Cupola House c1895 - From the Spanton Jarman collection

Today it’s shrouded in scaffolding, waiting for its unveiling after repairs, but here’s ‘The Cupola’ in 1895.

Known as ‘The Victoria’ by 1881, the property was acquired by the Jennings family in 1882. They were wine and spirit merchants and agents for Allsopp’s Burton Beers (the sign is visible on the sash window glass). The bow window on the right had been replaced by a second doorway.

To the left is E. Youngman, Chemist and Druggist, with a new shop front and trade sign of pestle and mortar over the doorway. To the right is the brick facade of the ‘The Exchange’ public house. Below the lamp, on the fanlight, is the name of Alfred Thomas Woodhurst, the landlord.

-- This picture is part of a remarkable collection of 4,000 photographs in the care of Bury St Edmunds Past and Present Society which offers a glimpse into the town’s history.

Taken by two families of professional photographers, the Spantons and the Jarmans, the images span a period from the 1860s through to the outbreak of World War Two. The fragile glass plate negatives were donated to the society in 1997 and in recent years many of these have been ‘digitised’ thanks to a Lottery grant and donations - a furtehr £2,000 is needed to complete the task. They can be viewed at www.burypastandpresent.org.uk where you can also find details about membership and the group’s programme of events and lectures. The Spanton-Jarman collection is held at the Bury St Edmunds branch of the Suffolk Record Office. For more details about the Record Office, including its programme of talks and courses, visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/sro.