Saturday 27 July 2013

The Mick Twyman collection


It is almost three years since Mick Twyman died and at the same time Margate lost a true friend. Mick was totally dedicated to conserving the history of Margate especially at a time when there was little interest in sea side history and during his lifetime he built up a huge archive of research and photography.
Margate has undergone a renaissance and Margate's seaside history does attract considerable interest and thanks to the internet Margate's sea side history can now be accessed and promoted  in a positive way.
Recently I received from Mick's widow a number of disc's containing some of Mick's collection of photographs and postcards. I know for a fact that Mick would supply images from his collection to whoever asked for a particular  image for nothing as long as it was used for education, research, media and to publicize Margate. The discs I have cover almost every avenue of Margate's sea side heritage and if you require a particular image just email me and I will see what I have got.
Subjects include Bathing machines , Margate Sands , Cliftonville , Hotels , Shipping , Events , Dreamland Margate Pier , Harbour, etc.,, All you have to do is ask.

I like this photographic postcard above. Customers for the bathing machines would enter a board walk from narrow gates in the railings on the sea front. The gates are still visible to day.
The  customers would then  climb aboard a high wagon that will take them out to the bathing machine in the water.


3 comments:

Tony2 said...

Wouldn't be lovely if his stories were published as a collection too.

Anonymous said...

Hi there, Are there images of seaside entertainers in the collection? How would I be able to see them online?
Many thanks,

Tony Lidington

Roger said...

Hi, I have a copy of an article titled @Boatmen one, minstrels nil', a Victorian interlude, that was written by Mike Twyman. I would very much like to use some of the observations in this article in a biography of Alfred Bone, also known as Uncle Bones. Alfred was my second great granduncle and appears to have been quite a character in Margate and beyond. Could I ask if you have any original material relating to the above incident or indeed any other information relating to Alfred that you would be prepared to share?
Many thanks