Martin Parr : The Last Resort

24 Sep-31 Oct 2026

PV 24 Sep 2026, 6-8pm

Overview

Photographed in New Brighton, Merseyside, between 1983 and 1985, The Last Resort remains one of the defining bodies of work in contemporary photography. Parr's first venture into colour photography marked a decisive shift in British documentary practice through its use of saturated colour and direct flash. 

Produced during the height of the Thatcher era, the photographs depict visitors to a declining seaside resort with the wit and discomfort that would come to define Parr's photographic legacy. 

The exhibition marks forty years since the publication of the original self-published photobook and the landmark presentation of The Last Resort at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1986. Bringing together C-type photographs printed from the original negatives, the exhibition presents the series in its original photographic form for the first time in decades. It will also include a selection of contemporaneous vintage photographic prints produced by Parr. These photographs will be exhibited alongside original archival material drawn from Parr’s personal archive, providing further insight into the conception, production and the turbulent reception of the series. 

Widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of colour photography, The Last Resort established Martin Parr as one of the foremost chroniclers of British life and remains a prestigious achievement in documentary photography. Four decades later, The Last Resort continues to shape and influence photography through its incredibly frank representation of ‘80s Britain. 

The Last Resort will go on to be exhibited, in part, at this year’s Paris Photo.

Private Preview
Thursday, 24 September, 6–8pm

Exhibition
Thursday, 24 September – Saturday, 31 October

Opening Hours
Thursday–Saturday, 2–6pm

Paris Photo 2026

Wednesday 12 November - Sunday 15 November

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