Postcard of the Month: January 2025
/Timber for Littlehampton
This Frank Spry postcard offers a view taken from the west bank of the harbour opposite the Baltic Wharf, showing two visiting sailing vessels by the covered area for timber storage.
The handwritten text on the reverse identifies the craft as the barquentine Elisabeth of Marstal on the right with the information that she had delivered timber from Gothenburg on May 6th 1924. More information about Elisabeth of Marstal can be found here.
The other craft on the left is the Swedish four masted auxiliary schooner Margot from Danzig, also with timber arriving on the same date.
The card has a printed label listing Barbara J. Robinson as the collector, together with her address. She was a descendant of local ship owner Joseph Robinson, and it may be his comments on the back of the card.
It is possible that some of the timber delivered may have been used for harbour infrastructure improvements which took place later in the 1920s. Some of this activity can be seen in the other Spry postcard with pile-driving taking place during the rebuilding of the harbour side wharfing, completed in 1929. Although there is no date or text, this card shows a similar style in the printed details and both have the typical embossed angled name on the front identifying the publisher.