Abstract

Surprisingly, the common notion of taking a seaside vacation has only existed since the eighteenth century, with a growing acceptance of the idea that fresh air and sea water are good for one’s health. Since then, seaside resorts for all budgets have sprung up around the world. In Designing the Seaside, Fred Gray offers a richly illustrated history of seaside architecture and culture, from the smallest beach hut to the grandest hotels. Through over 400 illustrations that include historic photographs, pamphlets, guidebooks, postcards, and posters, Gray explores the changing attitudes toward shoreline vacations.

“Designing the Seaside manages to be both scholarly and colorful and offers a timely history of seaside art and architecture, from Brighton Pier and beach huts in Nice to a derelict resort complex in the Baltic, to the bizarre Palm islands of Dubai.”—London Evening Standard

“Filled with photographs, architectural drawings, guidebooks, postcards and posters, this book explores changing attitudes to holidays and their settings. . . . There is an exploration of how the seaside became a hotbed for issues of morality, where people took their sauce on a postcard as often as with their fish and chips.”—Daily Telegraph

“Gray’s illuminating study of the history of seaside architecture shows what a profound influence many of the innovations born on British coasts have had on Western holiday ideals.”—Metro London

"Filled with photographs, architectural drawings, guidebooks, postcards and posters, this book explores changing attitudes to holidays and their settings. Taste, fashion and class make an appearance and there is an exploration of how the seaside became a hotbed for issue of morality, where people took their sauce on a postcard as often as with their fish and chips."

"Fred Gray's illuminating study of the history of seaside architecture shows what a profound influence many of the innovations born on British coasts have had on Western holiday ideals . . . his account is enlivened by the wealth of pictorial evidence he has gathered. The fascinating photos of past and present resorts . . . show changing attitudes to holidaymaking and reveal the class and gender splits at work (or play) through the ages."

"Designing the Seaside manages to be both scholarly and colourful and offers a timely history of seaside art and architecture, from Brighton Pier and beach huts in Nice to a derelict resort complex in the Baltic, to the bizarre Palm islands of Dubai."--London Evening Standard

Fred Gray is professor of continuing education at the University of Sussex.