A century of youth culture has been revealed in a set of never-before-seen pictures, from keep-fit classes for schoolchildren in 1910 to pre-Millennium raves on the pier.
The nostalgic shots show teenage tribes relaxing, dancing and posing in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, which in its glory days was a bastion of the music scene.
In the 1950s, it was one of the first places people could hear imported records, while in the 60s groups like The Kinks played in the town hall and later on the iconic pier nightclub Oscars attracted acts from across the world.
One photo shows a 1990s acid house raver lost in the music while surrounded by ponytailed and buzz-cut dancers. The picture was captured at one of the infamous parties held in the seaside town, where top acts like The Prodigy cut their teeth.
Leather jacket-clad rockers from 1969 can be seen in another photo which shows 14 likely lads showing off behind their vintage vehicles.
A tamer still from the 1920s shows a group of women lounging by the beach with the iconic pier in the background. The demurely-dressed teenagers are fully clothed in the sepia-tinged shot which is a stark contrast to other pictures taken in the coming decades.
The exhibition entitled Grown Up In Clacton: 100 Years Of Youth Culture has been organised by the Museum of Youth Culture and is open to the public until March 5, 2020.
More than 400 images dating from the 1910s to the modern period were donated by locals over four months.
Keep-fit classes at Riggs Retreat in Clacton-on-Sea in 1910. A series of nostalgic images has captured youth culture in the Essex town across the twentieth century. It shows how Clacton became a lively bastion of the music scene and attracted famous acts including The Kinks
This photo from the 1920s shows a group of women lounging by the beach with the iconic pier in the background. The demurely-dressed teenagers are fully clothed in the sepia-tinged shot which is a stark contrast to other pictures taken in the coming decades
Another group of women in the beach in 1935, before the town was overtaken by rockers, ravers and hippies who helped developed a lively clubbing and music scene. The images are from an exhibition entitled Grown Up In Clacton: 100 Years Of Youth Culture has been organised by the Museum of Youth Culture and is open to the public until March 5, 2020
In the 1950s, when this snap of teenagers on the beach was taken, Clacton was one of the first places people could hear imported records, while in the 60s groups like The Kinks played in the town hall and later on the iconic pier nightclub Oscars attracted acts from across the world
Local Roger Fennell working his Saturday job at the coffee shop in 1959. Museum researcher Georgina Ward said: ‘We have been working with people of all ages to get their memories with the oldest being in their late 90s. People had really memorable young lives growing up in Clacton and the surrounding district’
Members of the 59 Club ride-out to the seaside in 1968 after posing for this photo in their classic helmets and leather jackets. Researcher Ms Ward added: ‘They had the excitement of the amusements and bright lights of the pier, but also had the wide open fields and the coast. The real take home story for us was that young people of all ages enjoyed it’
Sisters Margaret and Sue prepare for a night out in the 1960s. The Swinging Sixties were an iconic decade for Britain, when groups like The Beatles began to really take off and conquer America, and cultural changes brought in a more liberated, permissive society
Local woman Lucy Croxford is seen hanging around in the garden with her family in Jaywick in the 1960s. The gallery, which is made up of pictures contributed by people from Clacton and those visiting for a holiday, ranges from lively shots of rockers to much more domestic scenes like this one
A group of children have fun playing in their home-built fort in Jaywick in the 1970s. Jaywick was recently identified as one of the most deprived areas of England, with many people living in pre-fabricated housing built after the Second World War that was not meant to provide permanent accommodation
Margaret Fairclough working in the local Suswins factory making leather jackets in the 1960s. The Essex town is still home to a major manufacturer of hinges, fittings and window hardware but is overwhelmingly dominated by service industries like tourism
A group of hippies hanging out at Weeley Festival, 1971. The festival took place in August 1971, with organisers planning to attract around 5,000 people before the attendance ballooned to between 110,000 and 150,000. The event saw a fight between members of the Hells Angels and festival staff
Julia, a young local woman, in a home-made dress in 1977, when she was training for a career in midwifery (left). On the right is Miss Clacton, complete with a regal gown, crown and sceptre after triumphing in the popular beauty pageant after it was held in 1979
Crowds queuing for a bus to Butlins during the 1980s. Museum researcher Georgina Ward said: ‘Although Clacton might be a lot different for people today than it was 60 years ago they all had the same experience growing up. Over the years it has been a great place for young people to hear the latest songs’
A family holiday at Butlins in 1981 just before it closed down. The site opened in 1938 and closed in 1983, after going into decline when foreign destinations became more affordable. The dip in tourism affected the wider town and led to many businesses having to shut their doors
Ravers at Oscars on Clacton pier in 1997. The exhibition will run until March 5 2020, and on the final day locals are invited to bring their photographs down to add them to the project. It can be seen from Tuesday to Sunday between noon-4pm in an old shop in Central Parade, Clacton