At the beginning of the 20th century few local paper contained many, if any, pictures and there was a ready market for photographers to rapidly produce postcards recording local events. One of the leading practitioners was Frederic Downer, who founded the Watford Engraving Company which also printed cards for other photographers.

 Under Construction - The aim is to restructure this page to include a few examples in detail, together with an index, which will include many other cards, with links to old news pages where relevant.

	1903 June	The Flood --- Watford High Street [no attribution]
	1903 June 16th	Lower End of Watford High Street Downer
	1905 February 1	The Fire at Gaddesden Place Downer
	August 1905	The Bedford Volunteer Brigade Camp at Ashridge Park, August 1905 Downer
	1906 January 24th	West Herts Election: Declaration of the Poll Coles, Photographer, Watford
	1906 December 26th	The Pond, Watford, on Boxing Day, 1906 Downer
	1907 July 18th	The Lord Mayor's visit to St Albans Pageant Downer
	1907 July	A Scene in St Albans During Pageant Week (George Street) Downer
	1907 July 22nd	The Scene at Watford Station after the Great Storm of Monday July 22nds 1907 Downer copyright Photo
	1907 July 22nd	The Great Storm at Watford July 22nd 1907 - A Burst Main in Lower High Street W. J. James Photo - The Watford Engraving Co,
	1907 Dec 2nd	The Great Fire at the Anchor Maltings, Bishop Stortford Watford Engraving Co
	1908 March 15th	The Disastrous Fire at Hazelwood, Abbots Langley  Downer Watford
	1908 April 24th	April Snowstorm Watford Engraving Co
	1908 June 23rd	The Fatal Fire at Bushey Heath Downer
	1908 June 26th	The Funeral of the Bushey Heath Fire Victims Downer
	1908 Aug 15th	The Great Fire at High Barnet The Watford Engraving Co
	1909 July 17th	H.M. the King's Visit to The Grove - Passing up the High Street Downer Photo
	1909 July 18th	H.M. the King attending Divine Service at Watford Parish Church Downer Photo
	1910 January 13th	The Great Fire at Kilburn The Watford Engraving Co  Copyright
	1910 April 27th	The £10,000 Aeroplane Flight from London to Manchester. M Paulman, the winner, passing over Watford. [Roof in middle distance reads "F Haywood, Plumber & Decorator"] Downer Photo
	1910 May 29th	The Funeral of King Edward VII - The Queen's Carriage in the Mall Downer & Sons, Photo, Watford
	1911 Feb 16th	The Fire at Heath Works, St Albans,   Watford Engraving Co.

Page updated April 2016