Dreamland is open

Aside from my portraiture, I have been documenting my travels in black and white for years.

This substantial ongoing body of work includes street photography, architecture, landscapes and environmental portraiture. I recently collated a section on my website to showcase this ongoing personal project.

Dreamland is open.

This is Dreamland in Margate, Kent. We are so fortunate to have an extraordinary history on the South East coast. The architecture is as diverse as it could be: from Roman amphitheatres to Brutalist designs, Art Deco, Regency and Georgian townhouses, and everything in between.

Dreamland is one of the most significant examples of German-influenced Expressionist and Art Deco architecture in the UK. Designed in 1933-35 by architects Julian Leathart and W.F. Granger, it was a radical departure from the classical cinemas of the time. It was inspired by the modern, stark Expressionist movement from Germany—think Metropolis.

The brick tower with the projecting fin was designed to be a vertical beacon. Originally, the DREAMLAND letters weren’t horizontal; they ran vertically down that fin in neon. It was so successful that it directly influenced the look of the entire Odeon cinema chain. It is a steel-framed beast clad in brown and pink brick with concrete accents. The entrance steps are Travertine marble-a high-end, classical touch for a seaside super-cinema.

The Dreamland Ballroom is a Grade II listed space that has survived by being a chameleon. It isn’t just a room; it is a massive, 1,000-capacity hall with a sprung wooden dance floor that has seen everything from 1930s tea dances to 2024 indie gigs. It still has the original sprung wooden dance floor and has been beautifully restored, retaining the Art Deco charm of clean lines and sweeping spaces.

For more of my Street and Documentary work follow the link here:

https://www.tomparsons.co.uk/personalobservations

Visceral, character-led portraits from honest, quiet human moments. Classical legacy portraiture for private commissions. International, UK, London, based in Sandwich, Kent.