Whatever happened to York's Boer war gun?

Nevertheless, it must have made for a dramatic sight, if this photograph from Explore York's Imagine York archive is anything to go by.

We don't know what happened to the 'Boer War Gun' subsequently. Might it have been melted down for scrap as part of the war effort in the First or Second World Wars? If any readers know, we'd love to hear from you.

Meanwhile, here is a selection of other great photos from the Imagine York archive...

Castle Mills Bridge, early 1900s

While we're on the subject of the Boer War, this photograph shows soldiers of the West Yorkshire Regiment marching across Castle Mills Bridge, while other men in civilian clothing march beside them. The photograph was presumably taken after the West Yorkshire Regiment had returned from the war. It has the feel of a welcoming home parade, somehow. There are smiles on the faces of some of the men walking beside the soldiers.

Castle Mills Bridge, 1905

Another view of the same bridge, again in relatively cheerful circumstances following the end of the Boer War. It's a bit faded and grainy, but worth using. According to the caption, the photograph shows Lord Roberts, who visited York in 1905.

We assume Lord Roberts was Earl Roberts of Kandahar, who had served in the Boer War as Field Marshal Frederick Roberts. He was a man who was very outspoken about the ill-prepared state of the British Army to protect the Empire's territories.

A contemporary report in The Spectator described a speech he gave to the London Chamber of Commerce on August 5, 1905 - the very year this photograph was taken. "Lord Roberts told the business men of London what he had told the House of Lords on a previous occasion - that our military forces are not in a position to do the work which we expect of them," The Spectator thundered.

The Boer War showed the grave imperfections of our military machine, but since the conclusion of peace we have done literally nothing to put our house in order. Except that our officers and men have had experience of actual war, we are quite as unprepared as we were in 1899." It was a state of unpreparedness the nation was to come to regret when the First World War broke out nine years later...

North Street Postern and Barker Tower, probably in the 1860s

Moving on from the Boer War, we have this classic photograph from the very early days of photography. It shows the North Street postern and Barker Tower, in the Sixties - the 1860s, that is. A handcart is shown leaning up against the wall - what it would have been used for we don't know. The Hospitium in the Museum Gardens can be clearly seen through the postern. Barker Tower, on the right of the photograph, was originally part of the city defences and was the site of the ferry across the Ouse.

Parliament Street from the Piccadilly end, c1911

According to the caption on this photograph, it was taken 'soon after Mr Kirkby of Liverpool redesigned the York Union Bank, now Barclays, and replaced it with this far more ornate building between 1901 and 1904'.

Boyes, Ouse Bridge, early 1900s

We have reproduced several photographs of the great Boyes fire of 1910, and of the rebuilding of the store subsequently. But here's a photograph of the shop from before the fire. The store's full title was the Boyes Remnant Warehouse. It opened in York following the success of a similar store in Scarborough. We particularly like the legend written in large lettering across the store's front: "Any person is at liberty to walk round without being expected to purchase."

Ouse Bridge, 1920s

The River Ouse and Ouse Bridge are seen pictured from Skeldergate Bridge in this image. There's no sign of the large industrial barges you might have expected to see. The boats moored at King's Staith look almost like today's tourist boats. Any ideas what they were, anyone?

• All the photos on these pages, and thousands more, are held on Explore York’s wonderful Imagine York archive. You can browse it yourself for free just by visiting imagineyork.co.uk/