Here I've found some lovely bathing beauties...
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Women in bathing suits at the Houston Heights Natatorium, 1907. Can you imagine swimming in such things? Maybe you could "dog paddle" but that seems like it would be as much as you can do.
This awesome photo is courtesy the George Cook Collection in the Degolyer Library at Southern Methodist University. Posted on Facebook under Traces of Texas.
Early Olympic swimmers...
And maybe just for looks...
Shared on Facebook from Karen Connel, her father being the 10 year old boy on left at the Natatorium in Belton, 1944. Traces of Texas.
And more recently...
Mary Lou Retton won gold, bronze and silver in 1984 at the Olympics, so I started watching the American women's gymnastics meets. I'd never done gymnastics, but sure enjoyed seeing these young women stretch themselves to perform in gold medal ways. My middle son married a woman who also had participated in amateur gymnastics and their three daughters have as well.
I'm sharing these pictures as part of Sepia Saturday this week.
Today's Quote:
All
things have the ability to be healed.
Miracles happen with every breath, believe that.
Miracles happen with every breath, believe that.
And those old bathing suits - even into the '30s - were wool. Can you imagine swimming in a wool bathing suit? My Mom said they itched like crazy once they were wet and drying. No thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy family had a 100th-year birthday party for our summerhouse in East Boothbay; we all came in 1894 clothes. Three of us wore bathing suits...and I determined that, should I go into the water, I'd probably drown with all the extra weight! Your first photo reminded me of that day! Fun post, thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a change in fashion (thank goodness0 from the early unflattering thick, itchy swimsuits to the stylish, patriotic Olympic uniform.
ReplyDeleteWhat I marvel at in your first and third photo are the women's hose! Not a flattering look when they came out of the water.
ReplyDeleteI used to love watching the gymnastics too...though I didn't have a gymnastic bone in my body. You can always dream. It was Nadia Comaneci for me.
ReplyDeleteI had one of those knit bathing suits while a toddler. They were horrible because they'd stretch right off you. Some of the 1907 suits actually look good to me now that I feel I owe it to the public at large to cover my cellulite and saggy bits.
ReplyDeleteAthletic uniforms in the early 20th century are fun to look at and fun to imagine how anyone managed to do anything competitively in them. My college roommate was a gymnast.
ReplyDeleteWell I have to agree, costumes for any sort of sports have become far more streamlined these days. I remember wearing a ruched number as a child; it was ghastly but we thought it was the height of fashion.
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture and I agree with Helen. Or maybe I need a burkini.
ReplyDelete