A quick flick through anyone's photo album and the chances are you'll come across at least one snapshot of the sea.

With the exception of the local DIY superstore, it's the first place to head come high days and holidays and, without doubt, makes a better place to photograph.

Brighton is no exce-ption to this celluloid rule and, historically, has attracted some of the most distinguished amateur and professional photographers.

With its clear skies, close access to London and fashionable clientele, it was an attractive destination for photographers, some coming to visit, while leading pioneers even set up studios here.

The 150 photographs in this exhibition were taken between the 1840s and the early Nineties and not only capture the popular mood of the town and its changing topography but tell a story about how photography has developed since its early beginnings.

Exploring the qualities peculiar to photographs, the exhibition includes work by William Constable, William Henry Fox Talbot, William Mason, Cecil Beaton, Bill Brandt and Henri Cartier Bresson.

Beautifully composed and finely-crafted prints are displayed together with everyday photographs of more modest intent, linked together by considerable emotional charge and the activity, architecture and people of our wonderful South Coast city.

Open Tues 10am-7pm, Wed to Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 2pm-5pm. Closed Mon. Free.