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VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

California Cuties: 1925

The West Coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned ... 
Huntington Beach, California. "Bathing Beauty Pageant, 1925." Three-panel gelatin silver print by Miles F. Weaver (1879-1932). View full panorama.

The West Coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned ...

Huntington Beach, California. "Bathing Beauty Pageant, 1925." Three-panel gelatin silver print by Miles F. Weaver (1879-1932). View full panorama.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Swimsuit Design

Bra cups were first introduced in the 1930s (along with adjustable shoulder straps), and were pretty much de rigueur by the 40s. Underwire didn't appear until the 90s.

Great panorama

Although it's frequently mentioned about such photos, it still bears repeating: how refreshing to see all types of bodies in such a group of women, and not just one prescribed type, as you would see nowadays. Also, it's always amazing to me to see that some of the women look like typical gals from the 1920s with their rosebud mouths and flapper hair, while others look like people I saw on the sidewalk a couple of hours ago. My favorite girl in the bunch? Fourth from the left in the panorama: darker skin, shoulders back, torso arched forward, eyes off to the side, mischief ahoy.

Women's bathing suits

I've surfed and surfed but can't find an answer to this: when did bathing suit designers begin to include bras in women's suits?

Boop-oop-a-doop

The young lady on the extreme left with the dark, curly hair and the checked swimsuit could have easily been the original model for Betty Boop.

Like seeing an old friend

I have a print of the full version of this image hanging on my wall. It's been there so long (likely even pre-internet) that I can't even remember exactly where it came from. But I liked it so much I built a quartersawn oak frame for it and hung it with some little oil paintings. So cool to see it show up on Shorpy!

The Reason

for California Dreamin'. It's surprising how fast the shorter and form fitting the bathing costume changed.

Sea urchins

I thought the leering guys behind the women were bad, until I scrolled down and saw the little boys peeping between their legs.

[Some of those little boys are little girls. -tterrace]

Sorta Sad ...

... To be the "mascot" at a beauty contest.

Mugging for the lens

Some very early photo-bombs going on here!

That cheesy grin over the shoulder of the beauty with the parasol is priceless.

Hubba hubba

This photo has restored my faith in American 1920s beauty pageants.

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