Nation's archive raided for a glimpse into Portsmouth's recent past

HMS Victory dominates this wonderful aerial picture of Portsmouth dockyard taken four years after the end of the SecondWorld War.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Aug 2017, 22:09 GMT
Updated 12th Sep 2017, 11:36 GMT
HMS Victory takes pride of place in this 1949 picture of Portsmouth dockyard.HMS Victory takes pride of place in this 1949 picture of Portsmouth dockyard.
HMS Victory takes pride of place in this 1949 picture of Portsmouth dockyard.

Next to Victory’s stern is a large area of water once known as the Great Basin.

Built in the 1690s, its purpose was to allow warships to be equipped more conveniently than was possible in the open waters of the harbour, which is where Nelson’s flagship had been until the early 1920s.

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This photograph, and you are only seeing part of it, gives some idea of the extent of the ’yard and the fascinating, differing styles of architecture within it. I’m sure it will ignite memories of the ’yard’s good old days for many of you.

When the Picture House opened in Commercial Road (part of the same building as the Speedwell Hotel) in December 1913 there were 27 cinemas, in Portsmouth. The first films shown, part of a regular menu of entertainment that included two films and musicial entertainment, were The Bells of Death (a silent Italian film set in Sicily) and The Portuguese Centaurs (another Italian film, this one featuring a Portuguese cavalry regiment).When the Picture House opened in Commercial Road (part of the same building as the Speedwell Hotel) in December 1913 there were 27 cinemas, in Portsmouth. The first films shown, part of a regular menu of entertainment that included two films and musicial entertainment, were The Bells of Death (a silent Italian film set in Sicily) and The Portuguese Centaurs (another Italian film, this one featuring a Portuguese cavalry regiment).
When the Picture House opened in Commercial Road (part of the same building as the Speedwell Hotel) in December 1913 there were 27 cinemas, in Portsmouth. The first films shown, part of a regular menu of entertainment that included two films and musicial entertainment, were The Bells of Death (a silent Italian film set in Sicily) and The Portuguese Centaurs (another Italian film, this one featuring a Portuguese cavalry regiment).

The picture, along with all the others here today, comes from a new book, Historic England: Portsmouth by Philip Macdougall, a former teacher at Portsmouth College.

It’s an illustrated history which is notable for the superb quality of its pictures taken from the unique Historic England archive containing 12 million photographs, drawings and publications.

It’s published by Amberley and is selling for £14.99.

Related topics:HMS VictoryPortsmouthHistoric EnglandNelson