As we now approach the end of July, with Jersey in the midst of a particularly warm summer which has consistently brought long sunny days, it is safe to say that the summer of 2026 is one that we will look back on for many years to come. The warm weather has played a key part in that, providing many of us with the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and enjoy Jersey at its absolute best.
With this in mind, we thought it very appropriate to take a look back through our photo archive, specifically around the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examining how islanders chose to spend their leisure time, a choice described within the Darlington Guidebook to Jersey of 1897 as “a point that often requires serious settling”¹. Our collection of such images is vast, featuring islanders embracing Jersey summertime, be that attending enthralling sporting events, important ceremonial events, or simply relaxing along many of Jersey’s wonderful beaches. The following images are just a few of these many examples.
SJPA/005192: Row of eleven tented beach huts with three girls and two boys. c.1890-1900
This photograph, dated approximately to the late 1800s, depicts a row of beach huts on Green Island beach with several children nearby. Beach huts, which originated from bathing machines began as small portable structures which sat on beaches, essentially serving as on-site areas for people to change into their swimsuits in privacy. Nowadays beach huts continue to exist, albeit as privately owned permanent structures – mostly wooden. Whilst unusual from a modern perspective, these temporary beach hut structures are a perfect example of clever Victorian-era innovation, perfectly suited to the needs of islanders enjoying sea swimming along Jersey’s south coast, an activity singled out within the Darlington 1897 guide as being “much indulged in”².
SJPA/034848: Informal group portrait of the Le Seelleur family seated relaxing outside a beach hut at Gorey. 1918
Following on from the last image, this photograph shows the evolution of beach huts from portable changing rooms into the permanent wooden huts we commonly see today across Jersey beaches. Taken in 1918, this photograph shows members of the Le Seelleur family seated outside a beach hut at Gorey. The family are essentially using the hut as both a comfortable base from which to spend their day, whilst also providing them with a degree of privacy, allowing them to relax in comfort. This blend of convenience, comfort and privacy, whilst enjoying oneself within a location described in Darlington’s 1897 guide as “naturally the first place visited outside the town”³, makes for a photograph that perfectly showcases what an idyllic summer’s day in Jersey would have looked like during this era.
Edgar Andrews, ice cream vendor, standing next to cart on beach near slipway at Havre des Pas, St Helier. c.1920-30
No summer’s day in Jersey, especially one spent on the beach, is complete without a refreshing Jersey ice cream. This photograph shows ice cream seller Edgar Andrews standing beside his cart on the Havre des Pas slipway. Whilst nowadays we expect to see ice cream sold from vans situated across the car parks of countless beaches, there is something really wonderful about seeing a photograph of a traditional-style ice cream cart situated on the slipway.
SJPA/009103: Large crowd on People’s Park, St Helier, for celebration of Coronation of Edward VII. 9th August 1902
During summertime in Jersey, a large crowd of people gathering in the same place, whether for a weekend food festival, a packed-out musical concert, or a large-scale annual event such as the Havre des Pas Festival, has always been a common sight. This photograph by N. V. L. Rybot of a large crowd gathered at People’s Park for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902 is a wonderful example of such a gathering nearly 125 years ago. Photographed from a detached perspective, the image documents several hundred immaculately dressed individuals gathered within this space. Through the way it has been framed, the image conveys the atmosphere and intensity of this important summertime event in 1902 perfectly.
SJPA/014525: Horse race: view of crowds and jockey on horse ‘Jersey Swell’ winning Her Majesty’s Cup at Gorey. 24th August 1901
Since the establishment of the Jersey Race Club in 1832, horse racing has consistently served as a popular and highly anticipated part of Jersey’s summer sporting calendar. Between 1843 and 1906, official Jersey Race Club events took place along Gorey Common, on the site which is now the Royal Jersey Golf Course. This photograph documents the moment ‘Jersey Swell’ is about to cross the finish line to win the prestigious Her Majesty’s Cup in late August 1901, cheered on by an excited Gorey crowd. Gritty, raw and authentic, it is a brilliant example of Jersey summer sport at its pinnacle – perfectly captures the chaos, excitement and energy of such a high-stakes moment at the conclusion of the horse racing season.
Looking back through these photographs, it is striking just how familiar many of these scenes still feel today. Whilst fashions, traditions and even parts of the landscape may have changed, the appeal of a Jersey summer remains much the same. Whether gathering for public celebrations, enjoying sporting events, spending time on the beach, or simply enjoying an ice cream by the sea, these images capture experiences that continue to resonate more than a century later. Preserved within the SJPA collections, they remind us that many of the Island’s most cherished summer traditions have deep roots within Jersey’s history.
The photographs featured here represent only a small selection of the many thousands of images preserved within the SJPA collections. For those interested in exploring further, our online catalogue contains many more photographs offering additional glimpses into Jersey’s past – Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive | Jersey Heritage
The SJPA would like to thank the Société Jersiaise Library for recommending and providing access to Darlington’s Illustrated Guide to Jersey -1897, from which the quotations featured in this article are drawn.
Max Le Feuvre
Assistant Archivist, SJPA
References
¹Darlington, R, Darlington’s Handbook: Jersey (London: Darlington & Co., 1897), p.132, held at the Société Jersiaise Library (G-910-1897)
²Darlington, R, Darlington’s Handbook: Jersey (London: Darlington & Co., 1897), p. 135, held at the Société Jersiaise Library (G-910-1897)
³Darlington, R, Darlington’s Handbook: Jersey (London: Darlington & Co., 1897), p.134, held at the Société Jersiaise Library (G-910-1897)
Further Reading
Anglotopia, Great British Icons: The Beach Hut: How a Simple Shelter Shaped a Nation’s Seaside Culture.
England Naturally, Bathing Machines to Luxury Sheds: The History of Beach Huts.
