Bathing Machines Collection

Sidmouth, West of Esplanade, 1860 / 94. Creator: Francis Bedford
Sidmouth, West of Esplanade, 1860/94. Albumen print

Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight (hand-coloured photo)
908099 Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Travel views of Europe, between 1904 and 1938

Coup de vent devant Frascati, Le Havre, 1896. Creator: Eugene Louis Boudin
Coup de vent devant Frascati, Le Havre, 1896. Le Havre: A Gust of Wind at Frascati. Bathing machines

Tynemouth, Northumberland - the Harbour, from the Priory, 1850. Creator: Unknown
Tynemouth, Northumberland - the Harbour, from the Priory, 1850. View...from the Priory walls, [showing] the harbour, with [John Graham] Lough's colossal statue of Lord Collingwood in

Ostend, 1850. Creator: Unknown
Ostend, 1850. Ostend at the best is not remarkably lively; those tall massive houses with peaked gables, narrow windows diminishing in lugubrious perspective, for all their gaudy whitewash

Pensarn Beach, 1860 / 94. Creator: Francis Bedford
Pensarn Beach, 1860/94. Albumen print

Woolacombe Sands, 1860 / 94. Creator: Francis Bedford
Woolacombe Sands, 1860/94. Albumen print

Teignmouth (hand-coloured photo)
908094 Teignmouth (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Buying toys on the beach
LLM462035 Buying toys on the beach by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Buying toys on the beach)

Seaside scene (chromolitho)
2816997 Seaside scene (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Seaside scene. Educational card, late 19th or early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Juvenile Monstrosities, pub. 1835 (hand coloured engraving)
2491715 Juvenile Monstrosities, pub. 1835 (hand coloured engraving) by Cruikshank, George (1792-1878); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Punch cartoon: Low Tide on Scarborough Sands - Bathing under Difficulties (engraving)
6034862 Punch cartoon: Low Tide on Scarborough Sands - Bathing under Difficulties (engraving) by Du Maurier, George (1834-96) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon)

Aldeburgh Bathing Machines, 1938 (pencil & w / c on paper)
5614227 Aldeburgh Bathing Machines, 1938 (pencil & w/c on paper) by Ravilious, Eric (1903-42); 45 x 53.3 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; English, out of copyright

Long Sands, Tynemouth, c. 1890 - 1900 (chromolithograph)
2962419 Long Sands, Tynemouth, c.1890 - 1900 (chromolithograph) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Hastings, October 1857 (engraving)
2785813 Hastings, October 1857 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Hastings, October 1857)

Seaside Sketches (engraving)
1595569 Seaside Sketches (engraving) by Cox, Edward Morant (19th Century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Seaside Sketches. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 18 August 1888)

The Casino, Boulogne-sur-Mer, with the Switchback Railway, the Town, Quay, Floating Dock
1595537 The Casino, Boulogne-sur-Mer, with the Switchback Railway, the Town, Quay, Floating Dock, and Swimming Baths (engraving) by English School

Bathing Machines, Bognor Regis (colour photo)
3094729 Bathing Machines, Bognor Regis (colour photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Bathing Machines, Bognor Regis)

The Sands, Weston-Super-Mare (hand-coloured photo)
908095 The Sands, Weston-Super-Mare (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

East Parade, Bognor (hand-coloured photo)
908021 East Parade, Bognor (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Mermaids at Play: or, a Nice Little Water Party (coloured engraving)
3638360 Mermaids at Play: or, a Nice Little Water Party (coloured engraving) by Leech, John (1817-64) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Mermaids at Play: or)

The Beach at Weymouth, c. 1890 - 1900 (chromolithograph)
2962420 The Beach at Weymouth, c.1890 - 1900 (chromolithograph) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Priors Haven, Tynemouth, 1845 (oil on millboard)
CTS336324 Priors Haven, Tynemouth, 1845 (oil on millboard) by Carmichael, John Wilson (1800-68); 32x42.3 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

Punch cartoon: The Sirens of the Sea-Side - British coastal holiday resorts (engraving)
6034963 Punch cartoon: The Sirens of the Sea-Side - British coastal holiday resorts (engraving) by Sambourne, Edward Linley (1844-1910) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon)

Swanage (hand-coloured photo)
908092 Swanage (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

The Sands, Ramsgate (hand-coloured photo)
908085 The Sands, Ramsgate (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Broadstairs (hand-coloured photo)
908026 Broadstairs (hand-coloured photo) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Low Tide (recto of 1929. 6. 79B), ca. 1925-1929. Creator: John Noble
Low Tide (recto of 1929.6.79B), ca. 1925-1929

Bathing Time at Deauville, 1865. Creator: Eugene Louis Boudin
Bathing Time at Deauville, 1865

Beach Scene, 1862. Creator: Eugene Louis Boudin
Beach Scene, 1862

The Bathe at Newport (Harpers Weekly, Vol. II), September 4, 1858. Creator: Unknown
The Bathe at Newport (Harpers Weekly, Vol. II), September 4, 1858

Sea Bathing, from Poetical Sketches of Scarborough, 1813. 1813
Sea Bathing, from " Poetical Sketches of Scarborough", 1813

Widow Ducker & Her Nymphs, from Poetical Sketches of Scarborough, 1813
Widow Ducker & Her Nymphs, from " Poetical Sketches of Scarborough", 1813

Beach Showing Pier & Metropole, Brighton, late 19th-early 20th century. Creator: Unknown
Beach Showing Pier & Metropole, Brighton, late 19th-early 20th century. Holidaymakers at the seaside resort of Brighton in Sussex

Appley Beach and Cliffs, Shanklin, I. W. 1933. Creator: Unknown
Appley Beach and Cliffs, Shanklin, I.W. 1933. Holidaymakers at the seaside resort of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Bathing machines are visible on the right. Postcard

Juvenile Monstrosities, 1835
Juvenile Monstrosities, pub. 1835 (hand coloured engraving)

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Bathing Machines: A Nostalgic Journey to the Seaside" Step back in time and immerse yourself in the charming world of bathing machines. These unique contraptions, captured through hand-coloured photos and engravings, offer a glimpse into a bygone era of seaside leisure. Let's start our journey at Sandown Bay on the picturesque Isle of Wight. The vibrant hues bring to life the scene from 1860/94, where families frolic on Pensarn Beach. Creator Francis Bedford skillfully captures the joyous atmosphere as children eagerly splash in the waves. Moving along to Woolacombe Sands, another gem from Bedford's collection transports us to an idyllic beach day in 1860/94. Here, visitors seek respite from the sun inside these peculiar structures known as bathing machines. Their purpose? To provide privacy while changing into swimwear – a Victorian necessity. Sidmouth awaits with its West Esplanade view also brought to life by Bedford's lens around 1860/94. Bathing machines dotting the shoreline create an intriguing sight against Sidmouth's stunning backdrop. Teignmouth beckons next with its own hand-coloured photo capturing this quaint coastal town during simpler times. As we explore further, we stumble upon scenes of families buying toys on sandy shores—a reminder that even then, beachside entertainment was cherished. A vivid chromolithograph presents a lively seaside scene filled with laughter and merriment—an invitation for all ages to revel in nature's beauty while enjoying each other’s company. Delving deeper into history reveals "Juvenile Monstrosities, " a whimsical hand-coloured engraving published in 1835 that humorously portrays children dressed up as fantastical sea creatures—perhaps inspired by their imaginative adventures near bathing machines? Punch magazine adds wit and satire through their cartoon titled "Low Tide on Scarborough Sands - Bathing under Difficulties.