About the 1939 Albums
Since first posting this page two more examples of this album have come to light. The second was owned by Maud Collis and the third by Mr Jim Kent. The Maud Collis album (shown below) was particularly helpful because it had been comprehensively indexed and allowed us to name many faces in this series. Where photos are duplicated only one is shown on the site but with the autograph pages from all three albums attached.
Much of this material has already been posted by Jeremy Sutcliffe in the earlier years of the MSN Group. In March 2007 he agreed to re scan it at higher resolution for presentation on this site. I have made up composite images of the photos and autographs to simplify presentation. It isn't intended to be a true image of the opened album. Jeremy has slightly amended his original narrative as shown below. KD
The following photographs were sent to me in 2005 by a relative of the late Irene Schofield, a High School Old Girl with a request that they be added to the site's archives.
The maturity of the pupils in the class photograph suggests that they were at least 5th formers in 1939. The smaller size of the class perhaps suggests 6th form.;
Interestingly the photographs were collated in a purpose made album, "School Memories and Autographs" and specifically over printed "Oldham Municipal High School 1939, Head Master A.H.AshworthM.A.";
As the title suggests, Irene had used it as an autograph book on the pages facing each picture. Unfortunately they are in a random arrangement, so identifying individuals from them is impossible but they are our only clues to their identity.
The school orchestra is referred to on page 13 of the more recently posted history of the Greengate St building "They're closing the old school down".
Photos taken in the summer of 1939 always have a certain poignancy. How many of the young men in the photograph would die in the war that was only months, may be weeks, away?
The staff photo fascinates me. My mother left OMHS in 1934. How many of the staff still there in 1939 had taught her? Who are they and which ones?
JMTS
Seniors | Sn Netball | Staff Group | Orchestra | Trophy Group |
Girls Swim Squad | Guides Group | Upper Sixth |