Haslar Rediscovered
The series of photographs have only recently come to light and were believed to have been taken as a series possibly in the late 1870’s, or early 1880’s.
Three photographs (view 5, 8 & 9) were found hidden within a collection of old negatives and when processed revealed views of Haslar as never seen before.
Some months after finding these three photographs a visit to the Institute of Naval Medicine archives revealed a photo album in which the three photographs were contained, along with other views of Haslar none of which had ever previously been seen by present day staff.
Views explained:
View 1: Haslar Bridge from the Gosport foreshore, with the toll house to the immediate left. No water tower is present, giving some idea of date in that the water tower was completed in 1885.
View 2: The front of Haslar as taken from an area close to the shore on the road to Fort Blockhouse. Up until the mid 1860’s this area was shingle foreshore on which boats were beached for repair.
View 3: The front facade of Haslar.
View 4: St Luke’s Church with rendered walls and the iron fence and the gate through which patients were allowed to attend church and residents of the Terrace passed to the hospital. The fence was finally removed in 1908.
View 5: A countryside view taken to one side of St. Luke’s towards the sentry post. Patients sit in the long grass taking the air. The Solent is not visible due to the brick wall which surrounded the hospital. By 1899 the new Medical Mess and Zymotic Block would have altered the scene for good.
View 6: St. Luke’s Church with patients standing in the centre of the picture. This view was to be totally blocked in 1899 by the Medical Mess and Nursing Sister’s mess.
View 7: The patients airing ground and summer house, with a mound of freshly cut grass in the middle of the picture. Saliors take their ease in front of the summer house. A similar picture is known to exist from 1897.
View 8: The Sentry Post, as seen in the distance in View 6, looking towards the hospital. This picture was taken after 1885 as the water tower can be seen. The iron bench in the foreground is still in use on the hospital tennis court.
View 9: Haslar Weather Station. St. Luke’sChurch is to the left and within a few years the Medical Mess was to block this view.
View 10: The Terrac as seen from the patient’s walk.
