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Historic RNLI photographs brought to life in colour for 200th birthday

Lifeboats News Release

As the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary (4 March), the charity has brought some of its rich history to life with the release of a stunning collection of colourised images.

Brighton lifeboat being recovered up the beach in 1904

RNLI

Brighton lifeboat being recovered up the beach in 1904
From community events to candid snapshots, the 11 black and white images have been painstakingly cleaned and colourised with folds, scratches and dust removed using digital technology to shine new light on 200 years of saving lives at sea.

The striking images from across the UK and Ireland include courageous lifeboat crews, early fundraising street collections, and iconic scenes of close-knit communities coming together to launch and recover lifeboats.

Part of the new collection is a photograph taken in 1904 of the then new, lifeboat at Brighton. The image shows a real sense of community, as local families come together to pull on ropes to help recover the lifeboat up the beach after it returned to shore. The new boat boasted 10 oars, and self-righting capabilities.

Featured in the collection is the most decorated RNLI lifesaver, Henry Blogg, who was born on 6 February 1876. Henry served for 53 years on Cromer’s lifeboats before retiring in 1947, having saved 873 lives and been awarded many honours including three Gold and four Silver RNLI Medals for Gallantry.

The image of Henry, which first appeared in the Lifeboat Journal in 1916, he can be seen wearing black oilskins and a sou’wester, which preceded the instantly recognisable yellow waterproofs now associated with the RNLI.

In another of the newly enhanced images, children wearing yellow sou’westers sitting in a model lifeboat being pulled by a horse can be seen taking part in a fundraising event in 1939 in Plymouth. A poster on the float advertising the next Lifeboat Saturday is displayed and fundraisers can be seen sporting the iconic yellow oilskins of the RNLI and holding collection boxes.

RNLI Heritage and Archive Research Manager Hayley Whiting said: ‘The carefully coloured images illustrate just a few highlights of the incredible history of lifesaving over the previous two centuries, where over 144,000 lives have been saved to date.

‘To see the crew of St Davids lifeboat walking up from the boathouse wearing their traditional red hats, the yellow sou’westers of the children fundraising or the vibrant blue sea off the Isle of Man, the reworked images really do bring a different perspective on some of our archived pictures.

‘Each image has been brought to life by our own in-house creative team with hours spent on attention to detail, along with research being undertaken to ensure each one gave a true, lifelike representation.’

For more information please visit: RNLI.org/200

Notes to editors

· Download all images here. Collection includes original black and white images.

Additional image information:

Douglas: RNLI founder, Sir William Hillary, lived in Douglas on the Isle of Man, where he witnessed how dangerous the sea could be first-hand due to frequent shipwrecks around the coastline. An early rowing lifeboat at Douglas and its 1890s crew have been brought into vivid colour, shown as they pass the Tower of Refuge in the bay. Sir William himself spent time as crew at Douglas and helped save more than 300 people from drowning, despite not being able to swim himself.

Ballycotton: (L-R) Ballycotton Coxswain Patrick Sliney, Mrs Sliney and son William at an annual meeting in 1936. In the same year, the Daunt Rock Lightship came adrift off Ballycotton in horrendous conditions with 12 people onboard. The lifeboat crew spent 49 hours at sea and eventually rescued all those onboard. Patrick was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal for Gallantry and the rest of his crew, including his son William, received Bronze Medals.

St Davids, Wales: Not often obvious in the old black and white photographs, lifeboat crews would traditionally wear red hats. In the picture from St Davids, Wales, the colour brings the vibrant red out as the crews walk up from the boathouse with the Welsh coastline in the background. The crews in the 1960s image are also wearing traditional RNLI guernseys, (sometimes called a gansey) a woollen jumper with a simple red ‘RNLI’ embroidered on the front – something today’s lifeboat crews still wear for ceremonial duties.

Coxswain William Brown: Coxswain William Brown served on Cresswell Lifeboat from 1875 for 50 years. By the age of 70, he had rescued nearly 100 people. Living in a small community, the wives, daughters and younger sons of the crew would act as launchers. On his retirement William was presented with a Certificate of Service while his wife was awarded a Gold Brooch in recognition for her services both as a launcher and fundraiser.

Lady launchers - Northumberland: A rowing and sailing lifeboat was stationed at Hauxley in Northumberland in 1852. During its 87 years’ service, five lifeboats served the local community launching 81 times and rescuing 246 people. The ‘lady launchers’ were very much part of many station communities, helping launch and recover the lifeboats.

Ladies Lifeboat Guild: Evolving from the first RNLI street collection in 1891 – a world first for the charity - Marion Macara formed a Ladies’ Guild to raise funds in support of volunteer crews. In the following 10 years there were more than 40 ladies’ guilds and income had doubled. The picture shows a Ladies’ Guild in 1913 from the Bradford Branch.

Poole: Through the war years, lifeboats and their crews continued to launch to those in peril on the sea. Despite being dedicated to saving lives, a total of seven RNLI lifeboats and 40 crew members were tragically lost during the Second World War – from air-raids on lifeboat stations, to being captured.

In May 1940, a fleet of hundreds of pleasure boats, fishing boats and other civilian vessels gathered, at the Admiralty’s request, to take part in the evacuation of British troops from the French port of Dunkirk. A total of 19 RNLI lifeboats were part of the Little Ships, including the Thomas Kirk Wright, from Poole, which can be seen launching from the old lifeboat station with crowds gathering on the quayside. Today, the RNLI Poole Old Lifeboat Museum still houses the Thomas Kirk Wright and is open to visitors.

Montrose, Scotland: A new motor lifeboat was stationed at Montrose in 1926 which was provided by a generous legacy from the late Miss Anne Russell. The lifeboat was later named by the Duchess of York. Today, 6 out of 10 lifeboat launches are only possible due to generous legacies.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Dave Riley, RNLI National Media Officer on 07795 015042 or [email protected] or RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.


RNLI

Crew at St Davids, Wales, seen walking up from the lifeboat station.

RNLI

Ballycotton Coxswain Patrick Sliney, Mrs Sliney and son William at an annual meeting in 1936.

RNLI

Henry Blogg, the most decorated RNLI lifesaver. In his 53 years helped save 873 people.

RNLI

Lady launches: A rowing and sailing lifeboat was stationed at Hauxley in Northumberland in 1852.

RNLI

Ladies Guild pictured in 1913.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

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