Brighton Municipal Market, Circus Street, c1937

During the 1900s, many of Brighton's most distinctive and important buildings were the work of renowned architects such as Amon Henry Wilds and Charles Busby. By the turn of the century, the Borough Council was playing an increasingly active role in driving the town's development. Employees of the Borough Engineer and Surveyor's department became a major influence on the architecture of Brighton. Borough Engineers such as David Edwards and Percy Billington may not be remembered as fondly as Busby and Wilds, but they were responsible for shaping large areas of modern Brighton.

The design of Brighton Marina and the reconstruction of the Aquarium in the 1920s are just two examples of the major projects undertaken by the Borough Surveyor's department. The department was also responsible for the development of several housing estates in Brighton. In addition to these major works, the department was also required to attend to some of the town's basic amenities: facilities such as bus shelters and roads were regularly surveyed.

The Borough Surveyor's department kept a large photographic record of its work, and much of this collection has been donated to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. The photographs date from the 1920s to the dissolution of the Borough Council in 1974. These images provide a valuable insight into the city's growth in the twentieth century. They provide a final view of many lost buildings of Brighton, and provide a detailed record of the engineering work that transformed them.

View photographs from the Borough Surveyor's collection.