<p>A postcard sent to a colleague of Ted Claxton, the address being his place of work. Showing the pier at Margate, Kent, England. 
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The caption "before the storm" refers to 29 November 1897, when a storm destroyed much of the front of Margate. The crew of the <i>Friend to all Nations</i> surf boat all died, and there is now a monument to them on Margate sea front. So this is a pre-1897 photograph. An earlier storm which severely damaged the pier occurred on 1 January 1877, when a ship sliced through the pier due to weather conditions, marooning 40-50 people on the pierhead. They were rescued the following day. So this is a pre-1897 photograph. (Information sources: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2018/01/13/the-destruction-of-margate-jetty-and-the-great-storm-of-january-1978/"><i>Isle of Thanet News</i></a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.margatelocalhistory.co.uk/Pictures/Pictures-Storms.html#a4">Margate Local History</a>) The pier is now demolished, having been wrecked again in the Great Storm of 11-12 January 1978.
Unknown author<span style="display: none;">Unknown author</span>
before 1897 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1897-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1326,+1897-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div> (written and posted 1904-11-06)
Scan of original postcard in my possession