PHOTOGRAPHS

The Edward Reeves Archive represents the cumulative work of four generations of the Reeves family through their photographic business in Lewes, England. Photographers Edward Reeves (1824–1905), Mary Elizabeth ‘Pollie’ Reeves (1858–1922), Benjamin V Reeves (1875–1948), Edward M Reeves (1908–1980) and Tom Reeves (1960–present) have captured images that span more than 170 years of local and personal history in East Sussex.
The Archive contains over 250,000 images, on collodion and gelatine glass plates, on film negatives and as digital files, which provide a continuous visual timeline back to the mid-1850s. There is an enormous range of subject matter, from studio portraits to industrial processes, visiting celebrities, everyday activities, weddings, shop window displays, prized pets, treasured possessions and more.