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July 26, 1919. Washington, D.C. "Bathing beach parade at Tidal Basin." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
JULY 27 -- While more than 5,000 persons clambered to each other's shoulders and to roofs of nearby buildings to view the Annette Kellermanns at the first annual beach parade at the Tidal Basin yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Audrey O'Connor, 620 Maryland avenue southwest, was proclaimed by the judges as Washington's most beautiful girl in a bathing suit. Mrs. O'Connor wore a blue and orange jumper, blue cap and orange tights. Miss Dot Buckley, 1250 Tenth street northwest, received honorable mention in the contest. Her suit was a creation in red, white and blue.
First prize in the costume contest was awarded Mrs. Grace Fleishman, 5 Iowa circle, who wore a white silk suit with black and white border and a white silk hat. Miss Muriel Gibbs, costumed as Miss Liberty in stars and stripes, received honorable mention. Silver loving cups were awarded to the winners of both the beauty and the costume contests.
Following the parade of the score or more of beauties between cheering crowds of bathing beach fans, the former faced half a dozen movie machines and a battery of press cameras. Later one of the winners obligingly did a modified "shimmy dance" for the movie men.
Back then you printed the name and address automatically. The equivalent today would be to print the cell# and email address of Miss America! But I imagine they had a much tighter leash on the crackpots and loony toon stalkers. These women lived with their parents who would greet any unsuitable man with sharp words and the door slamming in their face.
"Bro" culture isn't anything new, apparently. If those dudes in the crowd were wearing backwards baseball caps they wouldn't look out of place at any college party or festival.
I guess they've already left to collect their prizes?
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