7 x 1972 York Minster FIRE DAMAGE near ORGAN Rare b/w Photographs 29 x 24cm

Please note...... Photographs are non returnable...... this is due to some buyers simply copying the photograph and then giving me some "cock n bull story" why they no longer want them. Photographs are obscured on purpose for the same reason.

This is a group of original black and white photographs taken during the York Minster emergency work and renovations during the period 1967 - 72. 

The 25,000 ton tower was found to be sinking due to age and poor foundations and emergency works to underpin it and other work during this time costing about £2 million pounds.

Whilst the 1967-72 works was being carried out it was a good time for the archaeologists to do their work too and all sorts of interesting foundations were found. The special made steel buttresses which were put in to shore up the East End Tower as it was leaning 2 foot 11 inch out of plumb are very interesting photographs of the process. 

Some of these photographs have pin holes in the corners and mounted on stiff card or plastic and some have captions on them as they must have been used as DISPLAY to the public at some time - maybe to see how the project was going whilst trying to get more donations for the work to carry on. 

The photographs do vary in size as well and some have the official ink stamps on the back from the builders and some are dated and have ref numbers and some are signed and say Approved.

They will be of interest to various collectors York Minster - Construction Work - Vintage Vehicles - Family Relations that are actually working - Architecture - Archaeology - and what ever else anyone is interested in. 

A very nice archive lot for the social historian.   

Here are 7 original photographs of the area which was damaged by the fire of 1972, all are dated 22.7.72 with a piece of paper stuck to the photo,s with various typed wording.

Wording includes....  the position of the Thorne Light Fitting adjacent to the S.E. corner of the organ and the position of the curtain rings on supporting rail. Observations indicate that the curtain burnt from North to South at the rear of the pinnacles. And the cable which is burnt out on the light fitting.  

They are all numbered on their backs.

The photo's measures approx. 11 and 1/2 inches x 9 and 1/2 inches.  

These 7 photographs are very important as you will find hardly any information on google about this FIRE DAMAGE of July 1972. 

Thank you to someone for letting me know about this ...I quote " 

The booklet “The Organs of York Minster”, published by the Dean and Chapter of York in 1997. It’s in the section named “Principal Pipe Organs –Restoration 1992/92 by Geoffrey Coffin, which begins by recalling the fire of 1984.

“It should also be recorded that the organ came much closer to total destruction in July 1972 when flood lighting for a Son et Lumiere production, placed on the organ screen next to the main case, set fire to an adjacent curtain in the early hours  one morning. This spread to the wooden Choir stall pinnacles and the organ case would have almost certainly have ignited too but for the prompt action of Mr Harry Sutton, the Minster Policeman on duty in the building that night. It is, perhaps, ironic that the seat of this blaze was within yards of that which destroyed the Screen organ in 1829.” (p29) 

unquote "

So what a great job Mr Harry Sutton did for York Minster that day. Interesting too that York Minster has its own police force.

If you look at the photograph's you can see the burnt and well charred wooden choir stall pinnacles as well as the curtain that has gone completely at this area on this photograph. 

The renovation works scaffolding can be seen on the photograph as well which was nearly at the end bythe time this little accident occured.

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