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Death Car: 1923
... the comments for details about this fatal accident in the Tidal Basin. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:11pm -

"Auto wreck. December 31, 1923." Continuing this week's theme of vehicular mishaps on (and off) the roads of Washington, D.C. On New Year's Eve, this car was in the drink. See the comments for details about this fatal accident in the Tidal Basin. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Terrific reportage, stanton_square!Nothing like making the past come alive again! (no pun intended, sorry) This red house may well be 211 10th SW. It's across the street from Google's 212. Mr. Hammen's C Street address no longer exists. May I ask you, please? How were you able to access the coroner's inquest? View Larger Map Look out! It's..."Sergt. Miskell, motorcycle man." I love the image this conjored up in my head. This may become my new online alias. Tidal Plunge 2 Drown When Auto Sinks in Tidal Basin Two men were drowned and another rescued when the automobile in which they were riding crashed through a guard rail and plunged into the Tidal basin, in Potomac park, shortly after midnight. The two victims were trapped in the big touring machine, which was submerged in 18 feet of water. Robert McLeman, 43 years old, 221 Tenth street northwest, threw himself clear of the hurtling car, and was rescued from the basin by park policemen. McLeman said one of the dead men was John Craven, residing at the Tenth street address. All he knew of the other was that he was from Virginia. Washington Post, Dec 26, 1923 Body of Tidal Basin Victim is Identified; Driver of Car Held Scene of Accident Long Considered Peril to Safety of Motorists Essige Hammen, 50 years old, 477 C street southwest, was identified last night at the morgue as the second victim of the accident which carried an automobile, containing three men, into the Tidal basin early yesterday. Funeral services for John J. Craven, 55 years old, 211 Tenth street southwest, Hammen's companion in the automobile, will be held tomorrow in the Church of the Holy Comforter, and at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Mary A. Bellenger, 1216 D street northeast. Interment will be in Mount Olivet cemetary. ... Hammen's identification was established by Samuel Scklattereggia, 481 C street southwest, brother of a huckster who employed him. The condition of Robert McLennan, 43 years old, driver of the automobile, who was rescued from the water by park policemen, was reported much improved at Emergency hospital. He is still under police guard pending an inquest which Dr. Herbert E. Martyn, deputy coroner, said would be help Friday. The automobile is still in 20 feet of water near the southern floodgate of the Tidal basin. Harbor police have no equipment with which to raise it. Whether the engineer commissioner's office would take means to raise the car police could not say. The accident, it is believed, will hasten a reconstruction of the floodgate bridge, which according to Lieut. Col. C.O. Sherrill, in charge of public buildings and grounds, has been a "constant source of danger to motorists. The span is only 25 feet wide and Col. Sherrill has asked for $20,000 appropriation to widen it 10 feet. McLennan said he was turning onto the bridge and, in order to avoid striking a car coming toward him, swerved off sharply. This, he believed, caused a break in his steering gear and he could not control the car. The machine crashed through the iron railing, hurtled 18 feet across a sloping embankment and landed 20 feet out into the basin. McLennan told the police he was driving slowly. McLennan fell clear, but the others were trapped. A passing motorist notified a park policeman several blocks away. Sergt. Miskell, motorcycle man, despatched three other men who reached the sea wall just as McLennan was about to go under a second time. The officers, Sergt. Rease and Private Jenkins and Rainey, formed a human ladder and pulled him ashore. Washington Post, Dec 27, 1923 Robert McLennan was a stone worker and sculptor. At the coroner's inquest, the park policemen who pulled McLennan from the water testified that they had smelled alcohol on his breath. McLennan admitted he had had a glass of wine, but blamed the accident on defective steering apparatus. He was subsequently indicted for murder, which was later reduced to manslaughter. In the end he was acquitted of all charges. He died July 7th, 1927 as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident when his car collided with that of Detective Arthur T. Fihelly on July 4th, 1927. Again there were reports of alcohol on his breath after the accident but an inquest failed to reach a conclusion that he had been driving under the influence of liquor. Karma? Update I: Well, maybe not karma. After more careful reading the newspaper reports of the coroner's inquest, McLennan died by what today moght be considered gross negligence, if not criminal action, by the police. McLennan was pinned under the wreckage of his car: after being taken to hospital he was examined for spinal injury. A doctor declared he was "O.K." and the police subsequently carted him off to the police station for questioning. While in police custody, he lost movement and sensation in his legs and was returned to hospital where he died from the consequences of fractured cervical vertebrae and hemorrhage. Update II: In reply to Stinky: Coroner's inquest as reported in Washington Post, July 9th, 1927. Also, the google streetview in Stinky's post is from NE, not SW. Everyone gets screwed up by DC's quadrant system at some point. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Splash: 1924
... 6, 1924 Full Cut Bathing Suits Decreed for Tidal Basin Bathers had better be getting ready their suits - full sized ones, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:41am -

"Potomac bathing beach, June 19, 1924." National Photo Co. View full size. Rightest Beach Wear Washington Post, May 6, 1924 Full Cut Bathing Suits Decreed for Tidal Basin Bathers had better be getting ready their suits - full sized ones, not one-piece of skimpy cuts - because the bathing beach on the tidal basin will open May 28. This date has been set by L. Gordon Leech, concessionnaire. The ban on "immodest bathing suits" and beauty contests on the beach will be continued, it was said yesterday at the office of public buildings and grounds. The regulations require that suits must come within three inches of the knees and must have no opening below the arm pits. The beach has been undergoing plenty of improvements, it was said. All of the diving floats and other floating equipment has been recaulked. Washington Post, Jun 5, 1924 One-Piece Bathing Suits Approved in House Vote Despite the eleventh-hour rush to complete the legislative program of House of Representatives found time yesterday to go on record in favor of one-piece bathing suits. This declaration of policy on one of the constantly pressing national questions came on a vote of an amendment proposed to the second deficiency bill appropriating $30,000 for a bathing beach for negroes here. Representative Blanton (Democrat), offered the amendment, which would have banned the one-piece garment. It was indignantly rejected by a majority of members present. Suits as Smart as Waves are Brilliant All-Wool, One-Piece Knitted Bathing Suits Erlebacher Men's Two-Piece Bathing Suits. All-wool Bathing Suits in plain gray, navy, heather and a few fancy stripes. Last one inThose diving platforms were still around when I was a kid in the 1950's. Slender and fitExcept for one little fatty (and evidently a bit of a punk, at that), everyone is in really nice shape. Wish the beaches today looked like that. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Dirty Girls: 1922
... eyes are the same. Potomac bathing beach is now the Tidal Basin They dredged it to build the Jefferson Memorial. And I want to believe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:59pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Potomac bathing beach." Our second glimpse of these sandy lasses. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. WowThe one on the left (no, not the one with the shower cap) is stunning! The dark haired beautyThe girl on the left with the long, dark hair is lovely. Such composure and she has beautiful eyes (I am guessing blue) and (despite the hole in her sock) her figure is elegant-even her hands are quite comely. But she never smiles, and sadly, we will never know why. Hmmm, that girl on the far right...looks more than a little like the actor, Mark Wahlberg ( I wonder if he has any old-tyme bathing beauties in his family tree) The lighter haired beautyThe girl to her immediate right is also pretty. I think they are sisters .. their eyes are the same. Potomac bathing beach is now the Tidal BasinThey dredged it to build the Jefferson Memorial. And I want to believe the one in the middle is a redhead. Our DaughtersLike most other viewers, I see honest, unpretentious beauty in these young women's faces. But because I have a daughter, the ultimate impact is different. Unseen in these images are these girls' fathers. My connection with them across the decades is instantaneous. As kindred spirits, we anticipate with angst our daughters' inexorable journey toward wisdom and independence. "Wow" is right. High HopesThe two leering guys seated behind them seem to be enjoying the scene but probably don't have a shot. It's my guess that the bathing beauties are professional models and have their sights aimed higher. Best seat in the houseThe boys who have taken up their watch against the wall right behind these girls seem to be expressing their happiness in finding a choice spot from which to view the activities. Changing topics, you would think that out of the thousands of people in all these early beach pictures that at least one or two individuals would have dreamed up the brilliant idea of bringing along a beach towel or blanket to avoid being covered with sand. I don't think they are blue.I don't think the girl on the left has blue eyes. This photo is from 1922 and the film was probably orthochromatic -- not sensitive to blue. If her eyes were blue she would look like a zombie. I do have a question, which of their fathers took care of the guy in the background who was ogling them? MommaThe lovely girl at the far right looked much better in the previous photo, in my opinion. And I have to agree that the other two beauties are sisters. I'll go one further and guess that the lady with the cap is their mother, along as a chaperone. And judging by the looks on the faces behind them, good thing. Youth is wasted on the young. PreferencesGolly gee, I’ve always liked dirty girls! re: orthochromatic Orthochromatic film was blue sensitive. It was not red sensitive. Blues appear light and reds very dark. People with ruddy complexions often look dirty-faced in old photos, because the red shows as dark blotches. And yes, blue eyes will look light, maybe zombie-ish. Their grandaughters are wearing bikinis! For the 1920's these are about as revealing swimsuits as you can get. Although, the girl on the right would most likely not look too out of place on the beaches of today if her suit were made of modern materials. as for the eyes colors I would thing the Girl on the right has brown eyes and the other two have green. I agree with RadioMattM about the orthocromatic film. Any way, all three of the young ladies are very lovely. She's Married, Fellers!Nobody yet has commented on her ring. It's irrelevant to the important points about this photo - who's the cutest and how ortho film reacts to various eye colors - but I think it's no accident she has made her hand quite visible. And the guy just back (girl X's brother perhaps?) is obviously just smiling for the camera. No need for pop to 'stand his ground'. Were towels then too expensive or difficult to clean for owners to subject them to such abuse? Married?Unless the photo is mirrored, the ring is on her right hand. She may have made her hand visible, but not to show a wedding ring. Bathing Beach RulesThe woman to the right and the man in the background are both wearing lanyards with matching tokens - perhaps tags for checked valuables? Washington Post, September 5, 1918. Bathing Beach Rules. Hours at Tidal Basin Are 7 A. M. to 12 M.; 2 P. M. to 7 P. M. The public buildings and grounds has announced the following rules for the new bathing beach on the shore of the Tidal Basin in Potomac Park: Bathing hours—7 a. m. to 12 m.; 2 p. m. to 7 p. m. Open daily, including Sunday and holidays. Bathing Suits rented, 25 cents for men and 35 cents for women. A charge will be made for soap, towels and checking valuables. No children under 6 years of age allowed to bathe unless accompanied by adult member of the the family. PaparazziI'll bet the photographer followed these beauties around while they were at the beach. If you look at the differences between the two photos of the girls, you can see they were taken at different times that day. In one, the girls look clean and somewhat happy, in the other they're sandy and seem a little annoyed. (And just a little further down the beach.) In both photos, there are boys behind them, but not the same boys. And oddly enough, in both photos, there is a boy laughing behind the two girls on the right. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
Tidal Basin Bathers (colorized)
Colorized version of Seven Up: 1920 . Can you still get suits like that? View full size. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by motobean - 01/21/2010 - 1:50pm -

