Portsmouth’s teeming thoroughfare is the city’s main shopping precinct and is now home to many of the UK’s biggest retail brands.
While the retail sector is unrecognisable from decades ago, Commercial Road has always been the hustle and bustle of the city centre in Portsmouth – as shown by these rare photos below.
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We’ve had a look back through the archives to find some of our favourite photos from 1906 to the 1960s.
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![Out-muster from the dockyard, 1939Dockyard men at out-muster for a dinnertime break turn from Edinburgh Road into Commercial Road. Store J Levy & Co and Barclays Bank behind.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRmMjMyNzc1LWVlZGYtNGQyNy1hZTdlLTFhMzE5YzFkZDc4MDozNTRlOTcwMy1lNzZmLTRiZDItOTAxMC0wNTlkMGIyZDQ1OTQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
41. Commercial Road
Out-muster from the dockyard, 1939Dockyard men at out-muster for a dinnertime break turn from Edinburgh Road into Commercial Road. Store J Levy & Co and Barclays Bank behind.Photo: The News archive
![Northern end of Commercial Road circa 1970. How the city once looked before the motorways took over.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjEyYThiNjNlLThiZTgtNDliMy1iZGRmLTVlYWUwZTllZTk3YzphNmExNzY0ZS1mYmMzLTRlM2MtYjFmOS00MzIzN2E1MGQ3ZGY=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
42. Commercial Road
Northern end of Commercial Road circa 1970. How the city once looked before the motorways took over.Photo: The News archive
![The northern end of Commercial Road south of Lake Road about 1960/61. Marks & Spencer on the left and the Halford cycle and motor supplies store on the right](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjg1OGZlZTJjLThjNDEtNDJiNy04MzFiLWE2NTA3Yjg2NmFhNjo3MjQ2YWYzMi05Yjc1LTQzYzQtYjZkYS05MjI1Mjk4MGIxNDA=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
43. Commercial Road
The northern end of Commercial Road south of Lake Road about 1960/61. Marks & Spencer on the left and the Halford cycle and motor supplies store on the rightPhoto: The News archive
![The top end of Commercial Road in 1969, with Charlotte Street in the centre.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjczNzk0YTAxLTU2OWQtNGE5My04ZmQ2LTljN2IzYjE1Nzk5Yzo0YzY2OTYwMy1jMWM2LTQ5MzktYTkyYS1iYjhlYzdjNTM3OGE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
44. Commercial Road
The top end of Commercial Road in 1969, with Charlotte Street in the centre.Photo: The News archive