Northampton Through Time

Northampton was nationally important in medieval times but most traces of the period were destroyed by the Great Fire of 1675. The rebuilt town centre, the development of the shoe trade in the nineteenth century, and the era of transport and work in the community was later engulfed by the spreading boundaries of the town, as were the industry and commerce which graced the River Nene. Today the shoe factories have all but gone; motor cars and buses have replaced the trams and many impressive buildings reflecting civic pride have disappeared at the hands of developers. Northampton Through Time seeks to show these changes through a splendid array of photographs, reflecting the contrast between the bustling Northampton of today and the grandeur of the past, providing a valuable archive and insight into the history of the town for all.

David Humphreys was born in Northampton and educated at Northampton Grammar School and Croydon College. A keen amateur photographer for the last thirty years, he is currently Secretary for Northampton Camera Club. He has a keen interest in local history and in 2011 he was part of a small project group that put on a successful exhibition in the Central Museum concerning the Northampton Shoe Trade.Douglas Goddard was Deputy Head of a Northampton school and is a keen collector of postcards relating to Northampton. He has been chairman of the Northamptonshire Postcard Club for fifteen years and regularly gives illustrated talks on local history to groups in the area. He is also a photographer, an observer of natural history, a Northants butterfly recorder and, with Andy Wyldes, he wrote Butterflies of Northamptonshire published in 2012.