Coney Street is featured in a few of my novels, mainly The Tobacconist's Wife, as the fictional tobacconist's shop is on Coney Street situated just out of shot on the photo below. It is easy to imagine my main character, Thea, walking along the cobbles.
Coney Street, York, UK. circa 1860.
Characters in my other books have walked this street, such as Caroline in The Winter Widow, and Annabelle in The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl.
Historical photos like these really help historical authors to visualise the settings in their books. They can imagine the characters strolling the cobbles, shopping, going for walks, or hiding from those seeking to find them. 
A lot of the slum areas of York have been demolished, but 'Yards' like the one above is where the poor of the city lived. The York slums feature in my books, especially The Slum Angel, Aurora's Pride, The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl and The Winter Widow.
To learn more about my books, please visit my website: http://www.annemariebrear.com
