April 12, 2007: Bathing girl revue 1922

[Undertoad]

What an awesome idea: Shorpy is a blog that features photos that are about 100 years old.
This particular entry is not quite 100, but it's fun nonetheless: swimsuit models of 1922.

Amongst other things, notice how only about 1 in 10 is smiling, and notice how footwear,
headgear, and umbrellas are part of the mandatory costume. But are they sexy? Not a
chance, this is a whole 'nother culture.

[Perry Winkle]

Some of them are pretty sexy. Namely in the back row (from right): 2, 4, -8 and front row (from left): 7, 16, 17, 28.

[glatt]

true. 28 in the front row is not bad at all. She's actually smiling.

[Sheldonrs]

"Welcome and thanks for playing "Spot Your Grandma When She Was A Slut".

[SteveDallas]

Dammit Sheldon, how did you know that was Grandma Dallas??? (4th from the left, front row)

[Cloud]

cool picture. I'm wondering a bit about the "costumy" aspect of it--do you see the one with the dog? and the one with the dalmation print? and some of those . . . I can't even identify WHAT they were thinking of!

[glatt]

I get the feeling that these aren't examples of typical swimsuits from that era, but rather the fancy suits. I think typical suits were much more plain.

[littlenickyer]

yet another example of the wanton strumpetism of the ladies of the 1920s. Why, you can even see their kneecaps! Scandalous. I would challenge he who framed this shot to a bout of fisticuffsmanship, but I imagine he is already dead.

[BigV]

I would challenge he who framed this shot to a bout of fisticuffsmanship, but I imagine he is already dead.

Bare knuckles it is, then!

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

Dammit Sheldon, how did you know that was Grandma Dallas??? (4th from the left, front row)

Pretty easy to figure out. 1. She's wearing the suit you use for your MySpace pic. 2. She's a slut.

hehehehe

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

Pretty easy to figure out. 1. She's wearing the suit you use for your MySpace pic. 2. She's a slut.

hehehehe

I thought it might be her Cellar tattoo.

I didn't know they had a "panorama" setting on the cameras of that era.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by grant

Some of them are pretty sexy. Namely in the back row ... 8 ...

She had big cans before big cans were cool.

She's also smiling, not wearing headgear, and has her head tilted a little... downright modern of her! She knew what sexy was before anybody else!

The whole thing makes me think: there was a time when smiling for a photograph was not the convention.

Just like putting your hand out with a fake gang sign. There was a time when that was not the convention.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

I didn't know they had a "panorama" setting on the cameras of that era.

Good lord, I'm glad you mentioned that--I missed half the pic!

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

She had big cans before big cans were cool.

She's also smiling, not wearing headgear, and has her head tilted a little... downright modern of her! She knew what sexy was before anybody else!

The whole thing makes me think: there was a time when smiling for a photograph was not the convention.

Just like putting your hand out with a fake gang sign. There was a time when that was not the convention.

I think part of the reason smiling was rare in photos back then was because taking a picture took a little longer than today's point and click. You had to hold the pose for a little while and it's easier to not smile.

And while you straight men are sitting there admiring the attributes of these ladies, remember this was taken before ladies felt they had to shave. Beneath those bathing suits, it's a jungle down there. lol!!!

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The whole thing makes me think: there was a time when smiling for a photograph was not the convention.

Someone told me once that this had to do with camera technology of the time--you had to hold perfectly still for up to a minute for the film to fully expose. If you tried to hold your smile that long and faltered, your face would be blurry(-ier).

On the other hand, there are apparently still places today where not-smiling is the custom. When we were looking at houses for sale recently, we went through one home that had family photos (the posed kind you take in a studio) covering every single wall, dozens and dozens of them, and not a single smile among any of them. It was really creepy.