Watford

Watford has witnessed an unprecedented number of changes over the century covered in this volume (around 1870 to 1970). The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw a great industrial and residential expansion; then followed the Blitz, the reconstruction and the changes of the 1960s and 1970s to accommodate the growing traffic. Watford has been fortunate in having a number of dedicated photographers to record the developments as they happened. Foremost among them was Frederick Downer, whose work features several times in this book. This informative and interesting volume places an emphasis on the people of Watford - where they worked, how they travelled, how they lived at home and what they did to relax and enjoy themselves. There is also a chapter which commemorates parts of Watford - some well rememebered, some forgotten - which have since gone forever. This second fascinating selection of historic photographs of Watford draws once more on the huge variety of material help in the archive of Watford Library and will surely prove to be a popular complement to the first volume.