Exeter High Street, 1896, Exeter

Greetings card of Exeter High Street, 1896, Exeter

Dating to 1896, this photograph of Exeter High Street has been taken from the Francis Frith Collection and has been used to illustrate a greetings card. The photograph has been taken from the road outside of either number 46 or number 47 High Street, two of the old Exeter buildings that were not destroyed in 1942 and shows a view of the street looking towards its junction with North Street. The costumes being worn by the women and child standing by Shapley's shop would seem to indicate that it was taken in the summertime.

To set the photograph within the present street scene, the site occupied by Richard Shapley's confectionery shop at 48 High Street is now occupied by Waterstones' bookshop. On the other side of the road, the shop of J.H. Newman and the adjoining buildings have been replaced by Marks and Spencer and Ernest Jones.

The building just visible in the centre of the picture, with a turret on its roof, sits on the corner of North Street and Fore Street. For most of the 20th century this shop was occupied by Cornish and Company and is still often referred to as Cornish's, but at the time this photograph was taken the premises, No. 185 Fore Street, was occupied by A. Wheaton & Co., booksellers, and stationers.

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