History Recreated by Emma Solomon in Jubilee Photo Tribute

An iconic Whitley Bay image has been remodelled into a celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Artist Emma Solomon has changed the iconic Whitley Bay photograph into a fitting tribute to the Platinum Jubilee, marking a love of the Northern coastline in a modern update to the Whitley Bay classic.

Solomon recreated the Table Rocks Whitley Bay LNER railway poster to celebrate the Jubilee with help from Morpeth-based artist Suzi Firenzi and models April and Allan Atkinson.

The original 1929 poster by John Littlejohns features Table Rocks north of Brown’s Bay, Cullercoats.

The spot became a popular tourist attraction thanks to its natural tidal pool, which was extended in 1909 to make a man-made outdoor swimming pool.

Solomon said: “We had great fun recreating the modern adaption of the poster. Technically it was a challenge getting people into the right places and framing the photograph as near to the original as I could get it.

“Thanks to modern technology, I was able to recreate the wonderful colours in the sky and sea.

“We replaced the main swimmer character with Her Majesty wearing a red, white and blue costume which coincidentally and appropriately for the Jubilee is what the original swimmer was wearing.

“I really enjoyed this project and now I’m looking at putting my own adaptations onto other artwork and old photographs to bring them up to date so that others can enjoy them and at the same time learn a bit about our wonderful local history.”

The original iteration of the poster was used to promote rail services from LNER to Whitley Bay and would have been seen in local railway stations as well as key points on the East Coast Mainline.