Colorized version of Seven Up: 1920. Can you still get suits like that? View full size. (Colorized Photos)
Beach Policeman: 1922
... Norton measuring the distance between knee and suit at the Tidal Basin bathing beach after Col. Sherrill, Superintendent of Public Buildings and ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/31/2022 - 12:51am -

        Commemorating the Potomac Thighway Patrol's 100th anniversary, and one of Shorpy's most popular posts -- June 30, 1922. "Washington policeman Bill Norton measuring the distance between knee and suit at the Tidal Basin bathing beach after Col. Sherrill, Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, issued an order that suits not be over six inches above the knee." 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. This poor guy would have a stroke......if he could see what our high schoolers are wearing to summer school this summer. I honestly don't know where to put my eyes. And obesity does NOT stop them from wearing too little and revealing too much. I wish I could "un-see" some of this summer's ensembles! (Rolls of exposed fat, ripples, dimples, man breasts, and so much more...) Side note: What you are hearing in the media about the increase of obesity among America's young people is true. As they entered the building today with their doughnuts and Gatorades and Rock Stars (breakfast they buy at convenience stores on the way to school!), I realized that the summer FACULTY is more trim and fit than the summer school STUDENT BODY. Of course, we *do* have a lot of coaches, male and female, working this summer, but still... Oh my God, it's the REALOh my God, it's the REAL bikini inspector! Bathing Suits RequirementsNo kidding! My grandmother was arrested in the early 1900's for showing too much leg at a beach on Lake Michigan. Great pictures.... Al . Sacramento, Ca. Modesty, Please!Today he'd be looking for thongs. I wonder what the next step is. Looking upI'm sure he hated his job!! Yeah right!! Today he couldlook for bulbous folks who have no business wearing Spandex My only question is...Where are the beaches in Washington, DC?!?! [Along the Potomac or Anacostia rivers. This is probably near the Tidal Basin. - Dave] Beaches in DCIs that the Washington Monument in the distance? With the Smithsonian Castle over to the right? That might put this at the swimming beach where the Jefferson Memorial is now. Its a tough jobbut somebody's got to do it!!! heaven forbidmen see more flesh than is already present...they just wouldn't be able to control themselves...monsters that they are... RE: This poor guy would have a stroke...Awww... but these are sure some nice pictures on this site, eh? sadthis picture is so disheartening. not saying that measuring women's bathing suits isn't a bit humiliating and patronizingly obnoxious, but why are our teenagers pretending they're porn stars?! ["Pretending"? - Dave] MemoriesI remember being a kid and having someone measure the distance between my knee and my shorts. Even though you knew what you wore was long enough, it never stopped the butterflies caused by wondering if the man doing the measuring was going to think they were too short! What an embarrassing time! Re: SadJust because some bratty little kids dress in very little at all doesn't mean they're pretending to be filming an adult movie. I'm sure there are people at the time of this picture who were offended by the girl's skimpy suits, but you don't really have to go off calling them porn stars. Beach policemanNotice how they aren't measuring the men. Well, look at the girls.Well, look at the girls. He's more like the "cover yourself up, fatty" inspector. Too bad we don't have those today... Re: Well, look at the girls.You're an idiot. That's what real women used to look like before the media and anorexia started coming down on everyone. You think they had Twinkies and Ding Dongs back then to gorge on, while sitting in front of the TV? Those girls are not overweight. Your tiny mind has been warped by today's sick society. D.C. "beach"The area where the Jefferson Memorial is today was once a segregated public beach. Good Work If You Can Get ItSo, did she pass inspection? I Knew It!I've suspected for some time that my job sucked. Now I have photographic proof! The SwimmerI like that she's leaning forward. I'm pretty sure that'll slide the fabric down at least a little. Way to work the system, bathing suit girl! Double Standards???I don't see any men in the picture, but do notice the boys in the background are wearing essentially the same outfits, which modern boys would consider somewhat uncomfortable, I'd bet. You can see from the marks……above her knees that she had taken off her stockings only a short time before the picture was taken. For the sake of HumanityIt's obvious that what our parents taught us didn't matter to us, nor did they care for their parents as well. People had envy for their integrity and honor, and people cared for one another as if they were family, it's sad to see our world slope down to a level beyond wearing bikinis, to a level where we are happy how our children become more and more as adults to copy what we call "celebrities" and where short skirts and show skin. In my search I have found the answer and the solution to this problem, I have found a religion so great. Over time and as skin began to increase people see it as being normal, and that covering up is so abnormal, demeaning and a violation to one's rights, it's the beginning of humanity where Adam and Eve try to cover up, it's in our nature, in reality I found what integrity really means, to me and my family. Although I am double searched at airports because of my religion but in the end I am happy and can lift my head up high, and be proud of our honor, and what we have become in a hateful and evil world. [So in this evil, bikini-wearing world, you're finally feeling good about yourself? Super. - Dave] On Our KneesWhen one can determine what the appropriate amount is required to be modest, then the only fashion will be that one definition... A lot of people need to evolve.. Hmmm. 1922?Nice pic - but perhaps the foreground images are a little bright, sharp and contrasty for a 1922 image? And a right click of the mouse and a quick squizz at the image properties reveal the use of a $25,000 Sinar digital camera back - and Photoshop CS3. Surely digitizing with a normal film or flatbed scanner would have been more appropriate? I do hope I'm wrong and that they are the real thing but...... Hmmmm. [These images were digitized using a Sinar 54 scan back and then adjusted for contrast and turned from tiffs into jpegs with Photoshop CS3. - Dave] ScannerDon't get your point - I would expect you to use a scanner - either a film or flatbed type - to scan these rather than a digital camera. Just curious to know why all the pix on the site put through the Sinar look slightly unnatural for their time, that's all. Maybe we're all used to faded images from the period. [You wouldn't use a film scanner because there is no film -- these images were recorded on glass plates the size of windowpanes. Flatbed scanners are more suited to reflective media (prints) than transmissive media (glass plates, film transparencies, negatives). Plus, flatbed scanners would be much too slow. The single-exposure scan back (in this instance, made by the Swiss firm Sinar) is standard equipment in a lot of archival facilities where hundreds or thousands of images have to be processed every day. The principle behind each scanning method is the same, though -- light shines through the transmissive media being digitized and hits a semiconductor array. - Dave] NecklacesThey have to be mother and daughter, related somehow...Matching necklaces...can we get a zoom in of the Medallions... please.. Dave? (Love this site by the way) [Those are claim tags for the changing-room lockers. - Dave] Integrity IS hard to find!It's really sad to be a 21 year old girl these days. Everyone I know is getting on their knees to get male attention instead of being subtle or witty. I'm reading and drinking coffee with my nose in a book. I think I've got the right idea, and my joints are no worse for the wear. Washington PolicemanThe policeman in question is a member of the United States Park Police. At the time they were under the control of the Bureau of Public Buildings and Grounds. They eventually were transferred to the National Park Service when the Bureau of Public Buildings and Grounds was reorganized to create the General Services Administration.(GSA got the buildings and the Park Service got the grounds). Some Warning, PleaseDave! Please! I had to clean my morning tea off my monitor. Too funny! Fat Was Beautiful"Plump" was a compliment in those days. Look at the first 10 Miss America winners (not to mention Playboy centerfolds). The current idea that "Bony is Beautiful" is of fairly recent development and is a forced denigration of all that makes women biologically successful. (For the "Yeah...sour grapes" crowd, I'm 5'2" and weigh 97 lbs. I wish I had a little more padding.) Pull over miss!Pull over miss while I wrap my fingers around your knee cap! I bet his mother, his wife, his children, and his in-laws are so proud. How does he explain to his children what he does for a living? Yes, my dad measures women's bathing suits at the beach. Sooo funny. Nope, Madonna wouldn't put up with this. Note the little boy carrying (I think) a brownie camera in the back. See him in actionYou can see our man in action in this YouTube movie, round the 3:10 and 3:40 mark. Presidential dippingI notice the location may be along the Potomac. A trivia fact is that President John Quincy Adams loved to swim nude in the Potomac. Reminders of mini-skirtsForty-six years after this, I was a freshman at Fort Knox High School. While the fashion was for skirts to be several inches above the knee, at FKHS, if they thought someone's skirt was too short, they would make her kneel on the floor. If her skirt didn't touch the ground, they could send her home to change. The very young VP was generally the one who did that. Since I had grown four inches taller in the previous few months, but my dresses hadn't, I did my best to avoid him! Taking no chancesThe young girl on the extreme left is definitely not going to drown as she is wearing TWO, not just one, inner tubes around her waist and keeps them on either in or out of the water. Better safe than sorry. Touch my leg??!!Is this the origin of the expression "cop a feel"? Just wondering. A perfect illustrationof bureaucratic inefficiency. What's with the tape measure? If the law says six inches, all he needs to measure with is something six inches long, that he can press against ladies thighs. Hmmm.... [That wouldn't have made as effective a photo. This was shot for newspaper distribution. - tterrace] Oh, it would have made an effective photo alright! I doubt they could have printed it in the newspaper, though. Not Park PoliceHe is wearing a Metropolitan Police badge. Very PresidentialI always wondered what FDR did in the 20's before becoming president! The measure of a manMr. Sherrill had definite ideas about things -- "But this did not satisfy them""They wanted to play golf on the same days and at the same time as the white people." Imagine! [Really. The nerve of some people! - Dave] Get Back in Your BurkaWhy the ladies don't kick sand in the face of this doofus is a good question. I'm guessing the boys standing just behind are wearing suits just as short. 1963This very thing happened to me in high school on Long Island!! I think I know what job I want when I grow upThe boys may be thinking this is the job for them! (The Gallery, Bizarre, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
The Girl With the Curl: 1922
"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Prequel to the shot we saw yesterday ... glass negative. View full size. Went to That Big Tidal Basin in the Sky From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, February 6, 1940 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:56pm -

