Railways and Rural Life: S.W.A. Newton and the Great Central Railway

This beautiful photography book records the work of Alfred Newton, a commercial photographer who was based in Leicester in the late 19th century. Newton was commissioned to record the extension of the Great Central Railway - the last main line - between Nottingham and London in 1894 and 1906, and Sydney Newton, then still a teenager, travelled the route with his camera. Significantly, in addition to photographing the railway and its associated features, the young Sydney also recorded rural life in the villages along the course of the line. Railway interest, local history and social history intertwine to provide a unique picture of life in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire around the turn of the 20th century. This lavishly illustrated book, printed in beautiful duotones throughout, draws on the extensive archive holdings of English Heritage and the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland and offers a unique picture of our railway heritage.