Arthur William Hobart and the Air Pictures Portleven Collection

Who was Arthur William Hobart?

Arthur William Hobart was born on 1 April 1882 at the General Lying-in Hospital in Lambeth, London. Prior to the First World War, Hobart had jobs as a journeyman baker, commercial traveller and a draper’s clerk.

Little is known about Hobart’s career in aerial photography, although evidence suggests that he started in around 1920. If correct, this would make him one of a small band of early commercial aerial photographers.

For many early commercial aerial photographers, entry into aerial photography was precipitated by service in the First World War, where many had served in the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Air Service. But to date, with no service records found, Arthur’s story remains a mystery.

Commercially, Hobart operated under various names and in partnerships. As well as AW Hobart these included Air Pictures Limited, ‘For Air Pictures Anywhere’, and Air Views Limited.

Hobart is also known to have had connections to the firm, Surrey Flying Services (SFS). Based at Croydon Airport, SFS, were primarily a charter and flying school. Whilst his specific relationship with SFS is elusive, Hobart did compile a book for them in the 1920s, called ‘Flying Over Devon’. A copy of this aerial guide to the county is held in the Historic England Library in Swindon.

Perhaps as a result of his association with SFS, Hobart initially operated out of Croydon and Kenley aerodromes. Croydon was the country’s main airport and Kenley was a Royal Flying Corps station in the First World War.

Hobart later moved to Cornwall. The exact date of his relocation and his motivation for doing so are not known. The first records found for him in the county show he had work premises listed in ‘Prah Sands’ [sic] in 1935. His Porthleven address, and where the name of the collection comes from, was a later addition.

Whilst living at Pisky’s Acre in Praa Sands in 1935, Hobart began court action against Messrs WT Cook Limited of Acme Photo Works, Caterham. He sued the photographic printers for £10 damages for unlawful reproduction of copyrighted postcards.

In 1938, and possibly due to ill health, Hobart was advertising his business for sale. By this time, he had amassed an overall stock library of around 10,000 images, of which our Air Pictures Portleven Collection forms a small part.

Hobart died in Cornwall in 1940.

What’s in the collection?

The Air Pictures Portleven collection takes its name from some of the negatives that have been published with the credit line ‘Air Pictures Portleven’ – this is probably a misspelling of ‘Porthleven’, the Cornish fishing village.

The collection contains 356 black and white 5 x 4 inch glass plate negatives. The vast majority are oblique aerial images of towns, houses, industrial sites and construction projects. The collection is undated but is thought to principally date to the 1930s.

There are 242 negatives of sites in England, and a handful of ground photos. There are also just over one hundred uncatalogued negatives of Scotland and Wales.

With his connections to London and Cornwall, it is not surprising that several of the photographs in the collection feature places in Greater London, the south east and the south west of England. However, Hobart photographed a great many other places, including sites in Cumbria, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Tyne and Wear and Yorkshire.

Whilst the collection may be small, forming just a part of a larger and mostly undiscovered body of Hobart’s work, this model for capturing the new and industry of the time provides a fascinating and informative insight into a changing wider 1930s Britain.

Importantly, it also offers a window into the developing profession of aerial photography. As a young industry, it provides context on how the business evolved to capture the interests and needs of a changing decade.

What can I see in the photographs?

The content of the photographs in the Air Photos Portleven Collection reflect market demands of the time. Photographs for postcards were Hobart’s largest market, but municipal authorities and the press were also principal clients. Photographs would have been taken on a commission basis, as well as speculatively.

Targeted for their unique selling point of providing views that people would not have been seen before, Hobart also appears to have had an eye on the emerging demand for aerial photos from other sectors. These included those associated with building, industry and development and his response to this can be seen in the content of the collection.

An insight into his business practices can be found in a letter penned by Hobart in May 1939. In it he describes what he thought made the ‘best sort of picture’ and who they may be for:

These words resonate with the content of the collection. The galleries of images below illustrate the breadth of buildings and places Hobart targeted, from factories to football grounds, and construction sites to well-known landmarks and the nation’s heritage.

Industrial sites

Hobart’s photographs include many industrial buildings and landscapes, illustrating factories, collieries, dockyards and mills throughout England. Many sites were well established, but some often show relatively new additions. The views often reveal just how embedded the industries were within the local townscapes.

Construction and new builds

The recording of new construction schemes, from housing estates to transport infrastructure was a common subject for early aerial photographers. Often, construction firms would commission progress photography to keep a visual record of their work from commencement to completion.

Seaside resorts

England’s seaside resorts grew rapidly in the early 20th century. They became increasingly accessible to more and more holidaymakers. Entertainment and leisure facilities developed to attract visitors who could stay at a variety of accommodation, from camp sites to luxury hotels.

London landmarks

Unsurprisingly, Hobart photographed several well-known landmarks in London. The capital was full of buildings and monuments that reflected the nation’s power, industry, progress, heritage, culture and learning.

Historic buildings

As well as historic landmarks in London, Hobart recorded the nation’s heritage elsewhere. Country houses, cathedrals, castles and abbey ruins were photographed from the air, providing new visual perspectives of the kinds of sites often referenced in tourist guidebooks.

Sport and recreation

A variety of sporting venues can be seen in Hobart’s photographs. They include the evolving grounds of professional football clubs, first-class cricket grounds and local leisure and recreation centres. Some appear to be the main subject for the photograph, while others can be identified amongst rows of terraced housing, roads and railway lines.