"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Prequel to the shot we saw yesterday: Seventeen-year-old Eva Fridell accepts first prize from judge Isaac Gans. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Went to That Big Tidal Basin in the SkyFrom the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, February 6, 1940 "Isaac Gans, Friend of Presidents, Dead in Washington at 80." WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (JTA) – Isaac Gans, friend of presidents and a Washington civic leader and philanthropist, died of heart disease yesterday at the age of 80. Funeral services will be held Wednesday with Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld and Bishop James E. Freeman of the National Cathedral officiating. Yes! Yes! Yes!Her excitement and obvious joy are infectious! Seventeen !Why she doesn't look a day over 32 ! is this better?better? The Judge's Evil EyeI'll bet I know what kind of "heart trouble" killed him. More like itI've been looking at her picture since this one https://www.shorpy.com/beauty-prize-winners-1922 was posted, trying to imagine her as pretty. Thanks to Suburbankid's sharing of the one with her smiling, I now can! StrikingEven in black and white, you can tell she has striking (blue?) eyes. A colorization of this photo would be nice. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Four Belles: 1923
... National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Tidal Basin With what appears to be the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 10:43am -

May 23, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Shrine relay team at Potomac bathing beach." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Tidal BasinWith what appears to be the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building in the background, this photo locates the old "Potomac Bathing Beach" pretty much right where the Jefferson Memorial is today. Bobbed Hair reduxOn the contrary, I think bobbed hair is most attractive and prefer women with such short hair. Of course, it is all just a matter of personal taste. Bobbed HairPlease, dear God, don't let that bobbed hairstyle, or whatever it's called, come back into vogue. It does little for an attractive woman, and it makes the a plain woman look hideous. Locating the BeachesDigging around, I've been able to dig up some info about the two beaches mentioned here in these photos. The Potomac bathing beach was established in 1914 more or less at the site of the Jefferson Memorial, and lasted until 1925. It replaced an earlier beach on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin that I don't believe appears in any of these photos. The shots marked as "Arlington Beach" (e.g. this one) were taken on the Virginia side of the river. I haven't been able to pin down the location of this one exactly, because for one thing that entire strip of the shore was drastically altered all through this period and through WW II. Arlington Beach was an amusement park that sat adjacent to the old Hoover Airport which National replaced. From what I can tell, that would put it in or next to the Pentagon north parking lot. Columbia Island was then being created from the dredging that gave East and West Potomac Park their current shape. That would put this picture just west of where the Columbia Island Marina is today. [More on the old D.C. bathing beaches here. - Dave] Grandma's BobMy grandmother had hair down to or past her hips most of her post-adolescent life. She cut it twice ever, once when she was very old (and the trims that followed that), and wanted hair that was easier to care for, and once when she was 19, when she bobbed it. I asked, "Why did you bob your hair?" She answered, "Because my mother expressly forbade it." Another Grandma's BobMy grandmother's hair was never cut as a child. In her teen years (the 1920s), she got a bob, put away her long skirts and sleeves, and became a flapper - to the horror of her Victorian father. She wore her hair short the rest of her life. That's Florence SkaddingOn the far left. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Jumping-Off Point: 1923
... of bathing beach." A diving platform in the Potomac Tidal Basin. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. Busy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:43pm -

Washington, D.C., 1923. "Opening of bathing beach." A diving platform in the Potomac Tidal Basin. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. Busy LifeguardConsidering the haphazard (and amateurish) diving that's going on, I suspect the LG in the boat is kept plenty busy. Note the man to the right near the bottom about to jump on top of the woman just below him. Tidal wavesWe were in D.C. last week and on Wednesday morning visited the Jefferson Memorial when the winds really kicked up, we were leaning against the airs, and the chop in the Tidal Basin was at least a couple of feet high. Looking out at the waves made me recall the many Tidal Basin bathing beach photos posted here on Shorpy. Looks like a blast!Too bad the lawyers made this kind of fun an impossibility in today's world. Synchronized DivingAre the men at the top right leaping off separately, but at the same time? Or is one holding the other in front of him? [They're side by side. - Dave] Segregated?Was this a segregated facility? Was there a separate beach or diving platform for African-Americans? [There were two municipal bathing beaches at the Tidal Basin. The white one, on the southeastern side, opened in 1918 and was enlarged in 1921. The "colored bathing beach," on the west shore of the Tidal Basin, was dismantled in 1925 (which may have been the same year it was built; the news accounts are hard to follow, for me at least). Shortly after that, white bathing beach was eliminated. All amid much controversy. There were plans for a "colored bathing beach" on the Anacostia River, evidently so the white beach could be reopened, but that doesn't seem to have panned out. More info here. - Dave] Deja vu This could be a scene at any freshwater lake in America, 1950's summertime. The background looks much like the commercial changing rooms at Lake Ronkonkoma, NY. It was one of the few places on an ocean surrounded Long Island that you could find calm fresh water to swim in. We too had huge pump slicked slides and dive rafts, though not anywhere that tall! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Future Flappers: 1923
Washington, D.C. "Girls at Potomac Tidal Basin bathing beach pavilion, 5/28/23." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Fun at Tidal Basin! Those pictures of my grandparents' generation having great ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2016 - 6:38pm -

Washington, D.C. "Girls at Potomac Tidal Basin bathing beach pavilion, 5/28/23." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Fun at Tidal Basin!Those pictures of my grandparents' generation having great times are among my absolute favorites, here! It makes me sad to think that it would soon be replaced with a pool. The swimming was probably as nice, but the other activities appear to have come to an end, like the beauty contests, pie eating contests, etc.. GirlsBeing a boy, the only access to an all-girls gathering is through word of mouth (highly subjective) or glimpses via photos such as this one which grant admission to a special place. I look hard at the faces (okay, and bodies) of each and every one of these girls. So many character types, so many imagined stories. For pure verve, I am drawn repeatedly to the young lady on the left on the lowest step, she of the wackiest bathing bonnet, but rocking it totally, and with her linked fingers holding her crossed knee. She's certainly attending to the words of the finger-pointing matron, but I reckon there's so much more going on, if that gentle smile is but one indication. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
Beach Style Parade: 1922
... "Washington Advertising Club bathing beauty contest at Tidal Basin." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2018 - 10:20pm -

June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Washington Advertising Club bathing beauty contest at Tidal Basin." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.         "Quintet of beauties wore the models of Lansburg & Brother, which captured first prize in the store competition." Caboose of the quintet is Miss Iola Swinnerton, First Lady of Shorpy, who took second in the individual costume contest. Read all about it here. Miss IolaIt's nice to see her again, even if only a glance. Laurels to Former Follies Girl Washington Post, June 18, 1922. CROWN ANNA NIEBEL BEACH STYLE QUEEN Judges at Tidal Basin Contest Award Costume Laurels to Former Follies Girl 5,000 WATCH AS 45 PARADE Simple Attire Wins -- Miss Swinnerton Second -- Lansburgh's Captures Store Prize         Five thousand Washington lovers of the aesthetic, artistic and beautiful -- and, incidentally, of aquatic pastimes -- crowded the Tidal Basin bathing beach yesterday afternoon to witness the annual bathing costume style show, staged under the auspices of the Washington Advertising club. Bathing costumes entered by 11 local stores were exhibited by 45 selected models.         Miss Anna Niebel, former Follies girl, who lives at 1370 Harvard street northwest, won first prize by unanimous vote of the judges. Her prize-winning costume was one of the most simple exhibited, indicating that the element of practical usefulness was taken into consideration by the judges in making the award. She represented the Sportmart [seen here, here and here]. Former Winner Takes Prize.         Miss Iola Swinnerton, 3125 Mount Pleasant street, winner of a former beauty contest at the basin, was the second choice of the judges. Her suit was one of the five entered by Lansburgh & Bros., the firm to which was awarded the cup for the best composite store exhibit.         L.E. Rubel, chairman of the Advertising club committee, in charge of the contest, presented the cups to the winners.         The entries ranged from the extreme simplicity of the one-piece type of suit with the abbreviated skirt to more elaborate creations with multitudinous frills and ruffles. A knitted toque to match the wearer's suit was one of the innovations in bathing headgear that attracted attention. Not So Much Scantiness.         Most of the suits were more extensive, so far as the amount of material used was concerned, than those exhibited in former years. A rubber suit of green and white cut on extremely loose lines set the pace for originality.         Weather conditions were ideal for the show, although it had been announced that all suits entered were of the kind that could have been worn in the rain without damage. Iola!As always, I only have eyes for Ms. Swinnerton. She is always lovely. Iola's second 15 minutes of fameAfter the roaring twenties, Iola Swinnerton's trail goes cold for a while. But in the 1940s, she reappeared in various daily newspapers as "Chicago's Stone Woman," a reference to a disabling affliction that caused some of her muscle tissue to calcify, leaving her disabled. Her 1942 marriage to Theron V. Warren, described as an organist and shipyard worker, was also covered, including photos in various papers of her repeating her vows from her wheelchair. Other than an unsuccessful petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court filed on behalf of Theron V. Warren in 1958, and his death in 1975, I could find no other clues to their fate after 1947. [According to our earlier research, Iola Taylor married Gerald Swinnerton in 1918; he deserted her in 1941. Evidently her affliction was too much for him to bear. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Iola S., Swimming)
Who Can't Swim?
... View full size. Noted Swimming Authority Tidal Basin Bathing Beach George H. Corson, noted swimming authority and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:19pm -

