1850s
The sepia original from the James Gray collection, owned by the Regency Society is one of the oldest existing photographs of Brighton. It was taken in the 1850s, by Edward Fox, Jnr. then living next door at 44 Market Street. He started as a decorative painter but sometime in the late 1850s moved on to photography as his means of visual expression. He adopted the waxed-paper process, taking landscape and architectural photographs, mostly around Brighton.
1950s
The same location a century later. In the late 1850’s the business was taken over by T. Waterfield and remained in his family’s control for many years until in 1896 it was acquired by Walter Gillett Ltd. At some time during the Waterfield era the old building was demolished and replaced by the premises acquired by Walter Gillett Ltd.
2013
The old Gillett buildings were demolished in 1989 to make way for the new development of the area.
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Walter Gillett changed its name to Dray Number Three Ltd in 1986, and was then dissolved in 2009.
That’s really the corner of Nile Street, with the Pump House in the background. In the 70’s the Gilletts building was very run down, and its was converted into a bar for a while, but it was a bit like a building site most of the time. The Pump House and The Druids got so busy we would often go along the road and drink in the bar on the corner, but I can’t remember its name?
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