Collier, Walter Percy - Revision history

Steve: Minor insertion of text relating to his code at 6 Percy Terrace in 1921

2024-02-12T20:03:25Z

Minor insertion of text relating to his code at 6 Percy Terrace in 1921

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:03, 12 February 2024
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	== Walter Percy Collier 1875-1937 ==		== Walter Percy Collier 1875-1937 ==

	~~''Note: Images to be added but may be referenced. (3/1/24)~~
	''
	Walter Percy Collier seems to have developed his interest in photography some time after Harry Ord Thompson (1871-1950), who was an established photographer on Tyneside, married his eldest sister, Beatrice, on 24th December 1898. By 1910, he could call himself a master photographer and worked with his brother-in-law for a couple of years.		Walter Percy Collier seems to have developed his interest in photography some time after Harry Ord Thompson (1871-1950), who was an established photographer on Tyneside, married his eldest sister, Beatrice, on 24th December 1898. By 1910, he could call himself a master photographer and worked with his brother-in-law for a couple of years.

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	<br>		<br>
	[[File:IdentityCertificate.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Identity Certificate for W P Collier\|Identity Certificate for W P Collier]]		[[File:IdentityCertificate.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Identity Certificate for W P Collier\|Identity Certificate for W P Collier]]

			Walter Collier was a lodger with [[Burrell, Isabella Cook\|Isabella Burrell]] at [[6 Percy Terrace]], Bellingham in 1921. He was a commercial photographer based in Bellingham. There is a recreation of his shop in the Heritage Centre at Bellingham and access to a vast quantity of his photographic output.

	== The Business of W. P. Collier ==		== The Business of W. P. Collier ==

Steve: change fo images as frameless to frame

2024-01-03T18:25:23Z

change fo images as frameless to frame

Steve: More images added

2024-01-03T18:18:28Z

More images added

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:18, 3 January 2024
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	<br>		<br>
	<br>		<br>

	[[File:RoyalFlyingCore.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster\|Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster]]		[[File:RoyalFlyingCore.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster\|Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster]]
	<br>		<br>
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	The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.		The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.

	[[File:~~Collier in the Darkroom~~\|frameless\|center\|alt=Collier in the Darkroom\|Collier in the Darkroom]]		[[File:Collier_in_the_Darkroom.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Collier in the Darkroom\|Collier in the Darkroom]]

	== Collier Country ==		== Collier Country ==
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	Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.		Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.

	~~''Example Image required~~.''		[[File:Captain Dawes Aircraft.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft\|Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft]]

	== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==		== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==

Steve: Insertion of some images

2024-01-03T18:12:37Z

Insertion of some images

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 3 January 2024
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	After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.		After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.

	''~~Image required.~~''		[[File:WPCollier in Uniform.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top\|W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top]]
			<br>
			<br>

			[[File:RoyalFlyingCore.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster\|Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster]]
			<br>
			<br>
			[[File:IdentityCertificate.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=Identity Certificate for W P Collier\|Identity Certificate for W P Collier]]

	== The Business of W. P. Collier ==		== The Business of W. P. Collier ==
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	Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.		Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.

	~~''Image required~~.''		[[File:WPCollier.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=An image of W P Collier\|An image of W P Collier]]

	== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==		== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==
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	The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.		The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.

			[[File:Collier in the Darkroom\|frameless\|center\|alt=Collier in the Darkroom\|Collier in the Darkroom]]

	== Collier Country ==		== Collier Country ==
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	Elevated views, sweeping scenes of solitude, yellow corn fields and green pastures, picturesque villages with inns, shops and post offices, busy highways, quiet byways and narrow lanes, stately homes, stunning relics of the Roman Wall, remote hills and valleys, gleaming rivers and loughs, lonely places for exploring by motorcycle or on foot, estate villages like Whittingham or Cambo, railway villages like Reedsmouth or Riccarton, large villages like Bellingham, smaller villages like Otterburn or West Woodburn, hamlets like Horsley or Rochester, and farms tucked away in Upper Coquetdale like Carshope, Fairhaugh or Barrowburn.		Elevated views, sweeping scenes of solitude, yellow corn fields and green pastures, picturesque villages with inns, shops and post offices, busy highways, quiet byways and narrow lanes, stately homes, stunning relics of the Roman Wall, remote hills and valleys, gleaming rivers and loughs, lonely places for exploring by motorcycle or on foot, estate villages like Whittingham or Cambo, railway villages like Reedsmouth or Riccarton, large villages like Bellingham, smaller villages like Otterburn or West Woodburn, hamlets like Horsley or Rochester, and farms tucked away in Upper Coquetdale like Carshope, Fairhaugh or Barrowburn.

