The Picture Rooms

Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former house, built c.1820, having shopfront to front (north) elevation. Now in use as photography studio. Hipped slate roof, set perpendicular to street, hidden behind parapet with masonry coping and moulded masonry cornice to front, having yellow brick chimneystack. Smooth rendered eaves course over brick walls, laid in Flemish bond, having channelled render quoins to upper floors. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills, raised render reveals and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Recent infill brickwork to upper portion of third floor window openings, with replacement windows. Moulded masonry shopfront having pilasters with moulded foliate capitals, segmental-headed window and door openings with moulded masonry to arches having moulded foliate keystones, and timber framed fixed pane window. Door opening to west with timber panelled door and overlight, that to centre bay having recent glazed door, sidelight and overlight. Recent steel basement hatch to footpath to front. Situated to west end of Wellington Quay.

This building retains much of its historic form and fabric, while the later masonry details and a well-composed shopfront add decorative interest to the facade. It shares proportions and characteristics with its neighbours, adding coherence to the quayside. The render shopfront embellishments became fashionable in the late nineteenth century, and display skilled design and artisanship. Thom's Directory of 1862 describes it as being in use, along with the house to the west (50020037) with which it shares a common cornice, as a lamp oil, china and glass merchants. The cellar hatch inset to the pavement betrays the existence of an historic basement. Wellington Quay was constructed in the early nineteenth century as an eastward extension of the original Custom House Quay.