Photograph Collections:
Peep Into The Past
This page is dedicated to the remaining evidence of times gone by in Brighton.
If you look closely enough, dotted around town are signs of what used to be. Some obvious and some not so and some only revealed for a short period of time. Another work in progress, so if you know of any I may have missed, please get in touch.
Recorded in the directories as a Police Fire Station up until 1916. After this it was a Remand Home for boys up until the 1930s.
(c) Carol Homewood
Lea & Sons came to these premises in 1914. Described as the Famous Blouse Shop it also sold hats etc. Later on it became Lea & Sons drapers store up until the 1950s.
They were in business here from 1921.
Representing the four seasons these statues were saved by Bertie MacLaren who had designed the new entrance to the Aquarium. He placed them in Preston Park where these two remain today. I wonder how long they will survive before they are completely vandalized?
See these links to the Regency Society website for photos of them in place at the Aquarium.
http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume4/source/jg_04_181.html
http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume4/source/jg_04_162.html
George the IV would use this to get to his stables without the public from seeing him.
The Floral Hall in Market Street was built c. 1901 and was demolished only 40 years or so later to make way for a cark park that was the be in the heart of our town for the next 40 years or more! The market was moved to the Circus Street site (as at Mar 2013 derelict and awaiting demolition).
The statue was situated inside the Royal Pavilion from 1859. In 1914 it was moved to the entrance hall of Brighton Museum. In 1940 the statue was moved to 'storage' which was in the bushes next to the Rangers yard at Stanmer Park. I decided to go and look for this statue and took a few trips to Stanmer over the past few months but I was unable to find him.
I came across a website saying he had been moved to Waterloo Street during 2014. Coincidentally I had gone down Waterloo Street a few weeks ago and had taken a photo of this strange new statue that had appeared there - not knowing it was in fact the statue I had been looking for all along. A happy ending though. It's nice to think people can now appreciate what's left of it after its 74 years of neglect at Stanmer Park.
I took these photos back in 2010. Going in here was like stepping in to a time warp. The chemist still had it's old Victorian fittings. So amazing to see.
Sadly though, the chemist finally had a make over and all the old Victorian counters have gone. Rumour has it they boxed over them and not removed them completely. That'll be a nice surprise for future shop fitters.
Closed c.2004. Now Bar Broadway. The earliest listing for the Queen's Head that I could find was 1839.