"George H. Corson, 1920" is the caption for this enigmatic and slightly damaged photo of bathers in the Potomac River. National Photo Company. View full size. Noted Swimming Authority Tidal Basin Bathing Beach George H. Corson, noted swimming authority and instructor, has been engaged to teach beginners and advanced classes. L. Gordon Leech, Manager Sidney W. Leech, Asst. Mgr.
The Girls of Summer: 1922
... Congress established that the entire area, including the Tidal Basin, formerly known as Potomac Flats, should become a public park. ... the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:01pm -

Washington, D.C., 1922. "Potomac bathing beach." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Hubba-Hubba!These ladies are hot even by today's standards! I love the Star Trek alien on the far right. I bet he thought he was the coolest dude at the shore! ZowieNice find. The Silent Movie......Kirsten Dunst, Cate Blanchett and, er, Helena Bonham-Carter? Three GracesMy goodness. The young lady in the middle ... wow. Beach history fan.I got curious about where this beach was and if it was still open. I guess I found where it "was" but it was apparently closed in 1925. Based on earlier comments here and monuments/buildings in the photo backgrounds, I found this in a report on the Jefferson Memorial and its grounds at nps.gov: In 1897, Congress established that the entire area, including the Tidal Basin, formerly known as Potomac Flats, should become a public park. ... the bathing beach adjacent to the future memorial site became popular. Swimming in the Tidal Basin continued until about 1925 when it was stopped by the newly merged Office of Public Buildings and Grounds and Office of Public Parks of the National Capital. The reason for this was twofold; firstly, because of the health risks caused by the debris which floated in the Tidal Basin through the Inlet Bridge and second, due to the racist policies which limited the use of the beach to whites only. Rather than allow access to the beach for everyone, it was closed and returned to its former condition, a natural waters edge without sand. ... The site of the former beach was occupied by baseball fields and tennis courts. So, I assume the beach was located where the current baseball fields are across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial? The cutie in the middle? She'd be 104-110 years old today ... sigh. Bathing BeachI looked through more of the LOC photos tagged under "Potomac Bathing Beach" and similar. There's a photo looking parallel to the beach that faces the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. There's another photo taken looking perpendicular to the beach, facing out over the water. What appears to be the Lincoln Memorial is far off in the distance. Another photo taken parallel to the beach (with the beach on the right) shows the Washington Monument in the background. The beach must have been nearly on the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial itself rather than what I "said" earlier, trying to put it across the Tidal Basin where the current baseball fields (and Roosevelt Memorial) are now. Between the wars. Before the Depression. That must have been quite a time to have been living in Washington. Wow1922?! Aside from the costumes those girls look like 3 attractive lassies tha you might see on a beach today. Maybe that's the point of posting photos like this. Thank-you. Harry McGrawMy great-uncle, Harry L. McGraw, drowned along with a friend two days before the beach formally opened in the 1890's. A lawsuit followed, but I don't know the end result. Apparently neither 13-year-old Harry nor his friend could swim, and stepped off a ledge into some kind of crater that dropped off 12 feet. The authorities found the boys' clothing in a bathing house on shore and were able to identify them. This sad story has always made me wonder exactly where the beach was located, and I'm assuming it was right near the Jefferson Memorial. Pictured, left to rightSmall, Medium and Large. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Down to the River: 1923
May 28, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Potomac Tidal Basin bathing beach." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:08pm -

May 28, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Potomac Tidal Basin bathing beach." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Very unflatteringTo the female figure; these rather shapeless costumes, particularly when combined with knee length hose. Was it deliberate to deter any unwanted amorous advances or just a question of fashion? Basin BathersThis looks like the Tidal Basin to me, with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the background. Our bathers are about where the Jefferson Memorial sits now. How to hide in plain sight--the wrong wayI like the guy trying to be all inconspicuous while taking in the view. Or maybe he's just keeping an eagle eye on his girl. At least, I hope that's a guy. Shocking stockings!I think this photo contradicts the view that everyone back then was skinny. Those stockings by the way -- did they have early knowledge of DVT? Bathing Beauties?Maybe, maybe not, but they definitely appear to be having a good time. ScandalousWhile to the modern eye these swim suits may appear to be very unflattering to the female form, by comparison with women's bathing costumes of even fifteen years before this is a scandalous baring of skin, not to mention far more form fitting. What happenedThe first girl decided to sit down and the rest came tumbling down after her? The gal on the top right is hott. Too bad she's not around anymore. Cute girlFirst in line, sitting right on the ground. The photographer apparently thought so, too! Bathing by Day, Sleeping by NightAn elderly neighbor of mine in the 1300 blk of Maryland Ave NE, born 1916 and since deceased, told me about how she and her cousins and their grandparents would go sleep by the Tidal Basin in the warm weather. Once, they took the sled down to the river, then the snow melted, so her grandfather had to go back home with the horses to get the buggy to carry the sleigh back to the stable. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Basin Ball: 1924
July 10, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Push ball at Tidal Basin." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 4:20pm -

July 10, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Push ball at Tidal Basin." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Is it our old friendBeach Policeman? The SuitsThe best part about this picture is that the subjects had actually gotten the their bathing attire entirely wet. Welcome to the VillageThe Prisoner, 1.0 Law & Order: Special Beach Balls UnitThat has to be the biggest beach ball in the history of humankind. Looks dangerous. Swimming PlatformsThose swimming platforms were still around when I was a youth in the early 1950's. Da-Dum, Da-DumAll I could think of was the "Jaws" theme! Royal PrerogativeI see Prince Albert and Queen Victoria have a platform to themselves. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Swim Meet: 1919
... D.C. "Bathing Beauties -- ladies' swimming meet at Tidal Basin bathing beach." 4x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2023 - 6:56pm -

July 13, 1919. Washington, D.C. "Bathing Beauties -- ladies' swimming meet at Tidal Basin bathing beach." 4x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Looks like a lot of drag to meThose swimsuits are not conducive to winning a swim competition. Neither is long hair tucked under a cloth cap. And for the women wearing boots -- forget it. What a Difference a Century MakesToday if a bathing suit contest is announced all of the contestants will usually be young ladies 18-25 with pretty faces, enhanced bosoms, slim waists and hips to match the bosoms and waist. Blondes will be at least 50%, perfect teeth as well as small noses at 100%. All the ladies who do not meet the criteria mentioned would sit on the sidelines and cheer on the ladies with the perfect bodies. Back last century since there was no body slamming internet spots, no swiping right/left apps and myriad magazines with color photos touting perfect shapes and telling the readers how to attain them. The ladies of that time all seem to have self confidence in their looks and are not put off by any competitor. The picture shows many versions of the ladies and I'm for it since variety is truly the spice of life. [The contest here was more athletic than aesthetic. - Dave] Medal-Some MermaidEthel Bilson, the "proficient water nymph", traveled from Chicago to be at this swimming meet, so it must have had some importance. Begin reading at the first full paragraph: (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Beauty Contest: 1922
"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Misses Eva Fridell, 17, and Anna ... GIRL WINS BEAUTY PRIZE Judges Rule None in Tidal Basin Contest Excelled Miss Fridell In Pulchritude. SIXTY IN ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:38pm -

