Yorkshire & Lincolnshire

It was Marc Riboud's first trip to England and when he’d finished he left the undeveloped film behind, as he rushed to the funeral of a friend.

He couldn’t remember who he’d photographed, or where he’d been. 

So Leeds City Museum launched a search - Could they find the people and places photographed by Marc Riboud?

Tom McCrory

One man came forward. 

Tom McCrory in 2009

Tom McCrory has now retired to Lincolnshire, but in 1954 he was playing out in the street in Leeds when a Frenchman took his photo.

Tom’s the youngest of the three boys, wearing a very large pair of trousers. 

"I’m sure they weren’t my trousers, we just wore what clothes came our way."

He lived at 13 Victoria Place, in a big house with four other families. 

Tom McCrory (on the left) in his big trousers

"I remember falling through that railing, and screaming and having to be taken to the dispensary."

Sadly, he couldn’t remember the other two boys in the picture.   

He was only four years old, and they’d moved away just after the picture was taken.

The search continues

Inside Out found an old electoral roll in the library, giving names of other people who were living in Victoria Place in 1954. 

We discovered that the other two boys were called Joey Wroe and Ronnie Green.

Tom, still in the big trousers, at Victoria Place

Ronnie lived in the next street, Villiers Terrace, but he played his cricket in Victoria Place.  

He was amazed that the photo had been taken.  He couldn’t remember Tom, and definitely couldn’t remember a French photographer,

"It knocked me for six. I’d have noticed if I’d seen someone with a camera, you never saw anyone with a camera those days, he must have just walked past and clicked."

Reunion

Tom and Ronnie’s photograph is now on display at Leeds City Museum, as part of an exhibition of Marc Riboud’s photographs of Leeds. 

Ronnie: sad memories of Victoria Place

They were both invited to the preview evening, and were reunited for the first time in 55 years. 

They still didn’t recognise one another but they were able to exchange shared memories, and were both thrilled to be part of the exhibition.

All these memories, sparked by a photograph, one that had been lost for half a century. 

Marc Riboud was enthralled at the idea of the subjects of his pictures being rediscovered.

"It's an example of what we dream of for all our photograph.  To see one not only coming back to life, but to incredible life at same time, it’s a surprise."

NB: All the archive pictures used on this site are Copyright Marc Riboud.