1. Images of Suffolk From Herrings to Holidaymakers The North East Suffolk Photographic & Illustrative Archive Lowestoft Record Office LRO 1300 catalogued as part of a project supported by the by the Heritage Lottery Fund

2. Nature and man have ensured that the Suffolk coastline is constantly changing. Through the eyes of artists and photographers we can observe these changes. Southwold in the 19th century, 1300/114/5 Southwold in the 19th century, 1300/114/5

3. Peto’s Lowestoft Land Erosion Saving Lives Fishing Taking the Sea Air Contents

4. Land Erosion The sea can be a threat to those who live along its shores

5. Dunwich 1587, 1300/33/1 The ancient city of Dunwich, a prosperous sea port during the Middle Ages, was claimed by the sea’s erosive force.

6. Pakefield Cliffs crumbling to the shore 1854 1300/85/55

7. Pakefield 1908, 1300/85/30 Pakefield has suffered in more recent times

8. Lowestoft Harbour, the 1897 floods, 1300/72/22/10 The power of the sea

9. Lowestoft Harbour, the 1897 floods, 1300/72/22/5

10. Lowestoft South Pier Pavilion and Harbour, 1897 floods, 1300/72/22/7

11. Tonning Street, Lowestoft, the 1897 floods, 1300/72/22/17

12. Christ Church, Beach Village Lowestoft, 1897 floods, 1300/72/22/14

13. The East Coast floods, Lowestoft 1953, 1300/72/22/37

14. The East Coast floods, Lowestoft Beach Village, Denes and net-drying plots 1953, 1300/72/22/48

15. Saving Lives Lighthouses and Lifeboats 1300/72/29/24 Lowestoft High Light Lowestoft High Light, built 1676, as it appeared c.1850, 1300/72/29/24 Lowestoft High Light, built 1676, as it appeared c.1850, 1300/72/29/24

16. Although not the first to build a lighthouse, Lowestoft is distinguished by having the longest established light station in Britain. In 1609 the corporation of Trinity House created a pair of lights “for the direction of ships which crept by night in the dangerous passage betwixt Lowestoft and Winterton”. They were rebuilt in 1676, one positioned on the cliff top, the other on the foreshore. These became known as the High Light and Low Light.

17. 1300/72/2/3 Beachmen looking out for wrecks, North Beach Lowestoft, from an engraving of 1854. The timber Low Light is visible above their shods (made out of the hulks of old boats.)

18. Photograph of the Low Light, Lowestoft c.1857, 1300/29/2

19. An engraving celebrating the construction of the new tubular steel Lowestoft Low Light in 1867. It remained in use until 1923. An engraving celebrating the construction of the new tubular steel Lowestoft Low Light in 1867. It remained in use until 1923. 1300/72/29/3

20. High Street c.1950, 1300/72/29/38 Lowestoft High Light, re-built 1873

21. 1300/85/105 Pakefield Lighthouse, built 1832, inactive since 1864.

22. The Lowestoft Lifeboat Caroline Hamilton, 1883, 1300/72/28/3

23. Kessingland Lifeboat Hugh Taylor c.1900 1300/68/30

24. Lowestoft Lifeboat Kentwell c.1910 1300/72/28/8

25. Lowestoft Motor Lifeboat Agnes Cross c. 1922 1300/72/28/9

26. Lowestoft Lifeboat Michael Stephens 1956 1300/72/28/18 Lowestoft Lifeboat Michael Stephens 1956 1300/72/28/18

27. Fishing1300/72/2/2 Those who live along Suffolk’s shores have long reaped the harvest of the sea

28. Entrance to Lake Lothing 1833 Engraving after a painting by James Stark (1794-1859). Before Peto’s harbour was built in 1847 fish was landed on the beach. 1300/72/2/2

29. c.1850, 1300/72/2/6

30. Fishermen's cottages, Lighthouse Score c.1880s, 1300/72/41/10

31. Scottish Drifters leaving Lowestoft Harbour, 1300/72/42/4 From Sail

32. Steam Drifter LT 152 Thrifty (1930-1968), 1300/72/42/4 to Steam

33. Diesel Drifter LT 61 Dick Whittington 1300/72/42/67 To Motor

34. 1300/72/20/3 1300/72/19/1 Unloading a catch Lowestoft c.1895

35. Crew of The Shamrock 1900 1300/72/19/1

36. Scottish fisher girls gutting herring, Lowestoft c.1910, 1300/72/18/22

37. Curing the herring, Lowestoft c.1900 1300/72/18/11

38. Herring barrels awaiting export at Hamilton Dock, Lowestoft c.1910 1300/72/20/14

39. Lowestoft Fish Market 1904, 1300/72/21/10

40. Lowestoft Herring catch 1910. The herring season ran between September and November each year.

41. Bringing in the nets c.1930 1300/72/19/12

42. Lowestoft Fish Market 1954 1300/72/21/39

43. 1300/72/20/20 Fish Curing c.1960

44. Sir Samuel Morton Peto’s home at Somerleyton Hall c.1850, 1300/103/5 Sir Samuel Morton Peto and the Development of Lowestoft

45. In 1847 entrepreneur Samuel Morton Peto brought the railway to Lowestoft and by 1850 his new harbour was completed. Fresh fish caught by the Lowestoft fleet could be transported daily to cities as far away as London and Manchester. Trains also brought holiday visitors to Peto’s new town resort, built in the rural parish of Kirkley, south of the harbour and along the south beach.

46. 1300/72/47/2

47. 1300/69/67

48. Peto’s holiday resort development can be seen in the distance to the left of St John’s Church tower. 1300/72/23/9

49. Peto sponsored the construction of St John’s Church on the corner of Belvedere Road in 1853 for the inhabitants of his new town. Damaged by climate and the great floods, it was demolished in 1977. The Harbour Hotel is on the left, c.1890s. 1300/72/11/11

50. 1300/72/25/7

51. 1300/72/37/3

52. Lowestoft harbour swing bridge c. 1858. It was replaced by a new bridge in 1897. 1300/72/4/1

53. Taking the Sea Air Pakefield c.1850, 1300/85/53 A holiday on the Suffolk coast became popular from the 1850s and has stayed so ever since

54. Lowestoft South Beach, c.1880, 1300/72/3/1

55. The Esplanade c.1880, 1300/72/16/23

56. Lowestoft South Beach 1880s, 1300/72/3/9

57. Wellington Gardens, Lowestoft c.1900, 1300/69/45

58. Lowestoft South Pier and Beach 1910 1300/72/3/44

59. Kessingland 1928, 1300/68/1

60. Kensington Gardens Lowestoft, 1930, 1300/69/22

61. Kensington Gardens, Lowestoft 1945 1300/69/29

62. Lowestoft South Beach 1955, 1300/72/3/65

63. More images of Suffolk can be viewed at www.senseofplacesuffolk.co.uk

64. The images in this presentation are from the Suffolk Record Office archive collection, Lowestoft Record Office, The Library, Clapham Road, LOWESTOFT NR32 1DR For further information please phone 01502 405357 or visit our web site www.suffolkcc.gov.uk/RecordOffice/ Presentation copyright 2006