...had been born female.

Do those girls on the left not bear a passing resemblance to Larry Fine and Moe Howard?

...in drag

My grandmother, who would have been around the age of the girls in the dark rented bathing dresses at the time the picture was taken, would ask me where my bathing shoes were when I was at her house. You can see the rubber bathing shoes on these girls.

I would just kind of stare non-comprehendingly at the question, not having a clue what she was talking about.

The sisters in the white dresses seem to be more sensible than the older girls, with their hiked up skirts and bare feet. But I can't see how you have any fun in the water if you have to keep that hat on. I can see the hats are tied under their chins, and I know women had hat pins (sort of a bobby pin like wire accessory) to keep the hats fastened to their hair, but one good wave will make those hats go bye bye. Why didn't they leave their hats with their shoes?

The placement, attire and spacing between the kids testing the water almost seems planned and even artistic but those two tough-looking girls in dark dresses look like they are coming to punch the lights out of the photographer and they mean business.

All I see are those two girls. Get in the water fast!

those two are that scary .