An important exhibition is coming to Bristol. The Martin Parr Foundation will show the photographer’s famous series, The Last Resort. This marks the 40th anniversary of the series. It first appeared at London’s Serpentine Gallery in 1986, and was also self-published that year. The work is seen as the project that made Parr famous around the world.

The series was shot in the seaside town of New Brighton between 1983 and 1985. It shows British working-class families on holiday during the Thatcher years. The pictures are raw, satirical, and full of bright color. They depict a “shabby” reality of a faded resort, with concrete walkways and litter as a backdrop for everyday life.

The exhibition will feature all 40 photographs from the series. Parr used a technique that was new at the time: saturated color and a flash in daylight. This moved away from classic black-and-white documentary style toward a hyperreal, modern look. Famous images include a baby playing near arcade machines and a couple sitting in a restaurant with pink and teal walls.

Alongside the framed prints, the show will include pieces from the archive. Visitors can see contact sheets, old press invitations, and reviews from the 1980s. They will also have the rare chance to see the actual camera Parr used for the series: a Plaubel Makina 67.

The exhibition, Martin Parr’s The Last Resort, will be on view at the Martin Parr Foundation gallery in Bristol. It will run from February 20 to May 24, 2026.