"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Misses Eva Fridell, 17, and Anna Niebel. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Political PowerIt is amazing how quickly women's bathing attire became so much smaller after they got the vote. Our beauty on the lefthas got the "babyface knees" almost perfect Looks like the wrong one wonassuming that size, in silver cups, matters. The one on the right is a beauty. We've seen these two before: https://www.shorpy.com/node/356 If they were the winners,what did the losers look like. The one on the right looks particularly sinister, I certainly wouldn't like to meet her on a dark night! Thelma and LouiseSeems like the one on the left probably wrestled that cup away from somebody. And the one on the right looks like she's a street brawler. Ah yes, leave it to Shorpy to find the first two lady wrastlers and foist them on us as beauty queens! LovelyWow. There's just something enchanting about the women in the 1920s-era beauty contest photos you post. Maybe it's because they were so naturally beautiful without all the beauty aids and plastic surgery women have access to today. I WonderIf anybody else showed up for the contest. The one on the right is OK, but the one on the left looks, um, rather plain (I'm trying to be polite!) YikesI've often had the thought that the 1970s had the worst style and taste in American history, but nah. Nothing will ever beat the 1920s. I'm thinking of why the port side wonLooks like a red haired lady with beautiful freckles and naturally long hair. The very attractive lass with the dark hair has her hair bobbed. I'm sure the judges considered that no real lady would bob their hair. I prefer both. Both of these ladies are lovely.Although I have to admit that I never knew Joan Cusak was so old. Left GirlHmm, Maogwai Cat has made me reconsider my opinion of the girl on the left. If she had red hair and green eyes (her eyes seem lightly colored in this picture), she would be striking. In this case, the B&W photo giving her such a lifeless coloring does her no favors, along with the angle of her head. But I still stand by that the styles of the 1920s were a low point. They are both winners!Especially if you look at it full size. And even more if they were wearing something else. Oddly, red hair has not always been considered attractive. "Red-headed stepchild" was an insult in more than one way. [Indeed they were -- Eva won the beauty prize and Anna won for best costume. - Dave] A Girl With CurlsWashington Post, August 6, 1922. TITIAN-HAIRED GIRL WINS BEAUTY PRIZE Judges Rule None in Tidal Basin Contest Excelled Miss Fridell In Pulchritude. SIXTY IN GRAND PARADE Miss Niebel Again Awarded First Honors for Best Bathing Suit Shown at Beach.         The old-fashioned titian-haired beauty, without the modern make-up, returned to popularity yesterday by winning the fourth annual beauty contest at the Tidal Basin. A girl with curls, of athletic type and wearing the normal style of bathing suit, Miss Eva Fridell, a 17-year-old Business High school student, took the capital prize, a large silver loving cup. She wore a yellow bathing suit with narrow black stripes around it. Not only is she a regular patron of the beach, but one of the expert divers and swimmers.         Miss Fridell, whose complexion needed no paint or powder, quickly caught the eye of the judges, Al. J. Frey, Isaac Gans and Arthur Leslie Smith. The winner lives with her parents at 611 Ninth street northeast. Going Back to High School.         Last spring she graduated from a two-year course at Business High school, but expects to return in the fall to complete a four-year course.         The winner of the style show at the beach a few months ago, Miss Anna Niebel, of 1370 Harvard street northwest, again came out as the winner of the best costume for beauty, design and durability. Miss Niebel was awarded a silver loving cup for the suit she wore, which was all blue rubber, with several white stripes at intervals.         Second prize for the beauty was awarded to Miss Gay Gately, of 1402 Massachusetts avenue southeast. Miss Iola Swinnerton, of 3125 Mount Pleasant street northwest, was awarded second prize for costumes. Both were given engraved gold medals. Nine Chosen From Sixty.         Of the 60 girls entered in the contest, nine were picked out to appear before the judges. These were Gay Gateley, Norine Fords, Mae Poole Allen, Eva Fridell, Edith and Aileen Bergstrum, Anna Niebel, Dorothy Parker and Iola Swinnerton.         The participants were paraded before the judges several times before the winners were chosen. Al. J. Frey, chairman of the judges, is a member of Hochchild Kohn & Co. of Baltimore, Md. He was appointed to select the winner of the beauty contest conducted at Palm Beach, Fla., last winter. The winner of this contest received a check for $1,000 as first prize. YellowThis is interesting for colourisers. The article states that Miss Fridell had a yellow suit with black trimmings. In monochrome the yellow appears quite dark - a common feature (see the picture I colourised of Civil War veterans a while back). It's easy to assume that yellow in black and white looks pale - but it isn't always so. And this is an excellent example. Orthochromatic FilmPanchromatic film was not invented until the thirties and was first used for the movies. Othochromatic film is most sensitive to blue light. That's why the silent films have such high contrast and the mid 30s and later "talkies" look so much different with their extensive grey tones. Panchromatic film did not get wide use until almost WWII. [This was photographed on a glass plate, not film. Panchromatic emulsion for plates first became available in the early 1900s, though they did not come into common usage until the 1920s. Kodak released their first panchromatic film stock in 1913, though it was intended for use in additive-color motion-picture photography. Their regular panchromatic film came in 1922; the first feature film to be shot entirely with it was that year's The Headless Horseman. - tterrace] I know, I should have said emulsion. Othochromatic film or emulsion was not in general use until WWII. Even Weston used Orthochromic film in a box camera for his photos. What you see is mostly his darkroom work when you view his photographs. In color... and if you want to see how I think it looked in colour: https://www.shorpy.com/node/12695 UncomfortableI have been trying to picture what a rubber bathing suit would be like, and it sounds miserable, but so does a wool bathing suit, like Ms. Fridell is wearing! (The Gallery, Bizarre, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Hanging Out: 1922
... Washington Post, July 11, 1922. Grotto Day at Basin. Band Concert and Sports Will Feature Outing Tomorrow. ... families, Grotto day will be observed tomorrow at the Tidal basin bathing beach. M.W. Pickering, monarch of the Kallipolis ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:03pm -

July 1922. Washington, D.C. "Kallipolis Grotto, Potomac bathing beach." The Grotto being one of Washington's many Masonic lodges. A big cigar, a bottle of pop, and Thou. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. CodpieceThe man seems to be wearing a weird garment! I wonder what the young ladies think? DenizenBy-the-Jesus, that fellow's a Mainer if I ever saw one! (Effete Maine, down around Portland, has citizens; the rest of the state has denizens.) Sore SpotsI'd like to think that the sores and his legs and the sores on her arms are coincidental. [They're not just coincidental, they're nonexistent! Except on the negative. Note how the "sores" are also seen on clothing and even in the sand. - tterrace] What's that smell?Nothing like hanging out next to the sewer clean out. Re Codpiece, Shriner-styleOur dapper chaperon with the stogie waiting, the hat set just so, and the bottle of Moxie is sporting a oddly-torn Kallipolis Grotto shirt. Whatever these three are thinking, it probably is not "If we live another 90 years, we won't even be on Facebook." But they'd be wrong: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kallipolis-Grotto/190273837666381 The Maine ThingIf he's from Maine, he should be drinking a Moxie, but I don't recognize the beverage in his hand. Any sharp-eyed pop bottle spotters care to weigh in on what he's been imbibing? Grotto DayFeatured activities included leap frog races, relay races, three-legged races and needle-threading contests. Washington Post, July 11, 1922. Grotto Day at Basin. Band Concert and Sports Will Feature Outing Tomorrow. With a concert by the Kallipolis Grotto band, sports for children and grown-ups, a general picnic lunch and other stunts for members of the Grotto and their families, Grotto day will be observed tomorrow at the Tidal basin bathing beach. M.W. Pickering, monarch of the Kallipolis Grotto; Edward Libey, secretary, and Charles Shackelford, master of ceremonies, are in charge of "Grotto day" at the bathing beach tomorrow. The GrottoI'm a member of that Grotto. (The Gallery, D.C., Swimming)
Beauty Prize Winners: 1922
... by winning the fourth annual beauty contest at the Tidal Basin. A girl with curls, of athletic type and wearing the normal style of ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 07/06/2018 - 10:20pm -

Four prize winners in the 1922 beauty show at Washington Bathing Beach, Washington, D.C. Left to right: Gay Gatley, Eva Fridell, Anna Niebel, Iola Swinnerton. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Beauty Pageant WinnersIt's fascinating to see how the image of the "ideal" body has changed, and yet the average female has the same type shape. This female feels a little better. . .! where?I'm curious as to where this DC Bathing Beach was. I'm sure the water back in '22 was a heck of a lot cleaner than it currenty is. I coulnd't imagine getting in any of the rivers around here for enjoyment. Ew! No airbrushing here!Funny how times, styles and beliefs change! Anon TipsterI agree Anonymous Tipster. :) It's sad that we can't be happy with how our bodies look. It's nice to see women that aren't starved winning awards for being beautiful! The second one from the leftThe second one from the left scares me. She looks like she could kill me with her eyes if she wanted to. No. 2looks like she is a redhead Lil' IolaHas perfect posture, and her feet are in a dance position. My guess is she was a dancer. I agreeI agree with Anonymous Tipster......In today's society if you are a woman you have to be skinny or almost fake looking to get in pictures for commercials or magazines. I think today people need to reconsider woman as a whole and not based on what they look like. Missouri woman DC bathing BeachMy wife, a native Washingtonian now 82 years old, tells me her parents went swimming there, it was at Hains Point. - Milt Girl on the right...I've noticed that girl on the right in several photos. She looks like a female version of Ronnie James Dio, ha. Four Prize Winners?Looks like there were only four contestants $1000 for Titian-Haired Beauty Washington Post, Aug 6, 1922 Titian-Haired Girl Wins Beauty Prize The old-fashioned titian-haired beauty, without the modern make-up, returned to popularity yesterday, by winning the fourth annual beauty contest at the Tidal Basin. A girl with curls, of athletic type and wearing the normal style of bathing suit, Miss Eva Fridell, a 17 year-old Business High school student, took the capital prize, a large silver loving cup. She wore a yellow bathing suit with narrow black stripes around it. Not only is she a regular patron of the beach, but one of the expert divers and swimmers. Miss Fridell, whose complexion needed no paint or powder, quickly caught the eye of the judges A.J. Frey, Isaac Gans and Arthur Leslie Smith. The winner lives with her parents at 611 Ninth street, northeast The winner of the style show at the beach a few months ago, Miss Anna Niebel, of 1370 Harvard street northwest, again came out as the winner of the best costume for beauty, design and durability. Miss Niebel was awarded a silver loving cup for the suit she wore, which was all blue rubber, with several white stripes at intervals. Second prize for the beauty was awarded to Miss Gay Gately (sic), of 1402 Massachusetts avenue southeast. Miss Iola Swinnerton, of 3125 Mount Pleasant street, northwest, was awarded second prize for costumes. Both were given engraved gold medals. The winner of this contest received a check for $1000 as first prize. Yellow?I get the "titian haired beauty part" because she's definitely that, but if she's wearing the same suit that she wore in the competition I'll eat a pair of my old sneakers. There is no way in the world that that suit is "a yellow bathing suit with narrow black stripes around it." Weight was healthy.Many comments about body type for all these types of photos. At that time, a thin person was considered unhealthy. A thin woman with a high metabolism was considered "sickly" and was not thought to make for a good wife or mother. Other attitudes migrated with immigrants from places where food was sometimes scarce. A healthy wife and family was a sign of prosperity where the man was a good provider and his family ate well. He could be proud of the abundance he brought to his home and the fact that they could afford plenty of meat, etc.. Iola's address3125 Mount Pleasant St NW is still there. The first floor is (or was recently) occupied by the Mount Pleasant Cleaners and the Raven Grill. Anyone have a better photo of that location today? Body ImageI beg to differ. That image of plump women=healthy was outdated by the late 1910s. The fashion magazines began promoting the image of thin, athletic women. Harper's Bazaar and the other glossies had a hand in making women obsess over their weight and the amount of exercise they had to do to look like the girls in the magazines. That's still where we are today. The power of suggestion the magazines had/have over us is so great, women didn't even shave their arms and legs until a magazine (I think it was Vanity Fair) began this massive and explosive campaign degrading hairy legs and armpits, because it was disagreeable to see the hair while wearing the short-hemmed and sleeveless outfits that were just coming into fashion. A very sizable prize!I was impressed that the first prize was $1,000! That would be a pretty good prize for a beach beauty pageant, now! I agree about the winner's bathing costume. Maybe her stockings were yellow with black stripes, but not the suit! It is hard to imagine her as beautiful, based on this picture, but I'll bet she looked much better in color. (Later, I went to an inflation calculator to see how that $1,000 prize in 1922 would compare in today's money. It would be worth less than $14,000 today, still a decent piece of change, but not nearly as much as I was thinking. That was because things actually went backwards during the depression. That $1,000 in 1922 didn't get back to being worth the same $1,000 again until twenty years later, 1942.) My favorite is Iola. She was very charming and attractive, and obviously loved the beach. However, I think that bathing costume was absolutely hideous! 1904-1988Eva Fridell's resting place: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144664246/eva-hawkins (D.C., Iola S., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Seven Up: 1920
... Seven lovelies at the Potomac bathing beach near the Tidal Basin. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 3:06pm -

