Hertford Square, Coventry, West Midlands, 1953 (b/w photo)

Hertford Square, Coventry, West Midlands, 1953. John M Prest (1908-86), silver gelatin DOP (developing out paper) print. A van and lines of washing form a significant part of John Prest's view of weavers' housing in Hertford Square, Coventry in 1953. Prest was employed as a graduate apprentice in Coventry from 1952 to 1953 and his academic interest in domestic textile industries encouraged him to spend several years travelling the country to find and record weavers' and other artisan houses. His photographs, mainly taken from streets and back alleys, show exactly what anyone could see for themselves if they cared to look, including traffic, pedestrians and other obstructions. The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England acquired his collection in 1995.