In the summer of 1906, a heatwave swept across the British Isles, drawing thousands of people to the coast. Two popular destinations at the time were Brighton and Folkestone, where beachgoers escaped the sweltering temperatures. Among them was Edward Linley Sambourne, a well-known cartoonist for Punch magazine and an early member of The Camera Club. Sambourne was also an avid photographer, and he brought his camera along to document the scenes he witnessed. His photographs offer a rare glimpse into Edwardian beach fashion and the seaside culture of the early 20th century.
At the time, the beach was not just a place to swim, but also a social scene. The photographs Sambourne took in Brighton and Folkestone show people dressed in a variety of beach attire. Edwardian fashion for men and women was still quite formal by today’s standards, even at the beach. Men wore full suits or shirts with high collars, often paired with hats. Women, on the other hand, wore long dresses, skirts, and blouses, along with wide-brimmed hats to protect themselves from the sun. These outfits were typically made from lighter fabrics like cotton or linen, but they were still far more modest compared to what we see today.
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Swimwear was also very different. In the early 1900s, people were just beginning to embrace the idea of swimming for leisure, and beachwear reflected this shift. Women wore full-length bathing dresses, often made of wool, which covered their bodies from neck to knee. These swimsuits were designed to maintain modesty, with some even including weights in the hem to prevent the fabric from floating up in the water. Men’s swimwear was slightly less restrictive, consisting of sleeveless woolen suits that covered the torso and extended to the knees.
Sambourne’s photographs capture a moment in time when the beach was becoming more accessible to the wider public. The development of railways made it easier for people to travel to coastal towns like Brighton, Folkestone, and Weymouth, another location Sambourne photographed earlier in July of that year. These towns became bustling tourist hubs during the warmer months, with crowds of people coming to enjoy the fresh sea air and the relief it offered from the urban heat.
In the images, you can see a mix of activities taking place on the shore. Families with children are playing in the sand, while others sit in deckchairs, reading or chatting with friends. Beach huts and bathing machines, which were small wooden structures on wheels, can be seen in the background. These were used by women to change into their bathing suits and maintain their privacy as they entered the water. Bathing machines were an essential part of beach culture at the time, especially because modesty was so strictly observed.
The crowded beaches during the heatwave of 1906 show how popular the seaside had become by the Edwardian era. People from all classes flocked to the coast, although it’s important to note that beach fashion still reflected social status. Wealthier visitors often wore more elaborate outfits, while working-class beachgoers tended to wear simpler garments. Nevertheless, the beach was one of the few places where people of various backgrounds could mix more freely. The photos reveal the diversity of beachgoers, from well-dressed families to groups of young men and women enjoying a day off.
