Portsmouth Through Time

The photographs in this fascinating collection enable the reader to explore the differences that passing time has wrought on the urban landscape of Portsmouth and Southsea, and place unrecognisable scenes in context in place and time. Archive images, including Victorian scenes, Edwardian postcards, and unique colour photographs from the 1960s and ’70s, are compared and contrasted with a similar view today. These absorbing images, from professional and amateur photographers, include many street scenes alongside subjects ranging from a military band at Clarence Barracks in the 1910s, commercial shipping at the Camber in the 1930s, Billy Smart’s circus in the 1950s and Dockyard pickets in the 1970s. Portsmouth Through Time is sure to evoke a wealth of personal memories and interest to anyone who knows and loves the city and would enjoy a trip into its recent past.

Author Biography

John is Portsmouth born and bred, attended Southern Grammar School and, after office, factory and outdoor jobs returned to education to gain a first class honours degree, then qualify as a chartered librarian. He has worked in public libraries, specialist libraries, Highbury College and the University of Portsmouth, while also working as a writer, researcher and indexer. He worked at Gosport Discovery Centre where, amongst other things, has hosted local history events, before taking up the post of archivist at Portsmouth Grammar School.