NOSTALGIA: 15 Hatter Street, Mr Tozer’s house (c1898) – From the Spanton Jarman collection

Charles William Tozer, painter, plumber and sign-writer, is recorded in the County Directories as trading from 15 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds, from at least 1896 until c 1902.

By 1904 he had moved to 17 Whiting Street. The range of styles of lettering used on the shopfront advertises his skills.

-- 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 further £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.