1938 Eastbourne Vintage Seaside Ad – Cavendish Grand Hydro Hotel Ephemera

1938 Eastbourne Vintage Seaside Ad – Cavendish Grand Hydro Hotel Ephemera

Original 1938 Overseas Daily Mail advert promoting Eastbourne’s iconic hotels–ideal for collectors of British seaside history and Art Deco era travel design.

Measurements: approx. 11 1/4 x 7 7/8 inches
Dates: n/a
Condition: In decent condition, please see images. 
Internal notes: QC passed

Picture a sunny afternoon on the Sussex coast in 1938. The Grand Hotel’s orchestra echoes from its famous ballroom, sunseekers stroll along Eastbourne’s elegant promenade, and the South Coast hums with the charm of pre-war holidaymaking. This beautifully preserved vintage travel advertisement, printed in the Overseas Daily Mail, offers a nostalgic glimpse into the golden age of British seaside leisure. From the beach huts to the Victorian façades, Eastbourne stands proudly as one of the crown jewels of English resort life.

This advert–measuring approx. 11 1/4 x 7 7/8 inches–features the era’s most luxurious establishments: The Cavendish Hotel, known for its American bar and dance evenings; The Grand Hotel, celebrated for its world-class orchestra; and Hydro Hotel, boasting tennis lawns and private grounds. Targeted at both international travellers and domestic visitors, it presents Eastbourne as a haven for rest, rejuvenation, and refined entertainment. Its promotional language reflects the confidence and style of 1930s British travel culture, just before wartime upheaval would change everything.

For collectors, historians, and curators of vintage seaside ephemera, this piece is a highly evocative artefact. It captures more than a destination–it preserves a lifestyle, a tone, a season of optimism by the sea. Whether archived, studied, or framed, it serves as a timeless reminder of Britain’s proud tradition of coastal hospitality and interwar elegance.