The Great British Seaside

No-one in Britain lives more than 70 miles from the sea, and the seaside holds a special place in British collective memory and identity. Using images from the Museum’s historic photographs collection, this exhibition examines the many faces of the British seaside, from fishing villages to purpose-built holiday towns.

Sea bathing became fashionable in the 18th century, and ‘seaside resorts’ first emerged as places where it was practised by the wealthy and genteel. It was the development of railways, in the 19th century, that opened the seaside to the masses. 

The images in this exhibition are arranged geographically and focus on the English and Welsh seaside. Most were produced by Frances Frith (1822-98), a pioneering early photographer, who founded his own company to take and sell photographic views. Frith and his photographers travelled around Britain, capturing many coastal scenes which were sold as picture postcards.