A selection of images from “Piers” by London-based photographer Jo Metson Scott. Started back in 2019, the series documents British piers and their changing role within the social landscape of Britain. “They were once the highlight and glory of the British seaside holiday but are now much more complicated spaces,” she explains. “Many piers have physically stood the test of time but financially they are struggling to survive.  Some of the structures of splendour have fallen into disrepair where others have morphed and are thriving.”

Traveling from pier to pier, Scott notices their architectural similarities and differences, as well as the diverse crowd of people drawn to revel in this quintessentially British experience—“I appreciated talking to people as much as I did taking their photographs. There were fishermen, roller skaters, sunbathers, tourists from Kuwait and India, a grandmother and grandson cloud spotting, gamblers in the arcades. I was surprised by how open people were to talk, to share a story and have their photo taken.  I wondered if being on the pier was the reason they were relaxed.”

See more from “Piers” below!