Martin Parr has photographed Britain’s beaches for more than 50 years. During that time, he has developed a knack for cataloguing the nuances and peculiarities of life by the sea, from children eating ice cream to couples basking in the sun. For Parr, the draw of the seaside is the diversity of material to photograph. ‘Every nation’s different attitude is represented,’ he once said. ‘You can see all the traits exemplified on the beach.’ Taken in Herne Bay in Kent in 1963, this black-and-white photograph brilliantly captures the fun-loving hedonism of the Swinging Sixties. Clad in nothing but a slinky white bikini, the woman lights a cigarette. Is she perturbed by her fully clothed onlookers? Absolutely not.

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