England's Seaside Heritage from the Air
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Liverpool University Press
Published:1st May '21
Should be back in stock very soon
As an island nation, Britain is quick to celebrate its maritime history and heritage, but for most of us our relationship with the sea is through the seaside resort. We share more or less fond memories of building sand castles, splashing around in the sea and eating fish and chips, sometimes with a light sprinkle of sand as an accompaniment. However, the vast majority of holidaymakers will never have seen a seaside resort from the air, unless they have gone up in the balloon in the centre of Bournemouth or indulged in a pleasure flight over a resort such as Weston-super-Mare.
This collection of aerial photographs, produced by Aerofilms Ltd mostly between 1920 and 1953, tells the story of England’s seaside resorts as holiday destinations, but also as working towns, blessed with the sea as their backdrop. It also illustrates the type of entertainments available for holidaymakers and highlights how the seaside holiday at some resorts became big business with industrial-scale facilities and infrastructure.
'[England's Seaside Heritage from the Air] will appeal to students of urban form and lovers of grand Edwardian hotels and [their] superb piers... as well as to collectors of illustrated books on architecture and fans of aerial photography... It provides valuable evidence about sites and structures.'
Graham Tite, Context
‘Brodie has a briskly jovial turn of phrase, and his introduction explains how seaside resorts grew out of an 18th-century fashion for curative bathing, with their appeal and accessibility greatly amplified first by the coming of the railways and later by the passing of the 1938 Holidays with Pay Act. […] This book is an absorbing way to be beside the seaside.’
Carly Hilts, Current Archaeology
'Seaside history is normally viewed at ground or water level, but Allan Brodie’s excellent historical commentary on his selection of Aerofilm coastal images taken from early to mid C20 demonstrates what we have already missed. Coastal developments are never static and today, more than ever, is a chance to keep them in the forefront of our minds for the good of the country.'
Tim Phillips, architect and vice-chair National Piers Society
ISBN: 9781800859647
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
312 pages