FA Cup Semi-Final at Highbury, Islington, Greater London

Photograph taken 1929 © Historic England Archive Aerofilms Collection ref: afl03_aerofilms_25838

This is an aerial view of the 1929 FA Cup Semi-Final. It is at Highbury, the home of Arsenal Football Club. Portsmouth beat Aston Villa 1-0 to reach the final at Wembley where they went on to lose 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers. This was the first of twelve occasions when Highbury was used as the neutral venue for FA Cup semi-finals.

Location

Greater London Islington

Period

1920s (1920 - 1929)

Themes

"Wills, Shaw and Friese-Greene Ready to Film". This was a publicity shot for the foundation of the Aerofilms aerial photography company. It was taken at the London Aerodrome, Hendon. Francis Lewis Wills was a former Royal Naval Air Service Observer and co-founder of Aerofilms. Claude Friese-Greene, holding the cine-camera, was technical director for Aerofilms in its early days, but is best known as a pioneering cinematographer. We know very little about Shaw, the pilot, probably an AirCo employee.

FA Cup Semi-Final at Highbury, Islington, Greater London

Location

Period

Themes

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