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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![The war is over-lets go shoppingLooking north along Commercial Road from Arundel Street junction around 1946.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjQ2YjkyNmRjLTM4ZjItNDc2Mi1hNDU0LTVmYTg2MzRiZTgzNjo1YmEwODY0YS05ZTYwLTQwMTctODFhMC0yNDA1ZjUyODVlMjM=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
45. Commercial Road
The war is over-lets go shoppingLooking north along Commercial Road from Arundel Street junction around 1946.Photo: The News archive
![Commercial Road/Edinburgh Road junctionA mid-1960's photograph with police officers controlling traffic here and in the distance.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmJiZDEwNTk4LWVhNzctNDhlNy04NGUzLWI0NTNjMWNiM2M0ZTowZjhhZTFhYi1iM2Q3LTRkMmQtYjYyNy0zMzdmN2MyZTlhYjc=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
46. Commercial Road
Commercial Road/Edinburgh Road junctionA mid-1960's photograph with police officers controlling traffic here and in the distance.Photo: The News archive
![The junction of Commercial Road and Craswell Street sometime after the mid 1960's and early 1970's. Hardy's furniture store can be seen behind.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjY5NjI3OWJmLTk3OTgtNGE4Mi04YzA4LTRjMGMzNDJmNWE5YTo5ZjM4OWUwZC02MWJlLTRmZDYtOThmMy00NTZlYjIyZDU5ZWU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
47. Commercial Road
The junction of Commercial Road and Craswell Street sometime after the mid 1960's and early 1970's. Hardy's furniture store can be seen behind.Photo: The News Archive
![Classic cinema in Commercial Road, opposite Arundel Street junction and the lowering a 10-inch main pipe by Portsmouth Water Company in the foreground.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjA4Njk5ZWRjLTYyNGMtNDcyYi1iMDRlLWFmZDcyNDNkMGE1ZToyMmU0NzIwYS1mNjI2LTRjMWMtOGFlNi0yMGMyMDM5Y2FkNzI=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
48. Commercial Road
Classic cinema in Commercial Road, opposite Arundel Street junction and the lowering a 10-inch main pipe by Portsmouth Water Company in the foreground.Photo: The News archive