Friday 1 March 2013

Littlehampton, Sussex, Pier Road and Kursaal, 1913

Littlehampton, Sussex, Pier Road and Kursaal, 1913. Littlehampton is a typical English seaside town in Sussex. The old windmill - I believe it was called Arun Mill - was demolished in the early 1930s. Presumably the Kursaal was demolished at around the same time. If you look at the Kursaal closely by clicking on the postcard you can see it is a very makeshift structure, built of cheap board and corrugated iron. I can find no references on the Internet to the Kursaal in Littlehampton, but if you look at the second postcard taken by W. H. Applebee probably on the same day you can see it has Kursaal painted on the roof. The posters on the side refer to 'The Stingarees' who were performing on Monday 4th of August. This pinpoints the year to 1913. A sign outside the front says 'Vaudeville Concerts Daily'. Other postcards I've seen showing this building say it was called 'The Casino'. The postcard at the bottom shows a view of Littlehampton from the bridge. W. H. Applebee normally photographed Middlesex, Surrey, Berks and Bucks, but in 1913 he set off with his wife in their little three-wheeled A. C. Sociable and went to the South Coast, visiting Worthing and Littlehampton and photographing and publishing a short run of postcards, including these three. Click the postcards to enlarge.

For more old photos visit the Sepia Saturday blog.




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11 comments:

  1. Very nice, and the extra photos of yesterday- an added bonus!

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  2. What an odd name "Kursaal" is - do you have any idea of its derivation?

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  3. Kursaal would be a Spa Hall in German, I think. A Google walk just back up the road behind takes one to the entrance of the amusement park. It is free and open to the Google public and just inside is a fake windmill on the Windmill Entertainment Centre. So an ersatz heritage lives on. Thanks for showing the detail on the poster, Howard. That was a great clue to date a photo.

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  4. The German origin might explain why it was perhaps changed to "The Casino."

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  5. Wonderful postcards, especially the first one and an added bonus that the posters were legible. It is definitely one of those cards that make you want to know more.

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  6. I studied that first card for ages - a true gem.

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  7. That first card offers a lot to look at!

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  8. OMG !! Littlehampton.....Never mention it here in Derby. I got lost on the beach when I was 3. It has traumatised my entire life, not because I remember being lost, but because any time anyone mentioned anywhere south of Watford, my parents would ask me.. "do you remember the day you hot lost on Littlehampton beach?", Relief from this trauma only came many decades later on the death of my parents. Never will I set foot in Littlehampton again and I will always live as far as it is possible to get from the sea in England !!

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  9. "Kursaal" is a word I had never seen before.

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  10. Just the kind of detective work I love to read about. The combination of a fine old card, an enquiring mind and the resources of the internet can result in a wonderful gem of history.

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  11. If it weren't for the building with arched windows in the near center of the photo, I'd think you were trying to pull a fast one.

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