Castell Coch contains ten stained glass windows that were originally housed in a wooden chapel. This part of the castle was demolished but the glass panels are now on display in the Well Tower. One of the stained glass windows depicts the patron saint of Wales, St David. He’s shown standing on a hill with …
I’ve already featured a series of postcards that used a colourisation process to add colour to black and white photos. There are several colourised photos in my postcard collection and I’ve attempted to recreate the process using modern digital tools. Red or Blue? These cards are a perfect example of how colourisation produces very different …
“Castles and Abbeys of Wales” was written by D J Cathcart King (MC, LLM, FSA) and published by the Department of the Environment in 1975. The 40 page book features 49 monuments and 32 photographs. The two photos of Castell Coch (below) are prominently featured in the centre of the book. The monuments are organised …
Paul Sharp created a beautiful sketch of Castell Coch for a 1960s motoring guide to castles in the UK. I picked up a copy and discovered a fantastic collection of artwork by the Yorkshire designer. National Benzole was a petrol brand in the UK from 1919 until the 1990s. Perhaps these books were produced to …
This image of Castell Coch is from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. The photograph is mounted on card along with shots of a T.V.R. Converted Bristol Class locomotive and Barmouth Bridge under Cader Idris. The photographs aren’t dated unfortunately. After some quick research of Barmouth Bridge though, it turns out the drawbridge in the …
Two of the favourite items in my collection are these illustrations of Castell Coch by Joseph Staniforth. They were printed in a supplement to “The Builders Journal and Architectural Record” on Wednesday, December 21 1898. Joseph Morewood Staniforth is known for his Welsh editorial cartoons. They were published in several newspapers including the News of …
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) was established in 1908. They develop and promote the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales. The Commission has a huge collection of items in its archive, The National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW). Coflein is the online catalogue of …
The magic lantern is an early version of the image projector and was invented in the 17th century. The original versions of the 35mm photo slide were painted glass or oiled paper. For these early lanterns, the light source was either sunlight, candles or oil lamps. Magic lanterns were used as entertainment, combining images with …
