UK Census 1921, Preston Manor

The release to the public of the 1921 census on 6 January 2022 has opened the door to a day in the life of Preston Manor when it was a private house. The Manor would not become a museum until 1933. … Continued

A look at Rudyard Kipling’s House, Rottingdean

The 18th January is the anniversary of the death of one of England’s foremost writers, Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) In 1897 Kipling moved to Rottingdean, where he lived until he relocated to the more rural … Continued

Royal Pavilion Garden Greeters

If you were strolling in Pavilion Gardens on any weekend this summer, you will have seen our purple and gold t-shirts and banner, asking “Can We Help?” As Garden Greeters we’re on hand to welcome visitors, promote the Royal Pavilion … Continued

Queen’s Road, 1931

This photograph taken outside Brighton Railway Station shows Hudsons Depositories at 78-80 Queens Road. Part of the site became the Sergeant Yorke Casino in 1971 before it was redeveloped into a hotel in 2012. Familiar Brands, Familiar Faces A few … Continued

Oxen Moving a Mill, 1797

This picture shows an event that took place in 1797, when a windmill was moved from Brighton seafront to a new location. The watercolour was painted by Percy Macquoid and is a copy of an oil painting. What can we … Continued

The Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo took place on June 18 in 1815 in what is now part of Belgium. Napoleon Bonaparte was finally defeated by a British-led coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Army. The battle marked … Continued

Doughty’s Dogs on the West Pier

This postcard shows James Doughty and his dogs performing on the West Pier in Brighton in 1908. After a long career as a travelling clown and showman, James Doughty came to settle in Brighton. He would carry on performing until … Continued

A ‘beautiful and splendid cabinet of the arts’ in Brighton, 200 years ago

Now that museums and galleries are reopening, we look at an early Brighton picture gallery in the Circus Street area.  What cultural entertainment was available in Brighton 200 years ago? Apart from events at assembly rooms, horse racing, theatres and … Continued

Harriet Elphinstone-Dick

On the 9 September 1875, in rough open water Harriet Elphinstone-Dick swam seven miles from Shoreham Harbour to Brighton’s West Pier. She completed the distance in a record making 2 hours and 45 minutes. It was regarded as one of … Continued

Octagonal House

This attractive if oddly shaped house once stood in Rottingdean. With its white picket fence and trailing ivy, it looks like a desirable and well-kept residence. So why did no one ever live here? The simple answer is that the … Continued

Hanningtons: ‘Famed for Richness of Quality, Undoubted Reliability and Moderate Prices’

On the corner of North Street and East Street, there are several buildings with pastel-and-white decoration on their upper floor facades. The lower floors are now home to a variety of different shops and cafés.  However, before 2001, the whole … Continued

Edward Thomas Booth

After over a year of pandemic enforced closure, the Booth Museum will re-open on the 30th July. It first opened to the public back in 1891, after being bequeathed to the city by its founder Edward Thomas Booth.  Booth was … Continued

Brooker Hall

As a modern museum with a Wizard’s Attic and galleries of exhibits, it is easy to forget that Hove Museum was once a family home.  The building was constructed in the 1870s as the home of John Olliver Vallance. It … Continued

The ‘Cinderella Service’: Photographs of the Women’s Land Army

Two young women pace across a newly-ploughed field, buckets in hands, hair blowing in the wind. One has a potato in their left hand; both of their faces are slightly blurred, but they seem to be smiling wistfully, caught up … Continued

Doughty’s Dogs, 1908

This postcard shows James Doughty and his dogs performing on the West Pier in Brighton in 1908. Jumping through hoops After a long career as a travelling clown and showman, James Doughty came to settle in Brighton. He would carry … Continued