Looe Museum is very proud of its collection of images handed down by the Raddy family, photographers in the town since the end of the 1800’s. Over the years we have been given sporadic access to the collection and also have been able to collect postcards issued by the family busines over the years. But it was only recently that we were presented with over 600 negatives, slides and prints by Colin Raddy, the fourth generation of the family to run the shop in Fore St.
These have now been professionally scanned and we now have the long, but enjoyable, process of cataloging them. Early viewings show wonderful detail and plenty of things we have not seen on images before. We are currently thinking of the best way to display all these images in the collection, but first we need to know what we have!
These have now been professionally scanned and we now have the long, but enjoyable, process of cataloging them. Early viewings show wonderful detail and plenty of things we have not seen on images before. We are currently thinking of the best way to display all these images in the collection, but first we need to know what we have!
The Raddy’s
Alfred Ernest Raddy was born in Liskeard on September 5th 1879. His father was a general carrier with a contract to deliver the mail in the area and Alfred was given the job of delivering to Looe and Polperro. This meant an early start, meeting the train at Liskeard Station around 6am, before journeying down to Looe and onto Polperro. Once in Polperro he would then have to wait around nearly all day before leaving at 5pm to head back to Liskeard.
Out of boredom AE took up photography, buying himself a camera and tripod. His time in Polperro was soon taken up taking photos of the harbour and all those around it, and before long he and his family would move to West Looe where he set up as a professional photographer. When the First World War came along, AE served in the Royal Flying Corps, possibly as an aerial photographer. On return he transferred the business from West Looe to East Looe, and the family have remained in the same building ever since.
Although the business would become known as AE Raddy and Sons, it was left to eldest son Tom to run the shop as AE got older and eventually died. Tom continued his father’s love of taking photos and also built up a large collection of early images taken by others, including many glass lantern slides from the late 1800s.
Tom’s son Rex would be the third generation of the Raddy family to run the shop and studio, now based in a large upstairs room lit by skylights. Photography was about to explode with the arrival of instamatic and Polaroid cameras making the whole process accessible to all. Films could now be sent away and developed within a few days, allowing holiday makers to get their snaps developed before they returned home.
As the 20th century came to a close Rex handed over the day to day running of the shop to his son Colin. Sadly soon after, Rex would have a stroke which eventually lead to his death. Colin continued to run the shop as the technology of photography was revolutionized by digital cameras and mobile phones, but sadly died in June 2021. For the moment the name of AE Raddy still graces Looe Fore Street, but the future of the shop is uncertain. Thankfully many of the images collected there, which play a big part in telling the story of Looe over the last 150 years or so, are now digitally saved and will live on as a testimonial to the family.
Alfred Ernest Raddy was born in Liskeard on September 5th 1879. His father was a general carrier with a contract to deliver the mail in the area and Alfred was given the job of delivering to Looe and Polperro. This meant an early start, meeting the train at Liskeard Station around 6am, before journeying down to Looe and onto Polperro. Once in Polperro he would then have to wait around nearly all day before leaving at 5pm to head back to Liskeard.
Out of boredom AE took up photography, buying himself a camera and tripod. His time in Polperro was soon taken up taking photos of the harbour and all those around it, and before long he and his family would move to West Looe where he set up as a professional photographer. When the First World War came along, AE served in the Royal Flying Corps, possibly as an aerial photographer. On return he transferred the business from West Looe to East Looe, and the family have remained in the same building ever since.
Although the business would become known as AE Raddy and Sons, it was left to eldest son Tom to run the shop as AE got older and eventually died. Tom continued his father’s love of taking photos and also built up a large collection of early images taken by others, including many glass lantern slides from the late 1800s.
Tom’s son Rex would be the third generation of the Raddy family to run the shop and studio, now based in a large upstairs room lit by skylights. Photography was about to explode with the arrival of instamatic and Polaroid cameras making the whole process accessible to all. Films could now be sent away and developed within a few days, allowing holiday makers to get their snaps developed before they returned home.
As the 20th century came to a close Rex handed over the day to day running of the shop to his son Colin. Sadly soon after, Rex would have a stroke which eventually lead to his death. Colin continued to run the shop as the technology of photography was revolutionized by digital cameras and mobile phones, but sadly died in June 2021. For the moment the name of AE Raddy still graces Looe Fore Street, but the future of the shop is uncertain. Thankfully many of the images collected there, which play a big part in telling the story of Looe over the last 150 years or so, are now digitally saved and will live on as a testimonial to the family.
The Old Guildhall Museum and Gaol is run by East Looe Town Trust
The Guildhall
Fore St
East Looe
Cornwall
PL13 1AA
Tel: 01503 263709
e-mail: info@eastlooetowntrust.co.uk
www.eastlooetowntrust.co.uk