On 13 April 1838 the Brighton Gazette informed its readers that a local gardener had been attacked by a mysterious creature. The attack took place between 9 and 10 pm in what would now be described as the Round Hill area … Continued
Update 9 September 2013: Story Drop is now live! iPhone version Android version (beta — update coming soon) It’s been two years in the making, but tomorrow we will finally launch the beta version of Story Drop, a smartphone app we … Continued
The third Brighton Digital Festival opened yesterday. Over the course of September, over 160 events will take place throughout the city, ranging from developer’s conferences to art shows to comedy nights. At the Royal Pavilion and Museums, we’re working on three … Continued
If you have been in Brighton Museum or Hove Museum recently, you may have spotted a celebrity gossip magazine featuring local historical figures such as Martha Gunn, Harry Cowley and ‘Smoaker’ Miles. In this guest post by the Oska Bright … Continued
On 2 July 1841 Isaac Newton Wigney and Captain George Brooke Pechell were declared Members of Parliament for Brighton. If this print showing their nomination at Brighton Town Hall is to be believed, the event was greeted with great popular … Continued
On 13 June 1923, Brighton Carnival opened. Carnivals have traditionally been unruly events, playfully inverting the norms of everyday life. Brighton Carnival was no exception, and this was celebrated in the programme. Brighton Carnival, 1923. Official Programme. Issued by … Continued
I chose this rather curious title for a new-season event at Preston Manor because the real-life story we tell is such an astonishing one I wanted something suitably eye-catching. There are also intriguing parallels between fiction and fact … Continued
In my recent role of Assistant Curator I was given the task of digitising material from the Local History collections. This is part of the preparation required before items are moved to the Keep, a new archive building for East … Continued
If you’ve played around with Murder in the Manor, you will know that it features eight rooms from Preston Manor. Other than the stories that bring them to life, the rooms are empty. But look around the Morning Room, and … Continued
While history celebrates the individual scientists and artists who change our understanding of the world, it rarely remembers the assistants who make this pioneering work possible. Perhaps it’s time to spare a thought for George Fleming Richardson, who supported the … Continued
Although the history of the Royal Pavilion has been thoroughly researched by several writers, the history of Brighton’s unique Museum and Library has rarely been explored in detail. On 15 August 1872, the Brighton Gazette devoted its most lyrical sentiments to … Continued
‘At Brighton she will be of less importance even as a common flirt than she has been here.’ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 41 Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, was published two hundred years ago today. Although Brighton … Continued
Update 2 April 2013: Tracy Anderson, who is currently researching the lives of the Pavilion’s servants, has discovered this picture and description of a fly from a volume of cuttings in the Brighton History Centre. Two unassuming buildings in a … Continued
That was 2012… Our blog is a great way for us to tell stories about our collections and buildings and, above all, the work that goes on behind the scenes at the Royal Pavilion and Museums. 2012 has proven a … Continued
On 4 December 1896 a storm destroyed the first of Brighton’s piers, the Chain Pier. It had been built in 1823, the same year the finishing touches were added to John Nash’s transformation of the Royal Pavilion into an Oriental-looking … Continued
Now December is upon us, many of us need to send Christmas cards to friends and family. But if you’d like to save both postage costs and trees this year, why not send a free festive e-card from the Royal … Continued
During World War Two, as large numbers of working men took up military service, women became active in jobs that had traditionally been carried out by men. On 26 November 1941, a married woman from Coldean began work as a … Continued
The Royal Pavilion may be King George IV’s most famous architectural legacy, but it was far from the only building project he commissioned. After he was made Prince Regent in 1811, he began to develop projects that would enhance his … Continued
The southern entrance to the Royal Pavilion estate is marked by a large Indian style gate. Many visitors to Brighton probably assume that it was part of the original grounds, as it is loosely in keeping with the exterior of … Continued
Samuel Johnson, the writer, lexicographer and wit, was born on 18 September 1709. Johnson visited Brighton on several occasions in the late eighteenth century, as his friends Henry and Hester Thrale owned a house at the bottom of West Street. … Continued
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