Those extraordinary bathing machines which ferried decorum-minded Victorian ladies and gentlemen out for a dip in the sea (unwatched by the hoi polloi one presumes) were invented by a Quaker called Benjamin Beale.
This gem of information comes from the FH library, along with an etching (pictured) and a snippet from the Journal of the Friends Historical Society (1909 vol.6, no.4) which pointed out that the inventor did less well from his gadget than his successors (often the way).
Benjamin's machine enabled 'the pleasure and advantages of sea-bathing to be enjoyed in a manner consistent with the most refined delicacy.'
According to the Journal, Benjamin's machines were placed on the beach at Margate, where he lived, around 1750. They appear to have been hugely popular and waiting rooms were constructed in the bathing houses adjacent to the sea. The waiting rooms, says the Journal, contained grand pianos, newspapers, and telescopes for the use of subscribers awaiting a swim via a machine.