Brighton Central Seafront: Images on the beach (3)
the site of the Fish Market at the foot of East Street
.James Gray: September 25, 1896. jgc_01_123
2018: The Alfresco restaurant almost obscures the Birdcage bandstand in the distance to the west. This two-storey restaurant replaces the one-storey Milkmaid Pavilion café built soon after 1927. The steps down to the lower promenade are visible in both the 1896 and the 2018 photographs. The Alfresco restaurant was replaced, in December 2018, by another restaurant, the Brighton Beach Club. (Photographer: Suzanne Hinton)
James Gray: A selection of snapshot photos [see jgc_03_082 to 087] taken by a French visitor to Brighton in 1933 and 1934. The Fish Market beach seems to have had a special attraction for him as, with one exception, they all show the beach. An interested crowd on the promenade watch the pulling-up of boats by the old wooden capstans and poles. jgc_03_082, 083 and 085
James Gray: See caption for jgc_03_082. jgc_03_086
2020: There are many images in this collection of the fishermen and their boats on the beach between Little East Street and Black Lion Street. Pictures of the men working on the capstans were always popular. Although the capstans have long gone, there are some clues as to where they were.
James Gray: Another view of fish market. jgc_03_106
James Gray: Four old fishing worthies of the period. Left to right:- Nick Humphrey, Tom Bassett, the sailmaker, who lived at 13 Market Street, Tom Rolf, universally known as ‘Sloper’ and John Taylor. jgc_03_108
James Gray: Edwardian girls about to buy a penny ice-cream from a vendor on the Fish Market beach, and not averse to casting a welcoming eye to young men on the promenade above. The photograph was taken by George Ruff Junior, between 1901 and 1904. jgc_03_119
James Gray: Fish Market on the beach in front of the present building. jgc_03_109
James Gray: These three small original photographs, [jgc_03_110, 111 and 112] probably by Edward Fox or W H Mason, show the lively scenes on the beach as the catch is landed. This sort of activity has gone from the beach forever. jgc_03_110
James Gray: [1894 image.] No comment. jgc_02_219
James Gray: These three small, original photographs [jgc_03_110, 111 and 112] probably by Edward Fox or W H Mason show the lively scenes on the beach as the catch is landed. This sort of activity has gone from the beach forever. In this photograph, the gantry just below the sail is something of a mystery. It seems to end in mid-air. jgc_03_111
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_ 03_ 110 above.] jgc_03_112
James Gray: Recent copies of two stereoscopic photographs [jgc_03_113 and 114] of Brighton fishermen, of the late 1860s or early 1870s. Obviously they are posed studio photographs. On the originals they are attributed to W H Mason, who was in business at 108 Kings Road, as a print seller and repository of arts.
James Gray: Postcard of the Fish Market. jgc_03_117
2020: The market is long gone and there are no longer any fishing boats pulled up on the beach. The lower promenade has been widened and the arches turned into a variety of commercial outlets. The Old Ship Hotel is just visible on the other side of King’s Road. The British Airways i360 Viewing Tower can be seen to the far left (west) of the picture. The stairs and ramps remain as they were. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: Another postcard showing the Fish Market and the West Pier. jgc_03_118
James Gray: The busy scene [c1900] at the Fish Market. Judging by the appearance of the pavilion on the West Pier (not yet converted to the theatre) this photograph is probably of a few years earlier. Additional Information: Sales of fish on the Fish Market had continued until the 1970s. jgc_03_079
2020: These wonderful images can never be replicated. Fresh fish is still sold on the beach – but it is delivered in vans to small huts, open for a few hours every day. Fishing on this stretch is for a few optimistic anglers only. The lower promenade has been fully developed and other activities have taken over. At the time of this photograph there is an exhibition of photographs from the local Camera Club on the beach but the café is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The umbrellas are furled, and the tables are empty. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: This photograph is by Edward Fox and shows the market hard and the beach to the east. Date unknown but obviously before the 1866 widening of King’s Road and the promenade. Probably about 1860. jgc_03_162
James Gray: For comparison, two much later views of the Fish Market. Period between 1900-1914. jgc_03_163
James Gray: There is a wealth of detail in this old photograph. In addition to the strangely clad fishermen and boys, the black fisherman’s huts and ancient capstan, the narrow gas-lit Kings Road and wooden railings provide a striking contrast with the same area today. The scene is roughly the site of the present fish market, between Black Lion Street and Market Street. The arches shown are those constructed when this portion of King’s Road was widened between 1864 and 1867. Gradually the fishermen were persuaded to give up their huts and instead use the arches for storage of their tackle. This is another photograph by Edward Fox, and may have been taken at any time between 1867 and 1886. One cannot date it with any certainty. jgc_03_209
2020: Many of the James Gray images in this collection show the fishermen and their boats on the beach at the end of Market Street. All that remains of their life and work is now in the Fishing Museum under the Kings Road arches. The lower promenade has been redeveloped to provide a selection of fast food outlets, bars and nightclubs, including Shooshh… shown here, operating in the arches originally used to store their fishing tackle. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: Rope houses on the beach. These were used by the fishermen for storage of ropes and nets. The scene is a little to the east of the Fish Market and the buildings in the background now form part of the Queens Hotel. The period is probably during the 1870s. King’s Road was widened again in 1886 and at this time the present cast iron ones replaced the old wooden railings, here shown. jgc_03_210
2020: The fishermen and their nets are long gone. In their place are fast food outlets, amusement arcades, fortune tellers and even a few art galleries. The beach is a place for relaxation, not work. (Photographer: David Sears)