There is a specific kind of magic found in a 35mm slide. The colours have a saturated, organic warmth that modern digital sensors struggle to replicate—a soft glow on the brickwork and a depth to the shadows that makes the scene feel like a living memory. This particular slide captures one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in the South of England: Westgate, Chichester.
For those unfamiliar with this corner of West Sussex, Westgate is a masterclass in 18th-century urban design. Walking down this street today feels remarkably similar to the scene captured in your photograph, a testament to the city’s dedication to heritage conservation.
A Palette of Brick and Sky
The architecture in your image showcases the transition from medieval timber frames to the "modern" Georgian style of the 1700s. In Chichester, this usually meant high-quality red brick, often laid in a Flemish Bond pattern (alternating long and short sides of the bricks).
The standout feature of this specific view is the powder-blue house. While many Georgian terraces adhered to strict brick or white stucco, this splash of colour has become a beloved part of the Westgate vista. It breaks the uniformity of the street, drawing the eye toward the gentle curve of the road as it heads toward the towering spire of Chichester Cathedral, just out of frame to the east.
Architectural Details to Note
If you look closely at the buildings in your collection's slide, several classic Georgian features emerge:
Sash Windows: Note the symmetrical placement of the windows. These are "six-over-six" or "nine-over-nine" panes, designed to let maximum light into the high-ceilinged rooms within.
The Doorcases: The red brick house in the foreground features a grand white doorcase with a pediment and columns, signalling the wealth of the original merchant or professional who lived there.
The Rooftops: The steep, tiled roofs with dormer windows suggest that even the "attic" spaces were utilized, often for servants' quarters or additional storage.
The Story of Westgate
Westgate sits just outside the original Roman city walls. In the medieval period, it was a bustling suburb, but it saw a significant "re-fronting" in the 1700s. During this era, Chichester was a wealthy market town, and the local elite competed to have the most fashionable "modern" house.
Today, most of these buildings are Grade II listed, meaning they are protected by law to ensure that the view you captured on your 35mm slide remains unchanged for another hundred years.
Why 35mm Slides Still Captivate Us
There is something deeply nostalgic about the grain and light in this photo. Before the era of instant smartphone uploads, a slide was a deliberate act of preservation. You had to wait for the film to be developed, then set up a projector in a darkened room to see the world "at scale."
This image isn't just a record of a street; it’s a record of a moment in time where the light hit the blue paint just right, and the Chichester bricks glowed with an orange warmth that only film can truly capture.
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