Children step Into Lewes history with Reeves Archive Lightbox Trail

Hundreds of young people and their families took to the streets of Lewes this autumn to explore the town's rich history as part of the inaugural Edward Reeves Archive Lightbox Children's Trail.

Running alongside Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate: Working Lewes, the outdoor exhibition invited children aged 6-14 to become history detectives, following a trail of clues hidden within historic photographs displayed in lightboxes across Lewes town centre.

The exhibition, created by the Edward Reeves Archive Project in association with the London College of Communication at UAL and Edward Reeves Photography, showcased remarkable images of local people at work over a period of 100 years. Featuring everyone from milliners and taxidermists to jockeys, projectionists and factory workers, the photographs offered a fascinating glimpse into the town's past and the everyday lives of its residents.

For the first time, a dedicated children's trail was introduced, encouraging young visitors to look closely at the photographs and learn more about Lewes while exploring the town. The initiative proved hugely popular, with almost 1,000 quiz leaflets picked up from locations around Lewes.

The trail culminated in a prize-giving ceremony held in the Mayor's Parlour at Lewes Town Hall on Monday 19 October, where winners and their families gathered to celebrate their achievements.

Rose, who took second prize in the 8-10 age category she said "It was a fun way to learn more about Lewes"

Seth, who won first prize in the 10-14 category, enjoyed the challenge of searching the historic images for clues. "What I liked so much was that you really had to look closely at the photographs where the clues were buried," he said.

His mother, Abi, praised the trail's accessibility and educational value. "As a home-schooling family we were delighted to be offered this wonderful opportunity to walk around and look closely at the lightboxes. We spent a whole morning doing it. It was a free and very accessible activity. Please do this more often!"

The idea for the trail came from Lewes Scout Master Will Perry, who saw it as a way to help young people connect with the place where they live. "Activities like this are very much in keeping with the ethos of Scouting," he explained. "They help children understand that they are part of a wider community and encourage them to engage with the history and character of Lewes."

Mayor of Lewes, Councillor Adrian Ross, hosted the prize-giving ceremony. He said the trail reflected two of the key themes of his mayoral year: supporting the High Street and creating opportunities for children and young people.

"It has been wonderful to see so many children following the trail and clearly enjoying the experience," he said. "Bringing families into the town centre while helping young people learn about Lewes's history is exactly the kind of community activity I am keen to support."

Tania Osband, who runs Edward Reeves Photography with Tom Reeves, said one of the most enjoyable aspects of this project was discovering that adults had been taking part too. "We heard that lots of adults had completed the trail and really enjoyed it” she said. "We're now looking forward to welcoming the winners to the studio for their portrait sessions. Those photographs will become part of the ever-growing Reeves Archive, helping to preserve today's stories for future generations."

Following the success of its first children's trail, organisers hope the initiative will inspire even more young people to discover the stories hidden within Lewes's historic streets and photographs in future years.