Victorian Revellers at London's 'Appy 'Ampstead

Candid pictures at Happy Hampstead, taken by photojournalism pioneer Paul Martin

Chris Wild

c. 1890-1910

It was the opening of the railway station in 1860 that made Hampstead Heath, a 790-acre rambling open space north of London, accessible to the many poorer people who lived beyond walking distance of its borders.

Dressed in their best clothes and wearing spectacular bonnets, women drape their arms around each other's shoulders and dance. The woman in the centre of the line is playing a harmonica. Photographer Paul Martin is regarded as a pioneer of photo journalism. In 1892 he bought a 'Facile,' a popular hand camera made by Fallowfield of London. He disguised the camera as a leather case, able to work unobserved and take the candid photographs of daily life which are now recognised as his greatest work. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

The Heath was acquired as a public open space in 1871, and additional land was purchased in 1888 and 1889, respectively. Shortly after the first acquisition, the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 established four national day-long holidays: Easter Day, Boxing Day and the first Mondays in May and August. The Heath hosted a fair on the May and August bank holidays, and  'Appy 'Ampstead became part of national conversation in the 1890s, celebrated in song and cartoons. These pictures were captured at 'Appy' Ampstead, and possibly other London parks.

Hampstead Heath — People in their Sunday best clothes relax on a bank near a line of swings. These swings were powered by people pulling energetically on ropes. Crowds are busy amongst the stalls and other fairground attractions to the left. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Children, one in a sailor suit, line up to watch a woman throw a ball in a fairground game. If she wins, she can collect one of the toys or ornaments scattered on the ground as a prize. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Hampstead — A group of boys watch a man take aim on a fairground shooting range. The targets are clay tobacco pipes. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

The pictures were taken by Paul Martin (1864-1944), a  wood engraver by trade but with a keen interest in photography. Around 1890 it became possible to combine fast-dry plate negatives with a fairly small camera — the Fallowfield Facile camera was an example. Martin used a Facile, which could be disguised as a parcel or carried in a leather box. It did not have to be opened between exposures to change plates, which enabled Martin to take candid shots of people at work and play. Martin is thus credited as one of the first photojournalists.

A man demonstrates the latest in nineteenth century drink dispensers. Umbrellas shade the 'R Whites Ginger Beer' stall in the background. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Hampstead — A young boy relaxes on the grass in the foreground. A group of people gather near a barrel organ player, while a donkey feeds from its nose bag. The hand-crank barrel organ was a popular means of music in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This is a fairly large barrel organ, needing a donkey to pull it. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Teenagers and children look over a stall displaying large tins of food. The stall on the cart to the right may be selling nuts. A shooting range is just visible in the background. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

A view of a food stall at a fairground. The man in the centre may be looking after a hot fat fryer, perhaps for making chips. Fairground swing boats are visible through the trees in the background. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

A man takes a cooling drink from a stall. The vendor stands nearby on a crate. On the left a sign for oysters reads 'A'int they grand?' At the time, oysters were a popular cheap snack. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Hampstead — Two men turn a skipping rope for a little girl. A group has gathered near the swing boat rides to watch. Two small children in the foreground, unconcerned with all that is going on around them, play happily with sticks in the sand. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

A group of children and adults gather around a drink fountain at a fairground. Credit: SSPL/Getty Images

Revellers at London's 'Appy 'Ampstead

Chris Wild

c. 1890-1910