	~~''Image required~~.''		[[File:CollierCountry.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.\|A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.]]

	== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==		== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==
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	Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.		Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.

	~~''Image required~~.''		[[File:Embelhope School.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School\|A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School]]

			This postcard is typical of W. P. Collier: Emblehope school, standing in the middle of nowhere, and its pupils are dwarfed before the sweeping landscape of hills and fields.

	== Characteristics of the Postcards of W. P. Collier: Events ==		== Characteristics of the Postcards of W. P. Collier: Events ==

Steve at 17:52, 3 January 2024

2024-01-03T17:52:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:52, 3 January 2024
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	''Image Gallery required.''		''Image Gallery required.''

	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen in 2012''</span>
	<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen in 2012''</span>
	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]

Steve at 17:50, 3 January 2024

2024-01-03T17:50:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:50, 3 January 2024
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	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen''</span>		<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen in 2012''</span>
	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]

Steve at 17:49, 3 January 2024

2024-01-03T17:49:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:49, 3 January 2024
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	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen		<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen''</span>
	''[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]

Steve at 17:45, 3 January 2024

2024-01-03T17:45:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:45, 3 January 2024
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	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	[[Category:People]]		''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen
			''[[Category:People]]

Steve: Placeholders for images and galleries provided.

2024-01-03T17:40:38Z

Placeholders for images and galleries provided.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:40, 3 January 2024
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	== Walter Percy Collier 1875-1937 ==		== Walter Percy Collier 1875-1937 ==

			''Note: Images to be added but may be referenced. (3/1/24)
			''
	Walter Percy Collier seems to have developed his interest in photography some time after Harry Ord Thompson (1871-1950), who was an established photographer on Tyneside, married his eldest sister, Beatrice, on 24th December 1898. By 1910, he could call himself a master photographer and worked with his brother-in-law for a couple of years.		Walter Percy Collier seems to have developed his interest in photography some time after Harry Ord Thompson (1871-1950), who was an established photographer on Tyneside, married his eldest sister, Beatrice, on 24th December 1898. By 1910, he could call himself a master photographer and worked with his brother-in-law for a couple of years.

	After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.		After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.

			''Image required.''

	== The Business of W. P. Collier ==		== The Business of W. P. Collier ==
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	Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.		Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.

			''Image required.''

	== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==		== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==
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	== Collier Country ==		== Collier Country ==

	~~The heart~~ of ~~any photographic business was~~ the ~~darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight~~, ~~W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative~~ on ~~a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell~~ in ~~his shop~~ or ~~from local outlets~~. ~~Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed~~.		Elevated views, sweeping scenes of solitude, yellow corn fields and green pastures, picturesque villages with inns, shops and post offices, busy highways, quiet byways and narrow lanes, stately homes, stunning relics of the Roman Wall, remote hills and valleys, gleaming rivers and loughs, lonely places for exploring by motorcycle or on foot, estate villages like Whittingham or Cambo, railway villages like Reedsmouth or Riccarton, large villages like Bellingham, smaller villages like Otterburn or West Woodburn, hamlets like Horsley or Rochester, and farms tucked away in Upper Coquetdale like Carshope, Fairhaugh or Barrowburn.

			''Image required.''

	== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==		== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==
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	Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.		Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.

			''Image required.''

	== Characteristics of the Postcards of W. P. Collier: Events ==		== Characteristics of the Postcards of W. P. Collier: Events ==

	Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.		Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.

			''Example Image required.''

	== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==		== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==
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	== W. P. Collier and H. O. Thompson ==		== W. P. Collier and H. O. Thompson ==

	Harry Ord Thompson married Beatrice Isabel Dudley Collier on 24th December 1898. Having a photographer in the family would prompt a career change in W. P. Collier. After working as a photographer from 1905, the two brothers-in-law had teamed up by 1910. W. P. Collier was stunned by the death of his wife, Catherine, at the age of 28, on 20th December 1910. A couple of years later, he decided to set up on his own in Bellingham. The following photographs are a few of the hundreds that were probably taken by W. P. Collier to be processed by H. O. Thompson and sold as postcards. Postcards of rural Northumberland were possibly not as profitable as H. O. Thompson expected.		Harry Ord Thompson married Beatrice Isabel Dudley Collier on 24th December 1898. Having a photographer in the family would prompt a career change in W. P. Collier. After working as a photographer from 1905, the two brothers-in-law had teamed up by 1910. W. P. Collier was stunned by the death of his wife, Catherine, at the age of 28, on 20th December 1910. A couple of years later, he decided to set up on his own in Bellingham. The following gallery of photographs are a few of the hundreds that were probably taken by W. P. Collier to be processed by H. O. Thompson and sold as postcards. Postcards of rural Northumberland were possibly not as profitable as H. O. Thompson expected.

			''Image Gallery required.''

	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]

Steve: Inclusion of an image of Collier's gravestone

2024-01-03T17:05:15Z

Inclusion of an image of Collier's gravestone

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:05, 3 January 2024
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	Harry Ord Thompson married Beatrice Isabel Dudley Collier on 24th December 1898. Having a photographer in the family would prompt a career change in W. P. Collier. After working as a photographer from 1905, the two brothers-in-law had teamed up by 1910. W. P. Collier was stunned by the death of his wife, Catherine, at the age of 28, on 20th December 1910. A couple of years later, he decided to set up on his own in Bellingham. The following photographs are a few of the hundreds that were probably taken by W. P. Collier to be processed by H. O. Thompson and sold as postcards. Postcards of rural Northumberland were possibly not as profitable as H. O. Thompson expected.		Harry Ord Thompson married Beatrice Isabel Dudley Collier on 24th December 1898. Having a photographer in the family would prompt a career change in W. P. Collier. After working as a photographer from 1905, the two brothers-in-law had teamed up by 1910. W. P. Collier was stunned by the death of his wife, Catherine, at the age of 28, on 20th December 1910. A couple of years later, he decided to set up on his own in Bellingham. The following photographs are a few of the hundreds that were probably taken by W. P. Collier to be processed by H. O. Thompson and sold as postcards. Postcards of rural Northumberland were possibly not as profitable as H. O. Thompson expected.

			[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frameless\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:25, 3 January 2024
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	After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.		After a short time with his brother-in-law, W. P. Collier came to Bellingham and set up his business in the old butcher’s shop in Lock-Up Lane. Between 1917 and 1919, he was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps. In this portrait, he is proudly wearing his “maternity jacket” designed to keep out the draughts in flimsy aeroplanes.

	[[File:WPCollier in Uniform.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top\|W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top]]		[[File:WPCollier in Uniform.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top\|W P Collier in his flying 'maternity' jacket uniform top]]
	<br>		<br>
	<br>		<br>
	[[File:RoyalFlyingCore.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster\|Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster]]		[[File:RoyalFlyingCore.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster\|Royal Flying Core Vacancies Poster]]
	<br>		<br>
	<br>		<br>
	[[File:IdentityCertificate.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=Identity Certificate for W P Collier\|Identity Certificate for W P Collier]]		[[File:IdentityCertificate.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Identity Certificate for W P Collier\|Identity Certificate for W P Collier]]

	== The Business of W. P. Collier ==		== The Business of W. P. Collier ==
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	Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.		Details about the early life of W. P. Collier are patchy. He was born on 20th July 1875, the third child of Walter and Isabella Collier. In 1898, his eldest sister Beatrice married Harry Ord Thompson, a Tyneside industrial photographer. Walter married Catherine Poynor in 1905. They had three children Muriel, Edith and Jack but Catherine died on 20th December 1910, aged just 28. He came to Bellingham a couple of years later, served as a photographer in the Royal Flying Corps between 1917 and 1919, and died on 7th September 1937, aged 62. From 1912-1937, he was the main postcard publisher for a 40-mile radius of Bellingham.

	[[File:WPCollier.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=An image of W P Collier\|An image of W P Collier]]		[[File:WPCollier.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=An image of W P Collier\|An image of W P Collier]]

	== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==		== The Shop of W. P. Collier ==
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	The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.		The heart of any photographic business was the darkroom. Working under the glow of a red safelight, W. P. Collier would use two chemicals to turn a negative on a glass plate into a postcard that he could sell in his shop or from local outlets. Porcelain dishes held the chemicals to develop and print the postcards before they were thoroughly washed.

