First Proper Pictures from Victoria Baths

Post by **Joanna Carter** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 5:32 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I am placing these images here so you can all get a look at them; Charles will be adding them to the Workshop Participants pages later, at which point I will edit this message to point there.

First, here is the Men's First Class or Gala Pool

And this is part of the screen at the entrance to the balcony to the same pool

This strainer was in the Womens Pool

Here is an old gas lamp at the top of the stairwell to the Gala Pool

Finally, some of the cubicles in the Womens Pool

We learnt several very interesting things about the Baths when we were there. The water in the pools was not chlorinated or anything, it was changed every couple of days, so you had "clean" days, and "dirty" days where it would cost less to get in. When the water was changed, the First Class Men's water was transferred to the Second Class Men's pool and, as you might have guessed, the Second Class Men's water was transferred to the Womens Pool

Simon R · Post by **Simon R** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:56 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

So, you're saying that Helen's pictures weren't proper photo's? Anyway, well done for being the first to get some up!

Helen Summers · Post by **Helen Summers** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:17 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Simon R wrote:So, you're saying that Helen's pictures weren't proper photo's? Anyway, well done for being the first to get some up!

Thanks Simon, I shall beat her up later

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:48 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Nice images Joanna - do I guess the Gala pool was taken on the 72mm? We'll make an architectural photographer out of you yet!

For the strainer picture, on the dirty days, do you think it kept the scum layer topped up in the pool by not letting it drain away

I took all mine on B&W that day and the Jobo is still buried in the darkroom so will develop them when possible...

Post by **Joanna Carter** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Apple wrote:Nice images Joanna - do I guess the Gala pool was taken on the 72mm?

Yup, there's not many digital cameras that can take such a shot with no distortion like that.

Apple wrote:We'll make an architectural photographer out of you yet!...

Hmmm... I'd really like to get to grips with things like fill flash; we are hoping to go back to the baths sometime next month, do you want to come along and show us how it should be done ?

Apple wrote:For the strainer picture, on the dirty days, do you think it kept the scum layer topped up in the pool by not letting it drain away

Eeuuw

Apple wrote:I took all mine on B&W that day and the Jobo is still buried in the darkroom so will develop them when possible...

Goodness me, I thought a good photographer like you would always have their trusty tank in a state of continuous readiness

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:08 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Joanna Carter wrote:Hmmm... I'd really like to get to grips with things like fill flash; we are hoping to go back to the baths sometime next month, do you want to come along and show us how it should be done ?

I'll have a word with 'im-indoors and see what he thinks - it could be a way of covering some pictures I didn't get to last time...

Joanna Carter wrote:Goodness me, I thought a good photographer like you would always have their trusty tank in a state of continuous readiness

Crawler, but sadly no

Chong · Post by **Chong** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:28 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Jo,
Great selection of pictures. I like the close up shot of the stained/lead window. Would have joined if I were still in Wakefield.

Regards

Chong

Post by **masch** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:44 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Chong wrote:Would have joined if I were still in Wakefield.

Well, you had to move halfway 'round the world, didn't you...

Marc

Post by **Joanna Carter** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:07 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I've just edited my original post to include another picture from the day.

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:03 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Go on then, I'll prove that there were others there as well

I've had to crop out some plastic barrier posts on the right hand side which unfortunately has made the door very much on the edge of the frame

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:42 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

An alternative view of a gas lamp to Joanna's...

Post by **Joanna Carter** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:44 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Andrew, I love them both. To my mind, these are the kind of pictures that you simply can't take with an "ordinary" camera, and one of the reasons why we lug around those big, heavy bags

Mark Pope · Post by **Mark Pope** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:24 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Dear Joanna and Andrew

some lovely work from both of you.
It looks like the baths are an excellent venue.
Tell me, are these the baths that were on the BBC Restoration programme a while back? They look awfully familiar.

Cheers

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:15 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Mark,

You are correct - these are the very ones.

From what we could gather at the introduction / tour, the Restoration money is to be used to get the front third of the building up and running - the Turkish Baths are deemed to be very popular from their surveys and the profits from these areas will be used to get the back two thirds going. Apparently, swimming pools never make money so they need a suitable fund (AKA bottomless pit...

)

Andrew