Unveiling the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes

Edward Reeves Photography, established in 1855, is a family run photographic business, with a working studio and shop. It is believed to be the oldest still functioning studio, in the hands of the same family, in the world. When I started this work the Reeves business had no organised archive, rather a set of different collections dispersed in various places in the building at 159 High Street Lewes, where the family also live. Concentrating on the period 1855-1974 approximately 250.000 numbered glass plates have been linked to corresponding ledgers and account books, correspondence, and ephemera. With the help of a group of local volunteers this paperwork is currently being transcribed so it can become an archive that will be accessible online.
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Under the name ‘Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate’ in 2014 eighty historical pictures of Lewes High Street were displayed as lightboxes, situated on locations depicted on the glass plates. With a turn of the head the viewer could experience the then-and -now effect of historical change. These exhibitions are now regular occurrences. The related programs of talks and events help deepen the understanding of the history of this English market town. There are currently forty volunteers working on different aspects of the project- notably the digitisation of the documentation. Outreach projects are devised that engage large segments of the local community.

This project can shine new light on the history of commercial photography in Britain as Professor Elisabeth Edwards has referred to this collection as one of this century’s most important findings in the history of British photography.