Pictures of the Past : The Arboretum, Derby

The source for this image is a old postcard, undated, but appearance suggests a pictorial representation of a late 19thC or early 20thC scene - look at those wonderful lace collars! It can however be no earlier than 1902 as that's the date the divided back, with address and correspondence on one side, and illustration on the other came into practice.

It is addressed to Miss A Westwood, C/o Mrs Cadle, New Road, Bromsgrove. The space for correspondence is blank.

The Arboretum was the world's first public park, and the model for Central Park in New York City. Donated to the town in 1840 by Joseph Strutt, other ornaments included a Russian cannon, captured at Sebastopol, and a fountain.

The very lifelike figure of the Florentine Boar seen here on the pedestal was the work of W J Coffee, and legend has it that when the nearby railway ‘Boar Horn’ sounded he'd get off his pedestal and go down to the fountain for a drink, but he'd get shy if anyone was watching, so noone ever saw him...

The statue was destroyed when the park was bombed during WWII, but a reproduction of the original is being created and (Jan 2006) is due to go back on display shortly.

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)