This graphic was used as an Archer Cowley & Co publicity postcard and was taken in the main ‘garage space’ and packing warehouse, at the end of what was (in my young days) Archer Cowley’s yard off Park End Street, and is now (if it was not then) Park End Place. The wooden containers were apparently stencilled-up ready for export, as indicated.
Here are three men I recognize from my ‘Oxford’ days, not to mention occasional summer-holiday jobs ‘on the vans’ and (once) dealing with the men’s pay during the summer holiday of Ray Cox who usually attended to this. So, as far as I remember the three men shown are (L to R): William Gurden, Joe Riches and Alec Cudd. William Gurden was, I believe, an old retainer (**) who had worked for the firm many years. Joe Riches’ main job was as a carpenter/joiner doing wood-working tasks that arose in a business handling large volumes of furniture and carrying out export-packing for overseas shipping of furniture. And Alec Cudd was, I believe, in charge of the export-packing of furniture having years of experience in that area.
(19.5.17): The above text was pasted today from another page of this website and re (**) above I now comment that I know from a centenary (1957) paper-cutting that William Gurden was Monty Gurden’s (perhaps elder) brother, and both brothers and Alec Cudd received long-service awards in 1957.
The glazed multiple doors at the rear in this photograph opened onto the warehouse yard, leading to Park End Place and hence onto Park End Street itself. The doors were tall enough, and the head-room inside was sufficient, for the Archer Cowley vans to drive into the garage/warehouse space for loading or maintenance purposes.
On the corner of Park End Place and Park End Street, was the famous ‘Archer Cowley window in the office of WGR Archer, and opposite it was (in the 1950s), and also in Park End Place and Park End Street, Messrs Temple & Co, who were motor scooter dealers, and from whom my dad, FGBA, bought a German-made Durkopp “Diana”, looking very much like an up-market Lambretta, with the (then) very advanced idea of a key-operated self-starter, and dad used his Diana in and around Oxford for his local calls on customers, instead of his car, in good weather.