Ffotograffiau Tom Mathias

Mae'r casgliad hynod yma o ffotograffau yn cynrychioli gwaith dau ffotograffydd dawnus o wahanol gyfnodau ac o gefndiroedd gwahanol iawn.

Tom Mathias, ffotograffydd oedd wedi dysgu'r grefft ei hun, gymrodd y ffotograffau gwreiddiol ar droad yr ugeinfed ganrif. Gan ddefnyddio offer syml, cofnododd Tom Mathias fywyd pob dydd yng Nghilgerran a'r cylch.

Ar ôl ei farwolaeth ym 1940, gadawyd ei holl negatifau mewn cwt, ac anghofiwyd amdanynt am dros drideg mlynedd.

Fe'u ffeindiwyd gan James Maxwell (Maxi) Davis, ffotograffydd proffesiynol oedd yn byw yn y fro, yn y 1970au. Roedd y negatifau gwydr mewn cyflwr gwael iawn. Roedd llawer ohonynt wedi torri ac wedi'u difrodi ac nid oedd modd eu hachub. Roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r gweddill wedi dirywio'n sylweddol, roedd hyn yn golygu bod printio'r rhai y gellid eu hadfer yn broses araf a llafurus. Ond roedd digon ar ôl i Maxi Davis allu gwerthfawrogi pwysigrwydd y pethau yr oedd wedi dod o hyd iddynt, ac aeth ati i adfer y ffotograffau.

Diolch i'w ymdrechion diwyd, llwyddwyd i achub ffotograffau hynod Tom Mathias ar gyfer y dyfodol.

Cewch weld detholiad o ddelweddau o'r casgliad isod.

Ffotograffiau Tom Mathias

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sylw - (5)

Nid yw sylwadau ar gael ar hyn o bryd. Ymddiheuriadau am yr anghyfleustra.

Jonathan Haydn-Williams

19 Mai 2019, 15:35

My maternal grandmother came from Pontrhydyceirt and my grandfather from Llechryd. She was of the Mills family. Her father, Samuel Mills, was a clogblock maker from Rochdale who travelled to the Cardigan area when the railways arrived in the 19th century. He and his men would harvest trees and carve them into rough clog soles, which they would dry in pyramids in the camps they would make in the woods (of which I think there are Matthias photos). When dry enough, they were sent by train to Rochdale to be finished and have leather uppers added, to be worn in the cotton mills. He met a local lady and stayed. My grandmother was the first born of six children. The two sons, Sam and Jimmy, survived the First World War and became butchers, having learn the trade with cousins in Rochdale. The butchers van in the picture is their's, pictured in the small quarry on the 'Mill Road' that links Cilgerran with Llechryd.

I remember James Matthias, son of Tom, who lived in the family house next to the hump back bridge over the Morganau stream (there is a photo of the bridge being rebuilt). He used to visit my grandmother for tea when she moved back to Pontrhydyceirt at the age of 80, living at Bryn Heulog in the 1960s and 1970s just up the road from him. His father's photographs were well remembered then and prints of them were held by families. I don't recall mention of the plates, though James must have known they were there. I vaguely recall some mention of a ruinous piece of litigation having affected his father, but that may be a total misrecollection.

One of the photos is of my other great-grandfather working as a gardener in Llechryd. He was a keen fisherman. My mother can remember him being keen to be left alone while fishing, as the presence of others on the bank would frighten off the fish.

My grandmother told us of skating on the old canal near Castle Malgwyn. It is mentioned in a book on the South Wales tinplate industry as the water supply for the tinplate works there, one of the first in Wales.

Tim Reeves

7 Rhagfyr 2018, 13:54

What a wonderful find. Tom Mathias was my Great Uncle's Father in Law. My Grandmother was born in Cilgerran and my father spent his school holidays in Cilgerran, poaching for salmon/trout with his uncle in a coracle on the River Teifi.

Steve Johnson

7 Chwefror 2018, 23:05

What a fantastic resource. My Grandmother and Great Aunt were both born In Cilgerran. I believe they are in the picture of the Children’s Choir.

CLIVE DOWDALL

17 Ionawr 2018, 15:44

THE MARATIVE IS SO FAINT. MAKING VERY VERY HARD TO READ

Alan Waters

19 Tachwedd 2016, 17:09

Masterly use of the web, a superb site full of interest. So many sites use 'bells and whistles' not for any practical purpose but simply because they are easy to deploy. This site keeps it simple and right on target.