"Bathing beach, 1920." Seven lovelies at the Potomac bathing beach near the Tidal Basin. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Two of your loveliesare sporting a thin, shiny material that looks like no bathing suit fabric that I have seen from the period - and they are a very different style from the others. Do you think they are bathing suits or some kind of beach sun dresses? Not for Every BodyBathing caps, wool suits and swimsocks. That's a look you really don't see much anymore. MedallionsSeveral of the gals have medallions around their necks. Any idea the purpose? [Claim tags for the rented swimsuits. - Dave] Babes, Bobs ...No Bernices here. Not even Miss Nips was daring enough to bob her hair. My, What Teeth!These girls have pretty good teeth, for the most part, in an era during which orthadontics were the exception rather than the rule. Mom...is that you?The girl 3rd from the left certainly looks familiar? ScandalousWhat is the guy doing on the right? Like other shorpyers (shorpytonians?) observed I can see scandal afoot with these loose women. Thank you for the daily glimpses into life during the past century, it is refreshing to add more perspective to our history as an industrial and technological society. My word!This is NSFW! Have these gals no shame? Missys baring skin like this are looking for a good time, a husband or poison ivy. No good will come of it. Wool Jersey versus Cotton SateenMost of the bathing suits appear to be wool jersey knits, the most popular bathing suit material at the time. The two girls to the right, however, appear to be wearing home-made cotton shift bathing suits or beach dresses. The reflectivity and drape of the fabric suggests woven cotton sateen, an inexpensive fabric that was also sometimes used for beach garments, particularly by home seamstresses. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Iola and Anna: 1922
... Anna Niebel, winners of the bathing costume contest at the Tidal Basin. Miss Swinnerton, the runner-up, resides at 3125 Mount Pleasant Street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2018 - 10:19pm -

June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Iola Swinnerton and Anna Niebel, winners of the bathing costume contest at the Tidal Basin. Miss Swinnerton, the runner-up, resides at 3125 Mount Pleasant Street N.W.; Miss Niebel, who took first prize, lives at 1370 Harvard Street N.W." National Photo glass negative. View full size. Outstanding outfits!What great costumes! Woman on the LeftI guess they weren't into abs at the time. She looks a little chunky or maybe even pregnant. [That would be Iola, a Shorpy favorite. - Dave] WinnersIf these are the winners, can't imagine how awful looking the losers were. 1922According to my Grandmother, for that time period the woman on the right would be considered "fast"--her hair is "bobbed" and she's showing way too much leg. IolaWhen I look at Iola, the girl on the right, I see Drew Barrymore. Do you? Iola and AnnaMy father was born the day after this picture was taken. He is 85 and living happily with his new girlfriend in the SF Bay Area. My how times fly. They listed her address?Can you imagine a photo caption today giving out a pretty girl's home address? Didn't they have creeps back then? IolaMike, I totally agree. Drew Barrymore was my first thought. Hmmm.I live a block away from her. Creepy. No Paris & NicoleYou're right on the mark there, Mr. Mel. Those girls are huge. Guess they hadn't invented eating disorders yet back then, huh? I, for one, am relieved that our standards of beauty have risen so drastically in the last hundred years. The Benighted '20sTragically, in those days they didn’t realize that emaciated heroin addicts with chemically-paralyzed faces were the epitome of female beauty. Iola & AnnaWell put. You made me laugh quite a lot! Yes! I thought the exact same thing as soon as I saw the picture full size. These girls are great. So much character in their faces. I really like the girl on the left. Flap Away GalsI'm completely overwhelmed with excitement! The 20's amaze me. They were a Tim Burton dream/nightmare. The photos are always so rich, dark and full of mystery. Even something like a beauty contest. Your imagination can run as wild as Iola and Anna. GLORIOUS! BeautifulWow, I actually feel really sad for those of you that are seriously looking down your noses at these girls. This is real beauty. Woman do not look like what society considers beautiful today. I would so much rather have had these women as role-models then the anorexic girls in magazines growing up. Not the most flattering of IolaAnyone who doesn't see Iola as beautiful in this picture should look at the others of her in this gallery. This one doesn't do her justice, because she was absolutely gorgeous! I don't know how anyone can comment on her figure when it is covered up by that horrible bathing suit. She could have had a 24 inch waist under it, for all we know! I will concede that she wasn't Twiggy, but she wasn't obese, either. I think Anna probably outweighed Iola by 15-20 pounds. Under the swimsuitBelieve me, there's no Twiggy hiding there. (The Gallery, D.C., Iola S., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Sweet Seventeen: 1922
"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Seventeen-year-old Eva Fridell, last ... As someone who lives just a few blocks from the Tidal Basin, I'm disappointed that we no longer have such events in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 3:12pm -

"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Seventeen-year-old Eva Fridell, last seen here and here, takes the loving cup from judge Isaac Gans. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Why don't they do this anymore?As someone who lives just a few blocks from the Tidal Basin, I'm disappointed that we no longer have such events in the neighborhood (and that we no longer have girls like that in the neighborhood as well). America's Other SweetheartIf the other photos left doubts about this girl's ability to charm, this photo should dispel them. This is a classic silent movie era version of "Work it, girl!" And the pair of mesmerized Ruperts on the right seal the deal. ScenarioCharlie Rose is annoyed. He wanted Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon to win, and had told her that he could fix it. Now she'll probably go home and marry that prince. Smile!So here we have documentary evidence that people not only really did smile back then, but could smile when their picture was being taken. They just had to have something to smile about. Just having your picture taken in and of itself wasn't enough. In fact, what we generally see seems to point to a societal norm of the time that being photographed was regarded as an occasion for dignity. I wonder if the OED has a date for the first occurrence of the phrase "Say cheese!" Very happy young ladyBeautiful, playful smile! We judged too hastily! Pretty girl. Say cheeseIn reply to tterrace the OED or Brewers' Dictionary doesn't seem have the origin of the phrase "say cheese." I did find this, though: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/say-cheese.html My goodness!US Park Police Officer Bill Norton must be off to-day! How To Avoid Getting Sand In Your ShoesMr Gans had the right idea, don't get off that bottom step. I Just knewI Just knew she had a smile in her. Glad we've finally seen it. She sure looks nice wearing it! Ah yesA lovely young redhead with freckles and curves! I love her long curly hair as well. Just beautiful! Hmmm,Girls really did have hips back then. Oh no heI'd kill to know what it was he said to get that expression. She lived to be 110 years old[Article about a different Eva Fridell.] [Our Eva lived in Washington, DC. See this article in a comment to a previous photo of her. - tterrace] What a doll!I agree with all of the others who have commented on how much prettier she looks in this one than the others of her. Personality really makes a difference! Sure looks like Mr. Gans is loving his job, that day, doesn't it? Some information on Eva FridellI decided to ask my dad, the career Marine-turned genealogist, if he could find out anything about our Eva Fridell, here. Here is what he said: "Eva Fridell, the bathing beauty and not the one that lived in Washington State and died at the age 110, was born 22 October 1904 in Washington, D.C. She died 7 November 1988 in Silver Springs, Maryland. I found several Family Trees with her in them but most everything about her was marked 'Private". There was one indication that she had married a man named Julius Hawkins. He was a Commander in The Navy." So, that's at least a little more on the girl that so many of us have been touched by, in one way or another! I agree with noelani I am a little late to the show here, but I have to say I absolutely love the way the photographer captured the charm of this shot. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Bathing Beauties: 1919
Washington, D.C., 1919. "Beauty contests at Tidal Basin." Two spectators check out the ladies. Harris & Ewing Collection ... Kellermanns at the first annual beach parade at the Tidal Basin yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Audrey O'Connor, 620 Maryland avenue ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 3:07pm -

Washington, D.C., 1919. "Beauty contests at Tidal Basin." Two spectators check out the ladies. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Pudding Pop"Daddy, why is everyone laughing at us?" Smokin'The cigar is a nice touch. Shock TheaterHorror pictures now on Shorpy. Eeww!Probably not a candidate for the "Handsome Rake" tag. In fact with those "man-boobs" I'm glad someone identified this as a male! I can't like it!Will keep trying until I do. YOWZA!YOWZA! Fashion TipNext time, go with the vertical stripes. They're so slimming. Thank goodness...We can all be grateful this is before Speedos were invented. Rescue me!Won't you mister? UV Warning!I hope everyone is wearing sunblock. Whew!For a second, I thought that was a beauty contest participant! Dale Carnegie would say.. .that guy has a really great head of hair. Pink make me look chubby.Please, please don't colorize this photo. Not so fit and trim. Hey, what happened to all that talk about"how everyone in the old days was so fit and trim"? Here's the poster boy for the future of America! Not This TimeI am NOT going to click the "View full size" button. CutiesIt's not at all fashionable, but I like a man with some substance, and one who's at home in the body's he's got. Gym rats and calorie counters are so often bores, and this dude, with a cigar in one hand and adorable toddler holding the other, doesn't look at all dull. The swimsuit isn't especially flattering -- to the skinny guys either, I might add -- but this same man in work clothes or a suit? Sweet! OddI have been visiting this site for years and this picture is one of the oddest almost scariest I've seen. As my mother used to say...There's probably something wrong with his glands. The skinny on the contestI did some searching in old newspaper archives and while I can't find mention of the couple in the photograph, I did find something out about the contest. The following is from the Washington Post, 27 July 1919: ----------------------------------------- GALAXY OF BEAUTY PARADES AT BEACH Comely Damsels in Scant Attire Win Prizes for Their Appearance. 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 ...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 batery [sic] of press cameras. Later one of the winners obligingly did a modified "shimmy dance" for the movie men. --------------------------- I think we can assume the individual in the photograph is not one of the winners. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Swimming)
The Boys of Summer: 1923
... this picture of that "beach"? There is sand. [The Tidal Basin had two municipal bathing beaches. Follow the link in the comment below. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1923. "Opening of Potomac bathing beach." Everyone say "yaaaay!" National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Where is the beachMy father grew up in SW Washington in the early 1920s and spoke of going swimming in the Potomac. I always assumed he meant the channel between Hains Point and the SW waterfront. Is this picture of that "beach"? There is sand. [The Tidal Basin had two municipal bathing beaches. Follow the link in the comment below. - Dave] Holy Mackerel What a gaggle of boys. See if you can findeven one overweight kid in the picture. Good tryThe kid on the left in the front row gave it his best but missed the photographer completely. MedalistsWhat a great photo... Whenever I see children, of any era, it makes me wonder about their future and what their lives were like. They all look so happy here! Pardon the ignorance but what are the little medals they are wearing around their necks? Name tags? [Claim tags for the bathhouse lockers. These are rented swimsuits. - Dave] Re: See if you can findThe kid in the front row on the right looks a bit husky. Segregated Beach?Noting the absence of any person of color, the question has to be asked. [And has already been asked. Dangling modifier notwithstanding. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Swimming)
Style Show: 1922
June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Group winners at Tidal Basin bathing beach." On the right we have eternal Shorpy sweetheart Iola ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/07/2022 - 4:58pm -

