The James Gray Collection


	19/39 Volumes on-line.

James Gray, 1904-1998, was a local collector with a passion for the streets of Brighton and Hove, and, as time went on, further afield.
Working all his life in insurance, his initial collection of stamps gave way to local topographical photographs with the chance acquisition in the 1950s of a few images of Western Road. From then on he built up a massive collection: many of the entries are copies, exchanged with other collectors, others are views that he purchased or, more recently, that he commissioned.

Although there is today a strong general interest in old photographs, both for their factual content and also for their artistic value, when James Gray started his collection there was little:we must be grateful that he had the foresight and the single minded dedication to assemble this unique record of our City.

Upon his death, the Regency Society purchased the collection, and is now beginning to digitise it and make it available on-line.
There are 39 Volumes in all, (a typical one is shown ) some 8000 annotated photographs, sub-divided into areas of the city.

This site and contents are owned by The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove, UK. All commercial rights restricted.
Please contact the Society for details.

This external website gives an excellent overview of the history of photography in Brighton.

Looking for a particular building, street or date?

The highlighted Volumes have been digitised are on-line. more to follow...click here for a quick taste.
The comments and descriptions are those made by James Gray.



	Download the Information Leaflet

Volume 1:The Seafront 224 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Duncan McNeill The Seafront–Hove Boundary–Russell Street–Metropole Hotel–excluding West Pier and Grand Hotel.	Volume 2:The Seafront 219 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Lavender Jones and Duncan McNeill The Seafront-West Pier-Grand Hotel-Seafront-Russell Street to West Street.
Volume 3:The Sea Front West Street to Queens Hotel	Volume 4:The Seafront 191 Photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Ulla Dunlop in memory of her husband Dr Ian Dunlop The Seafront–Grand Junction Road–Palace Pier–Aquarium
Volume 5 :The Sea Front Chain Pier, Madeira Drive	Volume 6:The Sea Front Marine Parade to Black Rock
Volume 7:The Old Town 148 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Brighton Society West Street-Middle Street(part)-Clock Tower	Volume 8:The Old Town 120 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Regency Society Middle Street–Duke Street–Boyces Street–Ship Street–Prince Albert Street–Black Lion Street–Nile Street–Market Street
Volume 9:The Old Town 138 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Brighton Books Publishing Market Street-Bartholomews-The Lanes-Town Hall-Brighton Place-Pool Valley-Old Steine (early ones)	Volume 10:The Old Town Old Steine, Royal Pavilion
Volume 10a:London Road Area 181 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Regency Society London Road–All streets west to railway above York Hill– NewEngland Road	Volume 11:Hove East 207 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Yvonne and Michael Ray From Brighton Boundary to Selborne Road including Sea Front but excluding Church Road
Volume 12:Hove: Central From Grand Avenue to Hove Street	Volume 13:Hove: Central Church Road, George Street, Hova Villas, Ventnor Villas, Town Hall, Cliftonville Church
Volume 14:Hove: Central From Wilbury Road to Sackville Road including Blatchington Road area	Volume 15 :Hove: West West from Hove Street to Kingsway
Volume 16 :Hove: North West West from Sackville Road above New Church Road, north of the Railway and west of Nevill Road, Goldstone Farm and the Football Ground	Volume 17 :Hove: North East From Brighton Boundary to the top of Dyke Road Avenue
Volume 18:Preston Area 248 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Preston Village Millenium Project and The Preston and Old Patcham Society Preston Road-Preston Village-Preston Park-Railway Line & Station	Volume 19 :Western Road
Volume 20:Ditchling Road 214 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by a number of individual donors. The Level- Sylvan Hall- Hollingdean Estate-Preston Drove- Balfour Road	Volume 21:North Street Dyke Road, Queens Square, Princes Place
Volume 22 :Eastern Brighton (Inner) Edward Street, Streets between Eastern Road and Kemp Town Station	Volume 23:Eastern Brighton (Outer) 212 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Friends of Irene Mary Laney Eastern Road-Brighton College-County Hospital-Manor Farm-Whitehawk-Black Rock-Rottingdean Road
Volume 24:East Central Area 195 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Duncan McNeill The Old Slums between Edward Street and Sussex Street, Queens Park and surrounding area, Tillstone Street.	Volume 25:North Central Brighton 268 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Gavin Henderson, in memory of his father, Magnus Reginald 'Jock' Henderson. North Street to York Hill,all streets between,West of Central Valley and London Road
Volume 26:North Western Brighton 262 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Anne Moncrieff Dyke Road Avenue to ClockTower-Seven Dials-All roads west of Dyke Road to Hove Boundary above Western Road	Volume 27 :NE Brighton Sussex Street, Richmond Street, Albion Hill, Elm Grove, Racecourse, Lewes Road (East Side)
Volume 28:Lewes Road Area Lewes Road, Cemeteries, Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, Hodshrove Farm, Coldean	Volume 29:West Brighton 228 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Regency Square Area Society From the Clock Tower west to the Hove Boundary below Western Road
Volume 30:Central Valley From the Dome to St Peter’s Church, Marlborough Place, Grand Parade, Gloucester Place, St George’s Place	Volume 31:The Station Area 235 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Frances and Martin Lindsay-Hills. That segment from the Dials across to the Station, East of Dyke Road, including Queens Road
Volume 32:Rottingdean & Saltdean Rottingdean, Saltdean, Telscombe, “Daddy Longlegs”	Volume 33:Greater Brighton Roedean, Ovingdean, Woodingdean, Stanmer, Falmer, Saddlescombe, Poynings, Fulking, The Downs
Volume 34:Withdean Preston Road, London Road, Westdene, Tongdean Lane Area	Volume 35:Patcham Old Village, London Road, Farms, Waterworks, Church Hill, Saltdean, The Chattri
Volume 36:Hove-West Blatchington Area 158 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by The Friends of West Blatchington Mill West Blatchington Area, including Nevill Road, Stadium,Waterworks and houses south-west of the copse.	Volume 37:Hangleton 193 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Ian Farrell, Chairman, Hangleton Harbinger. Hangleton Farm, and later housing, Gibbets Farm, Devils Dyke, The Dyke Railways
Volume 38:Portslade 185 photographs The digitisation of this volume was sponsored by Carolyn and Richard Williams, Judy Pratt, Trevor Povey and Ian Farrell, members of the Portslade Local History Group. Southwick, Shoreham, The Harbour and The Canal