Gaddesden Place before the fire Published Waite, P.O. Water End

Gaddesden Place, which overlooks Water End, Great Gaddesden, was gutted by fire, on the 1st February, 1905.The top postcard, which may be based on a photograph but is clearly an art work, was posted to Miss E. Barber, 71 Ackerman Street, Tring, early on the morning of 6th February. It reads: Dear Sis and Father. I hope that you are all getting along quite well as it leaves us about the same as usual. We went to see the great fire yesterday there were thousands of people to see it and the funeral of the butler. [signed] A & L.

The lower postcard is unused, and is definitely a photograph. but as both were published by Downer they were probably published together within a couple of days of the fire.

Burning of Gaddesden Place
February 1, 1905
Two Lives Lost & Damage £60.000
By Newman, Berkhamsted 

Gaddesden Place in 1855

Detail from air view of park published in

Hutchinson's Beautiful Britain.

Edited by Walter Hutchinson.

Published in 1923 by

Hutchinson & Co, Paternoster Row, London