent his professional life with the Prudential Insurance company. I have a couple of signed copies of his books, he certainly knew his subject Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 H C Casserley was an amateur train and model railway expert, writer, and photographer, but spent his professional life with the Prudential Insurance company. I have a couple of signed copies of his books, he certainly knew his subject Stephen. It sounds as though he could have been one of the 'Inspectors' who would travel the country, visiting the local branches and checking that they were following Head Office policy. From my mother's accounts of working for the Pru' through WW2 until just before I was born, Branch Managers lived in fear of their visits..I must ask her if the name means anything to her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The usual Wiki-mix, with useful and plausible facts interspersed with the rather-less-likely! I enjoyed this bit "In 1937 he replaced it with one of the new Leica 35 mm cameras, which was much more convenient and served him until the end of his career, being replaced with an identical model when the original was stolen in 1963." By 1963, new Leicas were much better than the small but inconvenient model from 1937, so it seems unlikely he would have sought out the pre-war version second-hand when a much more effective modern coupled-range finder and bayonet lenses were on offer. I can vouch for the replacement story, it is well known, and working with cameras and sales for many years I can assure you the older Leicas were very well liked, and replaced with simular models to this day by enthusiasts, including myself! Bayonet did nothing for quality, only speed of change for journalists, and any experienced photographer hardly bothers with rangefinders, especially with railway photography. I knew several top photographers who used Leica lens with Periflex or Reid bodies, which had close up focusing on the Periflex, and no rangefinder on the basic Reid. They preferred the bodies to the Leica body, but treasured the screw on lenses, and would not change to M series for any reason. The "small and inconvenient" model took some of the worlds greatest photographs, which an M could happily duplicate, but just not with the small and convenient size, and it was the size that was the important point, Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sn Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm sure I read once that he avoided being involved in the Harrow accident because he missed his train home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 13, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm sure I read once that he avoided being involved in the Harrow accident because he missed his train home. He might have missed his train to work that day - the collision occurred 'at about 8.9a.m.' so I doubt he was on his way home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Rhys Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 He might have missed his train to work that day - the collision occurred 'at about 8.9a.m.' so I doubt he was on his way home. I'm sure I read once in Wikipedia that he missed his train home the previous night, got home late and got a beating from his wife, and had to stay at home the following morning, thereby avoiding the Harrow disaster. Or maybe not. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 To those who collect railway books, we have seen innumerable excellent photographs across the years credited to him, probably wondering who he was. An interesting thread. Dennis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 I'm sure I read somewhere he had a house built in Berko so he could phot the ex LNWR trains passing his home. A brilliant photographer, the thing that made him extra special was he was not loco-centric and took photos of carriages. One of his shots is my screensaver. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted June 3, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 3, 2011 HC Casserley's son Tim, is a keen railway modeller in both Gauge 3 and 1:12 Scales. I believe his 'commercial side' Moving Miniatures, is one of few who specialise in Heywood 15" gauge railways (15" gauge using 1.25" gauge track). Regards Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 I'm sure I read somewhere he had a house built in Berko so he could phot the ex LNWR trains passing his home. Could well be true - his was the end house in Castle Hill Close, Berkhampstead, which does indeed back onto the WCML. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve22 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I'm sure I read somewhere he had a house built in Berko so he could phot the ex LNWR trains passing his home. A brilliant photographer, the thing that made him extra special was he was not loco-centric and took photos of carriages. One of his shots is my screensaver. I think I also read once that he showed no real interest in particular locos, i.e. he wasn't fussed which loco it was and didn't record loco numbers. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 How did he get shed access so often? Perhaps in those days you just "asked" and discretely proffered a little something?? Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 18, 2011 How did he get shed access so often? Perhaps in those days you just "asked" and discretely proffered a little something?? Different times, perhaps. A well-dressed man with a camera putting his head round the shed-foreman's door would be unlikely to be told where to get off, and in those days his personal safety would be seen as being down to him. We scruffy, duffle-bagged urchins, a decade or two later, presented an entirely different prospect!. