St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Four
Transcript:
Part four of the audio trail on David ‘Dai’ Samuel is a photograph of the Swansea RFC First Fifteen. The original photograph is stored safely within the archives, whilst a copy is on display at St Helen’s.
Unlike the first photograph in this trail, here Dai Samuel is present. He can be found in the back row, second from the left. Jack, his brother, can be found in the same row, second from the right. We know that both this and the previous season’s team photograph were taken in the same place, with the same windows and stone steps behind the team. Unlike the previous photograph however, there are no such illuminations or other fine details on the mount. Like the previous photograph, this one suffers from some significant fading, losing some of its details around the back row and centre of the frame. However, a digitally enhanced version is also available on the St Helen’s Archive website, set in a mount that originates from the Herald of Wales newspaper that featured the image for its readers.
This photograph was taken by the famous Victorian photographic artist Henry A Chapman, in his Swansea studios. It is possible the image was taken at the back of Chapman’s premises, which still remains today on Swansea’s High Street. The front bears his name embossed into the building’s face at 235 High Street, Swansea.
As shared in the previous entry in this trail, it was at the end of the 1890-91 season that Swansea RFC would be crowned champions, as ‘Premier Team of Wales’ for the second successive season. Their back to back titles had highlighted the talent in Swansea’s first fifteen, undoubtedly leading to the multiple players chosen for the Welsh side. The final Swansea game of the season was played and won against the crack English club of Blackheath, at home at St Helen’s. A crowd of over 20,000 witnessed the win by six points to two against a Blackheath side containing six full England internationals, including the England captain, the great Andrew Stoddard. Of the two Swansea tries, Jack Samuel secured one of them.
This audio trail continues with an object that may have once been the subject of some Victorian fascination. Follow on to find out more…