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On the Beach at Douglas

Manx National Heritage

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Museum's Description
- This painting by Glasgow artist W. Hardie Hay captures two important aspects of a Victorian seaside holiday in the Isle of Man. The first was simply capturing the fun of playing on a beach, which is still true today - here at Show Me, we love a day at the beach.
  
  The second was the role of the Isle of Man as the summer entertainment capital of Britain. Tourists could go dancing at the Palace (the largest ballroom in Europe at the time) or go see a famous variety act at the theatre.
- This painting by the Glasgow artist W. Hardie Hay is entitled 'On the Beach at Douglas'. The scene in the foreground shows a crowd of mostly children around a Punch and Judy show. In the far distance behind are visible the Palace ballroom and the Derby Castle. The painting is executed in oils on canvas, and is signed and dated by the artist in the bottom left hand corner. The artist has managed to capture two important aspects of the Victorian seaside holiday in the Isle of Man. One was the simple pleasure of playing on the beach, the main focus of a holiday for the many children with their buckets and spades in this scene. The other was the role of the Isle of Man as the summer entertainment capital of Britain. In the evening a range of entertainments were on offer to tourists including dancing at the Palace (the largest ballroom in Europe) and a visit to the theatre to see the most famous variety acts of the era.