A review by Jenny Welker: A day on the beach, for those of us who live here, is something we can do whenever we want.
Until James came to speak to us, I had always taken it for granted, but how wrong I was. James brought it to life with his three inspiring lectures. He took us through history and the development of the beach from a workplace to a place of leisure, family fun and enjoyment.
1789, the time of the French Revolution and King George III’s bathing machine at Weymouth. As a man, George was allowed to bathe in the nude, but for women using bathing machines in the 18th and 19th centuries, they still had to be dressed in heavy, modest and concealing outfits even when wet.
In 1884, Stanhope Forbes moved to Cornwall to capture the natural light ‘en plein air’ and scenes of daily work, such as ‘A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach’(1885). His work features fishermen, children and rural workers painted with a focus on capturing the exact tone and light of the scene. Along with Walter Langley, Stanhope helped establish the Newlyn school of painting, including Cornish artist Harold Harvey (1874-1941) with his ‘Unloading the Boats’ (1906). We learned about
Devon-born Alfred Wallis (1855-1942), a fisherman who taught himself to paint at 70, is known for his distinctive naive seascapes and coastal scenes.
Laura Knight, a British Impressionist, used bright, light-filled palettes and bold brushwork during her time in Cornwall. She broke through the gender nudity barrier in 1913 with ‘Spring in Cornwall’ and ‘Self Portrait with Nude’. Until that time, only men, including her husband, Harold Knight, had been allowed to paint nudes. Laura was instrumental in elevating the status of women in the arts.
In 1870, railway companies brought mass tourism to the British coast, transforming seaside towns by offering accessible, affordable day trips and beach holidays. Entertainment was provided: Bournemouth Pier (1877), Punch and Judy shows, Donkey Rides in Blackpool (1890), Brighton Pier (1899), and Roller Skating originating in Blackpool and Bristol (1870s).
Segregated bathing (1910) disappeared with the decline of bathing machines, the rise of leisure-focused beach holidays, and the introduction of swimwear, replacing pantaloons. Initially, swimwear was made of wool until 1886, when Australian Annette Kellermann introduced the one-piece bathing costume. She started her own fashion line, helped popularise synchronised swimming, and authored a swimming manual. Women’s swimming was to make its Olympic debut at the Stockholm Summer Games (1912).
1920s photos often showed families dressed up for the beach. It was also considered very healthy. The sun and sea air were very important for the treatment of TB, and Vitamin D for the treatment of Rickets.
Donald McGill (1875-1962) was an English graphic artist/cartoonist whose name has become synonymous with the genre of amusing seaside postcards. He started work as a naval draughtsman but began illustrating postcards when a relative encouraged him after seeing a get-well card he had made for a sick nephew. His saucy postcards featured an array of attractive young women, fat old ladies, drunken middle-aged men, honeymoon couples and vicars. He seems to have had no interest in benefiting financially from his success, and he just sold his drawings, retaining no rights. In 1941, George Orwell described them in an essay, ‘The Art of Donald McGill’, like the music halls, they are a sort of Saturnalia, a harmless rebellion against virtue.
In the 1930s, one saw the growth of nationalism, fitness, honed athletes and strong women, especially in Russia and Nazi Germany. ‘Work, build and don’t whine.’ Naturism, especially in France and Germany, was a growing trend, but the first nudist beach in the UK didn’t open until 1979 in Brighton.
Billy Butlin opened the first holiday camp in Skegness in 1936, pioneering affordable seaside breaks for British families with its innovative entertainment and Redcoat staff. Clacton followed in 1938.
That same year, the Holidays with Pay Act (1938) gave those workers whose minimum rates of wages were fixed by trade boards the right to one week’s holiday per year.
In 1939/40, our freedom to use our beaches disappeared, replaced by barricades and fortifications.
After our 2 morning lectures, we were ‘wined and dined’ and had the opportunity to catch up with friends and discuss our morning inspirations! Feeling relaxed and replete, we refocused on our intriguing afternoon lecture:' Sea Creatures, Mosaics, and Mythological Sea Monsters.'
