View of the Brighton chain pier. Nothing is known of the artist or the provenance of the sketch book. The Brighton Chain Pier was built in 1823 as a landing stage to help passengers disembark from larger ships with ease. It was different from typical piers because, rather than being built on stilts, the deck of the pier was suspended from chains attached to pillars. The pier was destroyed in a storm in 1896.
See also : a view of Brighton by J A Prior showing the Chain Pier, mid 19th century (ESRO PDA/B5)