Strawbery Banke Presents
HISTORIC PORTSMOUTH #88

With energy costs rising coal is making a comeback, In Portsmouth in 1900 it was the fuel of choice. This rare photo offers a murky look inside the office of Gray & Prime. The half-hull ship models on the wall show the firm’s connection to the sea. Originally EF Sise & Co, importers of crockery and glass, the company began importing "sea coal" in 1831. The picture also shows a letterpress, two gas-lit rolltop desks and coal samples.