Mythological sea-themed mosaics, known as tesserae, are masterpieces of Roman art preserved in the homes of Pompeii. Detailed floor and wall tiles depicting vivid marine life, mermaids/sirens and sea serpents
In 1885, Pre-Raphaelite artist Evelyn de Morgan painted ‘The Sea Maidens’, depicting five mermaids, often interpreted as the sisters from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, who famously sold their hair to the Sea Witch. Cold eyes and inexpressive faces suggest a lack of an immortal soul.
Eric William Ravilious (1903-1942) was a British artist who grew up in Sussex and took up lithography in 1930. He stayed at the Hope Inn, located near West Beach in Newhaven. The pub served as a base for creating detailed watercolours, including views of the harbour, dredgers and lighthouses. The pub's original building was replaced by a modernist, white structure by the 1930s. Key works were ‘Newhaven Harbour’ 1935 and ‘Channel Steamer Leaving Harbour’. He returned to Newhaven and the Hope Inn during the Second World War to paint warships and coastal defences. The Hope Inn remains a key site in the “Following Ravilious” art trail in Newhaven.
John Piper (1903-1992) also had deep ties with Sussex. His ‘Nursery Frieze’ (1936) is distinct for blending early 20th-century abstract cubist influences with stylised British coastal imagery. Long panoramic lithographs present surrealist, fragmented landscapes with sharp, geometric shapes, a bold colour palette and the absence of human figures. He used Collage-like techniques to organise simplified forms like boats, lighthouses and trains, a jumble of shapes on the shoreline.
John Piper was also one of the artists who designed Shell lorry posters in the 1930s-1950s. A campaign aimed to promote the joy of motoring and the British landscape: “Everywhere you go, you can be sure of Shell”. Paul Nash and Ben Nicholson were also involved with this campaign.
Ben Nicholson married sculptor Barbara Hepworth in 1938. He also knew Henry Moore. All three were recognised as modern British artists with an influence in an abstract direction. Picasso’s cubism would find its way into their work. They found stones and rocks to carve. Their favourites were Ragstones, smooth, rounded, flint-based pebbles found in coastal areas, where water has eroded a complete hole through the rock. Known as “witch stones”, they were believed to protect against the “evil eye”. Looking through the hole is said to reveal fairies, spirits or witches! The impact of these stones is evident in Henry Moore's ‘Recumbent Figure’ (1938).
Salvador Dali famously appeared at the International Surrealist Exhibition of 1936 in London in a diving suit to deliver a lecture, ever the showman and amazing liberating force. His antics were integral to his brand, helping him become one of the first artists to achieve global celebrity status. His “Lobster Telephone” was designed in 1936 for the British collector Edward James. Dali’s idea for the Lobster Telephone can be traced back to a drawing he made in New York in 1935 called “Man Finds a Lobster Instead of a Phone”.
‘The Three Symbols/ Flying Pillar’(1930) is considered one of Eileen Agar’s early key surrealist paintings that blend Expressionist, Cubist and Surrealist tendencies. She met fellow artist Paul Nash in Swanage in 1935, with whom she began a passionate affair and artistic partnership exploring the area’s flotsam and jetsam.
During this time, Paul Nash’s work shifted to finding “personage” in oddly shaped stones, trees and elements of the seaside, reflecting “Seaside Surrealism”. John Mowlem, a Swanage native, shipped Purbeck stone to London for major construction projects and filled his empty barges with discarded London Street fittings to use as ballast for the return trip. These items, such as bollards, iron posts and lamp posts, were placed around the Swanage seafront and town, creating a “surrealist” contrast that fascinated Nash during his stay from1934 to 1936. Many of these historic, repurposed items can still be seen along the Swanage seafront, providing a lasting connection to Paul Nash’s artistic inspiration.
James’ final slide was of Richard Eurich’s ‘Lepe Beach’ (1968), with people on the beach and a large tanker in the background. A lovely picture of a familiar scene…. A no-fuss picture that simply captures the moment so truly. The beach is where you can be yourself. The coast is our identity. It does not want anything from us, just pure enjoyment and interest.
The End