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Sheffield's only woman coal dealer (picture)


Alastair

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From the reverse:

THIS WOMAN IS NOT AFRAID TO WORK

Mrs. P.G. Woodfield is Sheffield's only woman coal dealer.

She delivers the bags of coal herself, as well as driving the lorry, and doing the necessary repairs. Some of the sacks of coal she delivers weigh 75 Kilogramms.

Mrs Woodfield unloading sacks of coal from her lorry during her daily round at Sheffield.

 

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Thanks to Hugh Waterhouse on Facebook for the following. She was following the tradition of taking her husband's name -

Ellen Florence HURDITCH married Percival George WOODFIELD on Christmas day 1930 in Owlerton. Her father was a coal merchant. Percy was a 'motor driver' and I think (from a court case) that he worked for a coal merchant in the 1920s. In 1939 Percy was a driver for a chemical factory and they lived in Farfield Road.

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I wonder where the "75 kilogramms" came from - presumably these bags would have been known as "one and a half hundredweight" in Sheffield. Maybe aimed at sales in Europe?

The Keystone View Company was a branch of the American firm, mainly selling stereoscopic photographs, and also acting as a press agency.  Their London office was at 12 Wine Office Court, Fleet Street EC4.

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I wondered about 75kg too and I would be surprised if she could lift that alone. I know I couldn't.

Good info on the Keystone View Company. I had assumed it was something to do with the Keystone Press Agency who still exist in some form.

The photo appeared on the site of a German postcard dealer so maybe it had been sent to a German publishers for use, which may explain the use of kilograms. It's still for sale and not cheap, but it's a striking image that could make someone some money.

https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/photography/photographs/professions/photo-keystone-ansicht-sheffield-mrs-p-g-woodfield-shefields-only-woman-coal-dealer-887764159.html

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The standard coal sack weighed 1 cwt, and some dealers also sold coal by the half sack - I guess the 75kg was poetic licence.  She would struggle with a half sack in those heels, across cobbles!

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