Statues in Brighton

Brighton's statues, the subject of this week's picture feature, have been in the news. On the plus side, a statue of Max Miller (the risque music hall comedian) has been unveiled in the city centre. More negatively, last week saw the theft of a statue of Steve Ovett (the Olympic runner) from Brighton's Preston Park. The police have found, fittingly, one of Ovett's legs, but the rest of him is feared to have been melted down for scrap. This is very sad, since Brighton, despite having some fine statues, does not have as many as the place really deserves. Where, for example, are Laurence Olivier, Aubrey Beardsley and Patrick Hamilton - all with strong local connections. In fact, with Nelson Mandela now on a plinth in Parliament Square, it seems you don't even need to be either dead or have lived somewhere to be commemorated there. Of course Brighton can't lay claim to the undeniable greatness of Mandela, but it could certainly have a better display of famous residents in its streets and parks.

Last week's pictures were about a graffiti art display in Brighton

Last week's picture set looked at a spectacular graffiti wall in Brighton's New England Street. This part of Brighton, just east of the main railway station, is being comprehensively redeveloped after years of neglect. For the past three years, the developers have agreed to an "official" display of artwork graffiti each summer along the hoardings that surround the site. The work is well-executed, vivid and very contemporary. There is perhaps an unpleasant emphasis this year on US-inspired rap and gun "culture". But, sadly, that does reflect real life in at least parts of our towns and cities. Anyway, graffiti should never be like the Royal Academy Summer Show and this display in Brighton is both attractive and very much of our time.

Other recent pictures of the week

The picture set two weeks ago featured the town of Deal on the Kent coast. Back in the 13th century, Deal was one of the busiest ports in England and the town has a rich maritime history as well as a long association with the Royal Marines. Almost two thousand years ago, Julius Caesar landed at nearby Walmer and the first Roman road still leads inland from the coast. Nowadays, however, Deal is a quiet seaside resort with a charmingly old-fashioned feel to it. Leaving aside the rather ugly concrete pier from the 1950's, the town is blessed with much excellent domestic architecture from the 17th century onwards. Charles Dickens set part of "Bleak House" here and other famous visitors have included Daniel Defoe and Samuel Pepys. Pepys, writing in 1660, described the place as "pitiful". He was wrong. It's a lovely town, an English seaside delight.

The pictures three weeks ago were about bicyclists. Was there ever a more universally beneficial invention than the humble bike ? Certainly not for transport and the environment. And though people might justifiably complain about macho cyclists who charge selfishly along pavements, bicyclists in general are a pretty beneficent bunch. Far better than the tossers in 4x4's for sure. You don't often see a miserable bicyclist, except in the rain or having been cut up by one of the fore-mentioned tossers. That's more than can be said for the average motorist, crawling around the sclerotic roads of South East England.

Four weeks ago, the picture set took a little look at Amsterdam architecture, as seen in August 2007. The centre of this great Dutch city overflows with fine buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and it also has a great deal of excellent modern architecture, mainly on the outskirts. It all reflects the Dutch genius for domesticity. Crammed into a small country and at constant risk from flooding, they have long excelled at creating houses and urban spaces that are practical, homely and very attractive. The Dutch just know how to live well, individually and together. Here in England, still building miles of soulless estates on flood plains, we could learn a lot from them.

About this site and picture library

There are now almost 50000 images in the library and they can all be keyword searched from the picture search page. New or updated subjects include statues, graffiti art, Deal, bicyclists, Amsterdam and gay prides. The site has several ways to help make relevant and fruitful searches, including index pages for both subjects and events & places.  There is also a useful search guide and information page.

A good showcase of the type and range of photography available can be explored in the pictures of the week series. Published on the site since December 2001, this now totals more than 2700 images. Every week there is a set of ten pictures about a particular place, event or theme. Almost all the library's pictures are available for personal or commercial reproduction. Digital files can be delivered by email or CD, prices start from as little as £8 and there is further information on the prices and terms & conditions pages. You can also contact David Gray for quotations and availability for new photography commissions.