Oxford Street

James Gray: The derelict house 26 Oxford Street, 10 February 1974. Since beautifully restored and occupied, it now bears the date 1815. jgc_10a_058

2018: The building now houses a barber’s shop and bears the date 1815 in a prominent position. (Photographer: Mary Nixon)

James Gray: December 1966. This photograph shows alterations in progress to 16 & 17 Oxford Street prior to the two premises being made into a branch of the South Eastern Trustee Savings Bank. An empty flint-faced dwelling house beyond. jgc_10a_048

2020: The buildings scheduled for demolition were not 16 & 17 Oxford Street but 17 & 18 Oxford Street. The bank was replaced around 2010 by a small development incorporating 19 Oxford Street (see jgc_10a_052 below) consisting of flats at first floor level and at ground floor level a massage centre called Brighton Wellbeing at 17 Oxford Street and Nick Ford Photography at 19 Oxford Street. (Photographer: Margaret Polmear)

James Gray: Three photographs dating from 10 February 1974. They show four empty buildings adjoining, on the north side of this old street. They were numbered 19, 20, 21 & 22. Later in this year they were removed for an extension to the offices of the Trustee Savings Bank. No 19, seen in this photograph, was one of the few remaining flint and brick cottages in Oxford Street which is much older than most people realise. jgc_10a_052

2018: See caption for jgc_10a_048. (Photographer: Mary Nixon)

James Gray: Early photographs of the street market in this street. When returned service men found it difficult to obtain employment, they approached Brighton Corporation for a site on which they could set up to sell fruit and vegetables. In the face of official opposition, their leader, Frank Ingham, fought so hard that in 1919 permission was somewhat grudgingly given, and this was the start of the popular Open Market, since 1926 housed in by Marshall’s Row. jgc_10a_043

2020: The buildings in the background are gone (or mostly gone) when compared with those in the 2020 image. Only the buildings at the east end of the street on the corner with Ditchling Road are apparent in both photos. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Taken within about twelve months of the previous photograph, this photograph, dated 13 September 1919, looks to London Road and features Frank Ingham. The previous one shows the same buildings but looks to Ditchling Road. jgc_10a_044

2020: There is nothing remaining of the background buildings in the James Gray image. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Empty shops at 37, 38 & 39. Maybe this area will at some time in the future be used for an extension to Bellman’s Store, which can be seen at the rear. This street has always been a strange mixture of shops and houses. jgc_10a_049

2020: Nothing remains of the buildings on the street in the James Gray image. The medical centre beyond is seen in both images. The structure rising behind the houses may be what became a three storey block with shops on the ground floor and Bellman’s food store at the south end (then Fine Fare, Gateway, Somerfield and finally the Co-op) as seen in the 2020 image. This block is about to be demolished for student accommodation with retail premises on the ground floor. The Co-op is likely to return. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Three photographs dating from 10 February 1974. They show four empty buildings adjoining, on the north side of this old street. They were numbered 19, 20, 21 & 22. Later in this year they were removed for an extension to the offices of the Trustee Savings Bank. No 19, seen in this photograph, was one of the few remaining flint and brick cottages in Oxford Street which is much older than most people realise. Additional Information: We are informed that in 1871 Keziah Budgen (nee Measor) and her second husband Thomas Budgen lived and worked at 21-22 Oxford Street (Oxford Restaurant and Burger Bar in the above photograph) as beerhouse keepers. The premises were known as The Oxford Arms. jgc_10_053

2020: Most of the buildings in the James Gray image have gone except for the one at the east end at the Ditchling Road junction, also visible in the 2020 image. It may be that the two or three houses seen at the far end of the James Gray image remain, now with their roofs raised and dormers added as seen in the 2020 image – but I haven’t verified this. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: See jgc_10a_053 above. jgc_10a_054

2020: As with jgc_10a_053 but looking east, only the corner building remains. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Having been photographed in February 1935, these buildings were swept away in 1936 and no trace whatsoever now remains. I have therefore copied a portion of the 1911 Ordnance Survey map on which I have marked two arrows (see accompanying image jgc_10a_055a). This photograph was taken where the red arrow is pointing east towards Ditchling Road. jgc_10a_055 and 055a

2020: Subsequent building has changed the area where Oxford Court once stood beyond recognition as shown in this recent Google aerial image.

James Gray: This photograph was taken where the black arrow is indicated on the map (see jgc_10a_055a above) and shows part of Oxford Court containing eight cottages and looking west to the backs of two buildings in London Road. At one time there were 20 dwellings in this warren between Oxford Street and Oxford Place. jgc_10a_056

2020: The buildings in this area between Oxford Place and Oxford Road have been demolished for some time. The space has diminished in area as the backs of new large buildings have encroached. A public car park remains. The area bears no resemblance to the James Gray image. A true photograph from the exact same viewpoint cannot be judged. The new image, however, does reflect the direction of the original James Gray one, towards the backs of buildings on London Road. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)