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesome_whistle Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Interesting topic. Does anyone know if HC Casserley's photographs are obtainable these days (and, if so, where from) as he took a fair few of subjects close to my heart? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 The Disused Stations website gives a snail address for Richard Casserley who can apparently supply copies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 And he also took his summer house with him when he moved. Have a look at pictures taken from his homes in Bromley and Berkhampstead..... Regards, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Re shed visits, Oldddudders is correct. Even in the 1970-80s, 'decently dressed and polite' still opened many doors. When Murray Brown asked the regular 'Rail' correspondents to supply material for a book entitled 'A day in the life of BR', he knew it was possible. I very much doubt such a book would be possible today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted September 18, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 18, 2011 Interesting topic. Does anyone know if HC Casserley's photographs are obtainable these days (and, if so, where from) as he took a fair few of subjects close to my heart? There used to be a series of books called 'Great Railway Photographers' which would have included him. They appear from time to time in 'remainder' bookshops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted September 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 18, 2011 Even in the 1970-80s, 'decently dressed and polite' still opened many doors. A statement I can vouch for. In the mid to late '70s I was given many photo opportunities by kind railwaymen who appreciated my polite approach and keen interest in their work. Not only depots and signal boxes, but in a few cases allowing me to shoot pictures from vantage points normally barred to the public, e.g. just off the end of platform ramps while the gentlemen supervised my activities. How times have changed, and yes, I agree, largely out of necessity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 18, 2011 A statement I can vouch for. In the mid to late '70s I was given many photo opportunities by kind railwaymen who appreciated my polite approach and keen interest in their work. Not only depots and signal boxes, but in a few cases allowing me to shoot pictures from vantage points normally barred to the public, e.g. just off the end of platform ramps while the gentlemen supervised my activities. How times have changed, and yes, I agree, largely out of necessity. In the '70s (and much of the '80s come to that) it was still possible because clearly sensible and responsible enthusiasts were usually recognisable as such - and not just by the way they dressed. And in some circumstances there were sensible 'railway minded' staff who could be tipped-off to keep an eye on, and out, for them. But equally there were plenty of idiots - not all of juvenile years - who had to be thrown off, or out of, operational railway property pdq because of the danger they posed to themselves and sometimes to others - usually they were instantly recognisable, however they were dressed. I always tried to take an adult attitude with 'signalbox visitors' but knew there were certain of my Signalmen who should not really be left alone 'entertaining visitors' while others could be trusted implicitly or would in any circumstance maintain the privacy of their signalbox because they didn't like being disturbed. Equally I would never take a visitor into one of my 'boxes without first obtaining the agreement of the signalman on duty - even if the Signalman concerned allowed visitors without first seeking my permission. It was all a matter of being realistically sensible - today it seems to be down to something else entirely with a senior management more motivated by fear of legal proceedings against them personally than any concern for the railway', hence a very different official attitude to even the most responsible of visitors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Having morphed into access for photography. As can be seen from my collections I (and my friends) used a polite sensible approach - plus hazard clothing and very frequently were welcomed. Official permits to Wellingborough yard developed into being able to visit on Sundays, sit in the yard measuring all day and get called over the Tannoy for a cuppa in the Signal box before going home. An unusual moment was when I was in the middle of the yard measuring an iron ore hopper and a policeman came up, completely unphased to see me there, and asked if I had seen anyone stealing coal - as there had been a report. Shift changeovers could be a problem, when the new shift were not told we were in the yard. At BP Llandarcy, (an official visit) we could not use our own cameras - not cleared as flash proof - but we had to let ourselves out as all the shift left us in a shed measuring a Bitumen tank. One of the more annoying times were the few when we struggled to get in, but finally got permission only to find that the locals were using the yards for walking their dogs, or as a short cut. As to H C Casserley, he also took some very interesting wagon photographs - not least of the very varied wagons delivering coal to Berkhamsted in the late 1940s - such as the very little Shipley Collieries 5 plank and a Niddrie Benhar Coal Co with "Scottish style" cupboard doors. Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishswissernie Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 According to my files, HCC in action! Boyle, Ireland 1964 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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