There is a real feel of the Roaring Twenties about this splendid print, possibly produced as a poster but never made into one.
Perhaps it’s the perfect 1920s chic of the clothes; or the gleaming bodywork of the cars; or the spill of light across Bootham Bar and the surface of Exhibition Square. Somehow this seems a York lit up by the spirit and excitement of the age.
Peter Brown, in his catalogue to the Views Of York exhibition at Fairfax House, where this print is on loan from a private collection, adds a further wry comment. “Traffic is still an issue we have not come to terms with in 2012.”
His catalogue gives some fascinating information about Bootham Bar. It is a medieval replacement for the gateway into the Roman fortress, he writes.
The inner archway is thought to be of Roman construction, and the name Bootham Bar first appeared in about 1200. It means “the bar at the booths”, a reference to the weekly markets held there by permission of the monks of St Mary’s Abbey.
• The Views of York exhibition runs at Fairfax House until August 31.
More details on yorkcivictrust.co.uk
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