June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Group winners at Tidal Basin bathing beach." On the right we have eternal Shorpy sweetheart Iola Swinnerton; the others are interchangeable nonentities who serve only to emphasize her many charms. In the background is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Not heard there this day on that occasion"Iola, are you, like, happy you won?" "Happy? It's, like, totally awesome!" "I'm, like, so-o-o-o-o-o, like, totally thrilled for you!" "Awesome!" Guy sitting on left to his friend, whispering: "Dude! I, like, see some bare skin!" Friend: "Duuuuuude! Sick! Yeah, like you can almost see like their whole shoulders! Oh, man!" First guy: "Duuude!" How it looks nowView Larger Map Black MagicThe girl in the very middle appears to be holding a figure that looks like a voodoo doll, possibly representing her main competitor and she may have pins in her cobbler's apron with which to put a curse on whichever girl she deems threatening. This photo was taken on my father's 13th birthday which may well have been a Sunday, since it often coincided with Father's Day. And last but not least, those were some horribly hideous "get-ups" those gals were wearing, especially the bloomers, the printed outfit and all the leg attire. Perhaps there was no winner. Follow-up: Just FYI there is a website called "Day of the Week" and if you type it into your search space, it will tell you the day any date fell on in the past. This swimsuit contest was a SATURDAY. PerspectiveHaving recently visited DC, and having walked round the tidal basin would I be correct in thinking that this is taken roughly where the Jefferson Memorial now is? I'm basing that on the position and angle of the Bureau of Engraving and printing in the background. What is Iola wearing?Looks like a shredded trash bag, or maybe she's going to the renaissance faire later. The young lady with the open parasol is quite attractive. ShoesThe girl with the open parasol is wearing some very interesting shoes. They look like modern pointe shoes (pointe shoes have changed very little since the 19th century, actually), but it looks like the soles may be a little harder. But then again, they also look brand new. Ballet shoes don't stay pristine for long. I bet she was a ballerina. They're even laced properly. My inner ballerina picked up on the shoes, especially since they're different from the other girls'. The Female Kneehas obviously undergone rapid evolution under the selection pressure imposed by short skirts. Iola's bathing suitI agree with Vintage TV. I think Iola's bathing suit is hideous! I prefer the one she wore the year before https://www.shorpy.com/node/666?size=_original I think she's a doll, though. The girl second from the left is pretty cute, too, and the one far left looks considerably more attractive than in the other photo we have of her. I love these photos of these girls! Seeing multiple photos of someone allows us to get to know them much more than seeing just one. PS, just looked at another one, https://www.shorpy.com/node/1759 which has three of the same girls and is the same summer, thinking this would have been from the same time. Although they are wearing the same suits, from what I can see, they all have something different in their hair and/or on their feet. I wonder if they had these contests every month or so, or maybe if they just got the girls together a few days later for the rooftop photo. (The Gallery, D.C., Iola S., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls)
Jaws: 1924
Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Tidal Basin bathing girls." As a hatchling growing up in South Florida, one of my ... location of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. [The Tidal Basin, as noted in the caption. -Dave] Fooled me for a minute ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2013 - 4:36pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Tidal Basin bathing girls." As a hatchling growing up in South Florida, one of my first wildlife safety lessons was: Do not let the bathing-girl put her hand in your mouth. Because you never know where it's been. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. With the Bureau of Printing and Engravingin the background, this appears to be on or near the location of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. [The Tidal Basin, as noted in the caption. -Dave] Fooled me for a minuteWhat would you call this - a statue, a model - or just a fake alligator? [I'd call it stuffed. -tterrace] Similar toThis one. The perspective is definitely right for that location. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Swimming)
The Wolverine: 1922
... Fanne Fox, who later jumped from his car into the Tidal Basin and sank Mill's career. Gorgeous photograph! And also a revelation ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/18/2012 - 5:52pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Leader Theater, front." Sidney Lust's movie house on Ninth Street N.W. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Into the MixWow. Interesting mix of dancehall cafe, Greek restaurant, vaudeville/burlesque house and cinema. Even in black-and-white, certainly more colorful than the mall multiplex. Breathtaking ArchitecturePlease tell me this magnificent building is still standing. Built in 1910, it could be . . .please! The gigantic statuary flanking the marquee---dwarfed by the HUGE roofline finial statues---is simply stunning. All the buildings along this block have unique architecture with intricate detail. Was this an "entertainment block"? I see a cafe/dance hall, burlesque house, the Leader theater, and a Greek restaurant. I wager to say even the "Washington Shoe Shine and Hat Cleaning Parlor" was probably an entertaining place to visit! The Tarzan die cut advertising tucked around the marquee would be worth a small fortune on today's antique market! The Port ArthurStarting from the left... Washington Post, Oct 20, 1914 Fight in Chinese Cafe Three Men Arrested Following Row in Port Arthur Restaurant The moving-picture district on Ninth, between E and F streets northwest, was thrown into a state of excitement last night just as the shows were discharging their crowds by a fight in the Port Arthur Chinese restaurant, in which three young men are alleged to have attempted to smash everything in the shape of furnishings and the head of every Chinese employee in the place. The trouble attracted a crowd that blockaded the street from curb to curb. Cries and curses and the breaking of glass and tableware added to the situation. Policeman Miller alone grappled with the fighters and emerged from the place brining three of the principles with him. They were taken to the first precinct. Morris Sing, proprieteor of the restaurant, told the police that the party came into his place and ordered food. Then for some reason unknown one of the men picked up the dishes, smashed them, and then started a general assault principally against the Chinese employes of the place. Several of the Chinese waiters were injured, but refused hospital treatment. A one-sex audienceAll boys, I notice. Apparently girls stayed home on Saturday afternoons. All in knickers, scratchy woolen stockings and high leather shoes. And every single one of them wearing a cap except the half-dozen or so who are holding them in their hands. Helen Gibson in "The Wolverine." Not much information, I'm afraid. Elmo Lincoln in "The Adventures of Tarzan." (Lots.) The WolverineI had no idea Hugh Jackman was so old! "The Wolverine"Plot Synopsis by Hans J. Wollstein Based on a novel by the prolific B.M. Bower (pseudonym for novelist Bertha "Muzzy" Sinclair), The Wolverine starred former serial queen and stunt-woman Helen Gibson as a rancher who stands up for an employee (Jack Connolly) unjustly accused of cattle rustling. Ward Warren (Connolly) had come West after serving a prison sentence for a crime he didn't commit. History repeats itself for Ward when a couple of bandits he had chased off the land, accuses him of being a rustler himself. The former common-law wife of Hoot Gibson, Gibson (née Rose Wenger) had gained stardom replacing Helen Holmes in the long-running The Hazards of Helen. By no means a traditional screen beauty -- but spirited -- Gibson's starring career was brief, and she returned to stunt-doubling in talkies. http://www.allmovie.com/work/wolverine-117381 Around the World in a BlockThe architectural walking tour here is pretty wild. There's the Belle Epoque excesses of the Gayety and Leader theaters, crowned by their zinc copies of sculptures from the Petit Palais at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Then there's the Gothic church facade of the Port Arthur Restaurant. And then there's the Acropolis (Greek) restaurant housed behind a Chinese balcony, left over from the Port Arthur's old location on the other side of the Gayety (the stairwell entrance to the "gothic" Port Arthur at 515-17 has a matching Chinese carved wood awning). But just when I was getting an urge for some nice spanakopita, I noticed that the Acropolis seems to have been replaced by the all-American Rowland's Buffet. Cable cars?Is that a cable slot between the streetcar tracks? [It's access to the underground electrical supply that powered Washington's streetcars. - Dave] "Fastest Northwestern Picture Ever Screened"What the heck does that mean? ["The Wolverine" was a train. Which is shown in the sign. - Dave] Coming AttractionView Larger Map The location today. The J. Edgar Hoover Building is right behind you. The GayetyThis is right around the corner from the original 9:30 Club. I remember parking across the street from the Gayety in the early 80's. Creepy place, they showed "adult" movies. Lots of drug addicts and perverts. Wilbur Mills and the GayetyThe Gayety lasted into the 1970s. That's where House Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills first met "Argentine Firecracker" Fanne Fox, who later jumped from his car into the Tidal Basin and sank Mill's career. Gorgeous photograph!And also a revelation for me. Was The Port Arthur a Chinese food chain? There was also one by that name in downtown Providence. I don't know when it opened there, but I do know that it lasted well into the 1940's and was - according to my Dad - the hottest place to go to on a Saturday night in the late 30's and early 40's. Drinking, dancing to a band and exotic, for its time, Chinese food. My Aunt Mary and another female relative sang there, as well. What an eye-opener! And what a thrill this photo is to drink in! I'd throw down my nickel to see that movie in a second - if only for the pleasure of getting to see what the inside of the theater looked like! This is one of the very best postings this year. [Below: The Port Arthur Chinese restaurant in New York. Click to enlarge. - Dave] Helen GibsonThat picture is awesome. Thanks for sharing it. I have been researching Helen Gibson for many years and have many of her personal ephemera pieces. Including her copy of the Wolverine lobby card with the image enlarged as a poster on the left of the entrance. Thanks for your site, I always see something exciting. Newsboy MatineeGiven all the young boys and the fact that that whatever is going on here it merited a photograph, I am guessing this is another gathering of newsboys for a Saturday matinee. Shorpy viewers have previously seen a similar event in this 1925 photo of the Leader Theater. Alas, no sign of Bo-Bo, "the monkey with the human brain," in the photo. Washington Post, Feb 12, 1922 Carriers' Theater Party Many Post newsboys yesterday had the time of their lives at the showings of the latest installment of the Adventures of Tarzan at Sidney B. Lust's Leader and Truxton theaters as the guests of Mr. Lust and the circulation department of the Post. The boys found the day an even greater event than they had expected, for in the morning at their homes, each had received letters from W.C. Shelton, circulation manager of The Post, thanking them for their efforts delivering The Post on time during the storm and enclosing $1 as a bonus. Mr. Lust, who was host to a number of the carriers yesterday, will entertain as many more today, for tickets good for either day were sent out. As a special inducement to efficient service, the boys who rank among the best carriers in the city will receive free movie tickets for the next 15 weeks. The boys had been particularly interested in the Tarzan film, which features Elmo Lincoln. Bo-Bo, the monkey with the human brain, was on hand to meet the boys when they reached the Theater, and on leaving every boy was given a bag of peanuts. Bo-Bo plays an important part in the Tarzan serial, and his antics created much amusement. Elmo!Where else but in America could a guy named Elmo with a 52-inch chest become a movie star? In addition to his rightful claim to fame as the first film Tarzan (in 1918), Elmo Lincoln was also in the silent classics "Birth of a Nation," "Intolerance" and "That Fatal Glass of Beer." He came back in the late 1930s in bit roles in talkies, including "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." "The Adventures of Tarzan" was Lincoln's third and final foray in the role of the vine-swinger, which was probably just as well, as he was afraid of heights. Released as a 15-part serial, it was one of the smash hits of the year, taking in more than Valentino's "The Sheik." Sugar Plums at the GayetyWhen this photo was taken, burlesque had not yet begun its long slide from musical comedies and revues into adults-only sleaze. The Washington Gayety was one in a large chain of theaters, with shows rotating among them on a circuit, as in vaudeville. Gayety shows featured such stars as Al Jolson, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker and Will Rogers. Harry Coleman, starring in the Washington Gayety's "Sugar Plums," was a comedian who began receiving favorable reviews around 1915, and appeared in a few silent films as early as 1910 (his last film credit is as a bit player in the dance hall scenes in Chaplin's "The Gold Rush"). On Nov. 8, 1918, the Toronto World ran a notice for the Toronto Gayety's new show "The Roseland Girls," beginning with this lead: "The Roseland Girls" is a show that may always be relied upon to furnish the sort of entertainment that the patrons of the Gayety Theatre will like and will be enjoyed by all classes of theatregoers. The company is headed by Harry Coleman, Bert Lahr, Kitty Mitchell" [and others]. Absolutely wonderful. What a civilization we once had! The adult on the far right appears to be halting traffic with his blurry arms so as to give the photog a clear view of the newsboys. Elmo of the ApesElmo Lincoln was in the first Tarzan feature, "Tarzan of the Apes," which was filmed in Morgan City, La. (I suppose if you took the Southern Pacific east out of LA that would be the first quasi-jungle swamp you would come to.) Morgan City is a real pit, an oilfield blue collar town with not much going for it. In 1986 I was staying overnight there and read in some chamber of commerce brochure an invitation to come back in 1988, for the 70th anniversary of the release of the film and Morgan City's Tarzan fest. Two years later the Wall St. Journal had an article in its humorous-story corner about how in the midst of all the planning the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate prevented Morgan City from going forward with the festival. The poor town was stuck with all of the preliminary costs of their big event in the city's history. What a shame. Good thing there was a captionI couldn't see the name of the theatre anywhere on it. I suppose it could be covered by a banner for the movie. You'd never see a business today allowing its identity to be obscured. Elmo Is My HomeboyElmo Lincoln is the only movie star from my hometown of Rochester, Indiana! That's all I've got to say. Some 4-digit population towns can't claim ANY movie stars. What is next door?Does anyone read Greek? I wonder what the upstairs of the building on the theater's left houses? [The name is there in both Greek and English: Acropolis Cafe. - Dave] Dressed to the NinesI can't imagine a group of that many boys wearing ties to a movie today. (The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Natl Photo)
The Fab Five: 1922
... shop) and the photos are from a "Style Show" held at the Tidal Basin [Yes, Lansburgh's was a big department store in Washington. - Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2018 - 10:19pm -

