Hidden Book Treasure No.7: Seaside Photographers

This dapper chap walking with purpose along a seaside promenade fell from the pages of an old adventure novel. He looks rather like a Government Official in his very proper suit, waistcoat, bowler, raincoat and watchfob on a warm day. Is he carrying a folded newspaper or top secret documents? Quite possibly has a direct line to Whitehall too!
  
However, what I can tell you about this photo is that it was taken by Sunbeam Photo Ltd of  Margate...

At the height of their popularity Sunbeam Photo Ltd employed 300 people between the holiday months of June - September to take photo's of holiday makers as they enjoyed the beaches and promenades at Margate & Thanet. You could collect your photo the day after it was taken from the Sunbeam Kiosk on the bay. The photo below shows the Sunbeam headquarters at Margate; 82 Sweyn Road.


  If anyone has seen the 2011 remake of 'Brighton Rock' starring Helen Mirren and Sam Riley, you'll be aware of the importance of the promenade photographer who takes an incriminating photograph of the villain and an innocent female bystander, thus putting her life in danger! How serendipitous it was that I should find this photo a few days after watching the film!

Brighton Rock film trailer:


Comments

Holy Cow, I was going to comment 'its funny how everyone seems to walk the same on the prom' when I saw it was Sunbeam Photographers in Margate. I used to work for them in the summer holidays. We lived above the shop ( a pub) just two doors down from the second pic.
Thanks so much, this blog bought a hundred memories back.
Oh got it wrong, we did not live on Sweyn Road, but on the front. Sunbeam had about 10 kiosks on various beaches.
Murgatroyd said…
How fabulous FF!I'm delighted that there is a personal link for you in this post. Did you work in the kiosk or were you out there taking photo's?
in the kiosk, Sunbeam only employed men to take photos, presumably because the cameras were huge and heavy
Murgatroyd said…
Ha, ha! Oh well at least if you were in the kiosk you couldn't take any incriminating photo's of Margate gangsters (a la 'Brighton Rock') and get yourself into trouble!