	[[File:Collier_in_the_Darkroom.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=Collier in the Darkroom\|Collier in the Darkroom]]		[[File:Collier_in_the_Darkroom.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Collier in the Darkroom\|Collier in the Darkroom]]

	== Collier Country ==		== Collier Country ==
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	Elevated views, sweeping scenes of solitude, yellow corn fields and green pastures, picturesque villages with inns, shops and post offices, busy highways, quiet byways and narrow lanes, stately homes, stunning relics of the Roman Wall, remote hills and valleys, gleaming rivers and loughs, lonely places for exploring by motorcycle or on foot, estate villages like Whittingham or Cambo, railway villages like Reedsmouth or Riccarton, large villages like Bellingham, smaller villages like Otterburn or West Woodburn, hamlets like Horsley or Rochester, and farms tucked away in Upper Coquetdale like Carshope, Fairhaugh or Barrowburn.		Elevated views, sweeping scenes of solitude, yellow corn fields and green pastures, picturesque villages with inns, shops and post offices, busy highways, quiet byways and narrow lanes, stately homes, stunning relics of the Roman Wall, remote hills and valleys, gleaming rivers and loughs, lonely places for exploring by motorcycle or on foot, estate villages like Whittingham or Cambo, railway villages like Reedsmouth or Riccarton, large villages like Bellingham, smaller villages like Otterburn or West Woodburn, hamlets like Horsley or Rochester, and farms tucked away in Upper Coquetdale like Carshope, Fairhaugh or Barrowburn.

	[[File:CollierCountry.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.\|A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.]]		[[File:CollierCountry.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.\|A map showing depicting a rough idea of the area where Collier took his photographs.]]

	== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==		== Memories of Muriel Collier (1906 - 1998) ==
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	Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.		Lovers of solitude will revel in the Cheviot Hills. They are crossed only by the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh and are inhabited by a few shepherds and thousands of sheep. From the heart of these wild hills steal glens, burns and waterfalls. The scenery of Coquetdale is remarkably beautiful and varied. The town of Rothbury is graced by the lovely hillside woods of Cragside, the estate of Lord Armstrong. New bridges have been built in Upper Coquetdale and the motorist can now take a car as far as Carlcroft. The cyclist can penetrate far into the hills and use sheep-tracks to pass over the watershed into Scotland.

	[[File:Embelhope School.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School\|A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School]]		[[File:Embelhope School.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School\|A W P Collier image showing Embelhope School]]

	This postcard is typical of W. P. Collier: Emblehope school, standing in the middle of nowhere, and its pupils are dwarfed before the sweeping landscape of hills and fields.		This postcard is typical of W. P. Collier: Emblehope school, standing in the middle of nowhere, and its pupils are dwarfed before the sweeping landscape of hills and fields.
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	Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.		Real black and white photographs contact printed on glossy paper from half-plate glass plates, 6½ x 4¾, and cropped to postcard size, 5½ x 3½. Each postcard had a characteristic number and title, the smaller the lettering, the later the postcard: the landing of the aeroplane of Captain Dawes at Otterburn Hall on 25th October 1913, the departure of the troops from Bellingham on 5th August 1914, the Peace Day Celebrations in Bellingham on 19th July 1919, the arrival of the Government Instructional Centres in 1933, the opening of Askew Hall in Upper Coquetdale on 5th September 1935 and the new Co-op in Allendale Town on 13th June 1936.

	[[File:Captain Dawes Aircraft.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft\|Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft]]		[[File:Captain Dawes Aircraft.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft\|Crowd gathering round Captain Dawes' aircraft]]

	== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==		== Memories of Edith Lyons (1908 - 1996) ==
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	''Image Gallery required.''		''Image Gallery required.''

	[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|~~frameless~~\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]~~<span style="text-align: center;">''The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen in 2012''</span>~~		[[File:Collier Gravestone.jpg\|frame\|center\|alt=The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen\|The Gravestone of W.P.Collier erected by the generosity of Stan Owen]]
	[[Category:People]]		[[Category:People]]