Lust Girl: 1919

I think it's very disappointing that whenever I see a photo of a woman on Shorpy, it's guaranteed that the comments will focus only on critiquing her figure or looks. Aren't we here to learn something from history? Why is this form of sexism still so rampant today?

[I can think of two good reasons. - Dave]

I love old photos. Thinking about who a person was, what they did at the time, who they married, who their children became. These photos probably do not display the full beauty of this woman. She probably had legions of young guys chasing her. I hope she had a good life.

Very few women have perfectly symmetrical breasts!

What I find contradictory about some of the fashions of this period is that, on the one hand, there were requirements of social modesty: public bathing required neck-to-knee (or neck-to-thigh) suits, for example, yet the material was clingy and only semi-opaque when wet (and here it appears to be completely dry!), leaving very little to the imagination.

I am much happier with everything squished and held into place than the alternative. I am sure all the work she had to do took its toll on all her assets, plus it can hurt!

This yeoman work in the "survey of the Washington, D.C. theatrical scene" should continue, for both its sociological value and anthropolical insights. We are hereby requesting another year's full funding for this important research.

As a side (front?) note, the bustiness of this young lady was about to fall seriously out of fashion in the breast-binding days of the flapper, just about to get into full (non)swing.

This lady was no slacker. Performing daily, probably several times a day, is no job for couch potatoes. One can see by her face that she was conscientious and striving for approval. How many of us could do that? She looks just a little bit tired, but pasted on a smile anyway just like a trouper. The show must go on.

I'm not suprised by some of the body-snarking comments. Today one is so accustomed to looking at images of the human body that are highly artificial, having been photoshopped into smooth, firm perfection.

Instead of seeing the person, one's eyes go straight to the "flaws" since it is so unusual, freakish, even to see it at all nowdays in photographic images.

She looks real, and she looks good.

I'd cut off my left index finger to be in the arms of a woman with this figure.

[Is that the one that works the caps-lock key? - Dave]

Poor thing, even 90ish years ago there was a woman probably looking at a photo of herself and going "Oh GAWD!! Look at my right boob! How embarrassing! Why didn't you tell me to straighten it up before you took the photo!"

I know it's happened to me!

For the record, mine are lopsided and I don't have any children. I'm surprised by the audacity of these rude comments.

"Squished cleavage", with "everything" held firmly in place while working out. One more reason it's good to be a man.

[Well ya know guys have a similar issue, a little farther south. - Dave]

Need a reality check. She's got a great, curvy figure. The "high beams" don't align on their own--if she had the benefits of modern bra technology to support and shape, she'd have one fabulous figure.

That being said, it had to be very uncomfortable to be a dancing chorus girl in an outfit like that. Yikes.

[These girls, who performed between pictures at the Leader Theater cinema, had costumes. She's a bit underdressed in the big photo. - Dave]

For someone who who is above average in the cleavage area, it could be the outfit combined with with movement that, ahem, shifted things around. It is why sports bras are so important to squish and HOLD everything into place when one is working out.

That line on the wall seems to delineate her body from the neck down.

Need alignment.

I'm guessing she mostly held her baby in her right arm while feeding. Yikes.