Brighton's seafront in the late eighteenth century

 Brighthelmstone-Fishermen Returning. De Loutherbourg engraved by Hill. 1790s  Note the cliff, easily eroded and not shored up until the late 1810s and early 1820s. There is a capstan in the right lower corner of the picture for winching vessels partly or wholly onto the beach according to their size to unload goods. From c1500-1670s the town made its living from selling fish caught in the North Sea to merchants at Yarmouth. From the 1670s, fishing in the Channel became increasingly important and from later 1700s a popular theme for artists. Note the bathing lady and, a shrimper in the sea.Tucked behind the boats, there are bathing machines.