ALFRED POOL COLLECTION

Contains: account books of W. H. Pool 1854-1859; account books daily sales from Miss Pool's grocery shop 1872-1909; bill for groceries on engineering department bill head 1901; photographic negatives and prints featuring portraits of people, transport, animals, street scenes, machinery, rural scenes, farms, churches and buildings n.d. [c1880-1930]; notice of flower show committee meeting n.d.[c.1900]; will of S Surridge, blacksmith 1861

Alfred J Pool (1865-1956), was the photographer and 'photographic artist' at Chipstable, Somerset from about 1880-1900. He was a member of the firm of W H Pool and Sons, makers of threshing machines, wagons and agricultural implements. The firm had been founded by William Henry Pool (1821-1907), who set up in business as a wheelwright and passed the firm on to his sons, William Henry (1853-1933) and Alfred. Alfred had a practical and inventive mind, who designed internal combustion engines that became one of the firm's main products between the 1890's and the early 1920's. His family were also shopkeepers in Chipstable, a grocer's and draper's shop having been established by Alfred's grandfather. The shop traded as W.H.Pool, although its arrangement was in the hands of the women of the family. The shop was kept up until the death of Alfred's sister, Maria, 1944.

AC Accounts

PH Internal Photographic Records

PH1 Photographic Negatives

PH3 Photographic Prints

SP Social and Personal Records

Open for consultation

Accession numbers DX339, D62/31-39

Compiled by Caroline Gould, 19 December 2002

A detailed catalogue is available at the Museum of English Rural Life

Please contact the Archivist

Account book, W H Pool, blacksmith and wheelwright 1847-1859 (MF76)

Photocopy of diary of A J Pool 1889. (D77/18/1)

Catalogue and price list of threshing machines (Reference TR MRL P2/B150)

Recorded interview with Alfred Pool 1956 (reference D DX526/1)

D H Warren A village Industry W H Pool and Sons, engineers, Chipstable (1988) PB5342