Through the Lens at Butlin's

Thanks to the post-war holiday explosion, the 1950s and 60s were the boom time for Butlin’s holiday camps. In fact, in 1963 the Company welcomed over one million guests. After the dreariness of wartime, Butlin’s provided a place where everything was colourful and fun-filled. The whole family could be occupied in different ways at the same time with the provision of numerous contests and events, alongside resort novelties such as dry ski slopes, monorails, and fairgrounds. 

The whole camp philosophy encouraged holidaymakers to join in and make friends. Indeed, promoting shared experiences and fostering feelings of emotional involvement were key to the Butlin’s ethos. Even out of season, the camp spirit remained. Friends made among the chalets met again at winter reunions to recall their memories of sunny summer days spent at Butlin’s and what better way to immortalise and share those memories than with a photograph.

The Butlin's Photographic Services Department had approximately 20 seasonal staff. This included an official press photographer who was recognisable by their blue blazer. They attended every weekly main event of the entertainment programme, taking pictures of groups, activities, and competitions. These images would then be displayed daily in the windows of the resorts’ Photo Corners and, attributed with a unique number, copies could be bought by the featured holidaymakers and kept as mementoes of their stay. Sadly, all the negative versions of these images were disposed of at the end of each season. 

However, at the History of Advertising Trust, home to the Butlin’s Heritage Collection, a project to catalogue and digitise over 13,000 re-discovered negatives has recently been completed. This surviving archive was found in the roof space of a theatre building, where the Photographic Shop was originally located, at the Bognor Regis resort. The black and white images can be dated to the 1960s and offer a charming window onto camp life at this time.  
 
Bonny babies on their parent’s knee awaiting judging, the fashion-forward stood in line hoping to take the Miss She crown, grandmothers appearing in all their glamour, and gentlemen with an aura of the debonair, all are preserved within these carefully repackaged negatives. The sporting side of Butlin’s holidays is present too, with unsteady roller-skaters, budding table tennis stars, and intrepid entrants into the pram race. There is a wealth of charm, cheer, and community in this collection and when it comes to the fancy dress competitions, the captured magic truly shines out. For a great number of Butlin’s guests this was the event of the holiday and real enthusiasts spent weeks planning costumes in advance. From the omnipresent pea pod, to the of-the-moment Dalek, to the inspired Vanishing Man, and the unusual postage stamp, inventiveness exudes and home-made was the order of the day.   

This collection of negatives is a significantly valuable asset to the archive and provides a fascinating, nostalgic, and delightful insight into the 1960s Butlin’s experience that can now be shared and used for research and reminiscence alike.

« All News Articles