Welcome to the website page exploring the history of Lurgashall Parish
The Archive room at the Village Hall is next open to visitors on Wed 15th and Wed 29th APRIL, 2.30pm – 4.00pm.
Contact: archive@lurgashallvillagehall.org
George Garland (1900-1978)
Photographer of iconic Lurgashall scenes
George Garland was one of the county’s best-known photographers. His archive of nearly 70,000 photographic negatives is housed at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester. Over the last three decades, many of his photographs of his home town, Petworth, and the surrounding area have been published in a beautiful series of books edited by the late Peter Jerrome and designed by Jonathan Newdick.
Garland developed a special skill at capturing Sussex rural life and characters of the 1920s to the 1940s and beyond. This iconic scene of Lurgashall Green in 1940 is one of his most evocative, with the men in caps sitting under the spreading chestnut tree watching a game of cricket… [Garland N19552]
Garland did not set out to become a photographer and fell into the profession by accident. In the 1920s, he tried his hand at freelance journalism and found that his pieces sold better if they were accompanied by a photograph.
Garland’s collection is best known for the numerous rural and agricultural scenes which he captured, including traditional country crafts such as besom broom making and cider pressing as well as country fetes and fairs.
Dick Bicknell and Jesse Dalman with their cider press at Hillgrove, 1933
Lurgashall Fete/School Sports Day, July 1940 [Garland N19551]