(images courtesy of jonnicholson.co.uk)

Anyone who grew up holidaying on England’s beaches is familiar with the distinctive features of these historic resorts – not the exclusive, paradisiacal haunts of the rich and famous, but the gritty, often rocky shores of the Atlantic and the Irish and North Seas, filled with amusement arcades, bathing huts, beach umbrellas and people of all ages and classes. Jon Nicholson‘s Polaroid SX70 is the perfect vehicle to capture the colour and character of summers at the sea. At once immediate and ephemeral, these delicately hued, slightly muted images taken with original, out-of-date film stock depict the faded glory of Yarmouth’s giant piers, Brighton’s pebbly shores, the Blackpool Pleasure Beach amusement park, the dunes of Hemsby, and many other resorts across Britain. Each of the 70 photographs is beautifully reproduced on its own page with descriptive captions.

Seaside Polaroids by Jon Nicholson is published by Prestel. £19.99.