Brighton & Hove Museums
Bringing Edwardian society to life
Part of Brighton and Hove Museums, Preston Manor is a museum and exhibition space evoking upper-class life during the Edwardian period. A grade II listed building, this former manor house has been restored to its Edwardian heyday and furnished with period pieces and collections from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
After a 5-year period of closure, Preston Manor reopened its doors in April 2025, once again allowing visitors to explore the world of previous owners Ellen and Charles Stanford and uncover the stories of both the family and staff.
THE CHALLENGE
To entice visitors back to Preston Manor with a refreshed identity. Drawing inspiration from the ‘upstairs-downstairs’ life we often see depicted on screen, whilst also trying to appeal to an international audience. To present a modern twist on the archival imagery available.
OUR SOLUTION
Using a combination of portraits and images of artefacts separated by a split, we were able to demonstrate the divided ‘upstairs-downstairs’ world of the manor. This juxtaposed imagery was able to visually highlight the different lives and experiences of Preston Manor’s inhabitants. We brought a new vibrancy to the museum identity through our use of colour, favouring shades evocative of the era that complimented the photography used. The split divide also gave us room to play with our digital assets, allowing for gradual image reveals online - helping us to bring to life the figures of the past.