"Lansburgh bathing girls" in 1922 near Washington, D.C. Girl on the right: Iola Swinnerton. View full size. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company. IolaThe woman on the right is fantastic. What a beautiful face! Famous GroupieI think the woman on the right looks exactly like Pamela Des Barres, which is not necessarily a compliment. More IolaIola is OK in this photo, but I like her even better in this one. [She's also here and here and here. Who can tell us what became of lovely Iola? - Dave] Iola's friend......the girl second from the right... She is in a number of these 'bathing beauty' pics, too, and always right next to Iola. They must have been best friends, or maybe even sisters! :) IolaAccording to the SSDI there are at least 30 women who were issued Social Security cards in Wash. D.C. named Iola who would have been between the ages of 16 and 25 in 1922. An SSDI search for "Iola Swinnerton" turned up bupkis. So she either married or she is still alive and approximately 100 years of age. I didn't even bother checking Maryland or Virginia. Apparently Iola was a very commmon name in the South and Midwest at the turn of the 20th century. IolaI found the same Washington Post article and it gives the other girls names as Mary Lee, Thelma Spencer, Hattie Spencer and Julia Cunningham. The winners were models for Lansburgh & Brothers (which I assume was a department store or dress shop) and the photos are from a "Style Show" held at the Tidal Basin [Yes, Lansburgh's was a big department store in Washington. - Dave] Elusive IolaI haven't found a great deal more, but I did discover some newspaper clippings about her beauty contest winnings via Ancestry.com, and if it helps to narrow your search any, in 1920 she was described as an 18-year-old restaurant cashier from (and working in) Washington, D.C. Exquisite Clothing DetailI adore the headpiece on # 5 on the right. I want to steal that idea for a costume. It would play beautifully today. So happy!I love the pictures from the 1920s! The people always look so happy. Granted, these girls just won a bathing suit contest, so of course they'll be happy, but in every 20s picture I've seen everyone looks so happy and carefree, like they can do anything and be anything in the world. Just love it thank you for this site! Mystery girl Iola SwinnertonIola is such a mystery! She seems to have taken Washington by storm in 1920 when she was named the most beautiful girl in the District. For those who have access to historic newspapers, see the front page of the Mansfield (Ohio) News of Nov 21, 1920, for a write-up and photo: Winner of Beauty Contest is Athlete Miss Iola Swinnerton of Washington has won an opportunity for fame and fortune in having been selected as the most beautiful of hundreds of capital girls in a recent beauty contest. Miss Swinnerton, who is a cashier in a Washington restaurant, attributes her beauty to her love of athletics and outdoor exercise. Thought we found her in Dec 1942. Iola Taylor Swinnerton, described as the "Stone Woman" because of a rare disease that was hardening her legs, was getting married in Chicago to one Theron Warren. Her first husband, Gerald Swinnerton, deserted her in 1941. [According to the news accounts from 1942, Iola Taylor had married Gerald Swinnerton in 1918. So she couldn't have been the Miss Swinnerton of Washington, D.C., unless they Missed when they should have Mrsed. Which is a definite possibility. (Updated July 2018) - Dave] This pictureThis picture is set on the roof of the Lansburgh department store in downtown DC in the vicinity of 7th and E. Iola has grown on me!In the first picture I saw of Iola, I thought she was so odd looking that she was kind of homely, but her looks have grown on me. In this picture, she looks absolutely adorable! You know that it is all natural, too. She looks like she is wearing some lip rouge, but probably no other makeup. I don't like the bathing outfit with the slats but, as my father used to say, you can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse! I'm glad that she took the opportunity to enter the beauty contests on the beach before that fleeting blessing; youth, got away from her, as it does to us all! (The Gallery, Iola S., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Sunshine Girls: 1923
... across the Potomac. Also, in 1923, I believe that the tidal basin was not as large as it currently is. 3rd from right that's no ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/23/2020 - 12:32pm -

July 19, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Sunshine Girls at beach." The London dance troupe originated by the British musical-theater impresario John Tiller. View full size. The ShoesCheck out them shoes! The third girl and the girl on the end look like they are wearing something a little more comfortable for the beach.... Some Like It Hot?The third and fourth individuals from the right look like a couple of transvestites, and neither are as convincing as Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Definitely Across the RiverFrom the distance to the memorial, they're definitely across the Potomac. Also, in 1923, I believe that the tidal basin was not as large as it currently is. 3rd from rightthat's no woman baby... Roosevelt IslandI believe it's on the DC side near the Watergate and the Tidal Basin. That's Roosevelt Island in the background. 3rd from rightSure that's a woman. Maybe Marty Feldman's grandmother. Marty's GrandmaYeah, her name was Abby something...... Abby Normal, I believe. Sixteen Sunshine GirlsOne's missing! Washington Post Mar 4, 1923 Cyclonic Dancers Feature of "Good Morning, Dearie" Whatever else you may remember or forget after seeing that phantasmagoria known as "Good Morning, Dearie," it is dollars to little green apples that you will still have a vivid impression of those cyclonic English dancers, the Sixteen Sunshine Girls, photographed on your mind. These girls rivet the attention so that they become one of the outstanding features of the performance. They flash on the stage only three times during the evening and are seen for less than eight minutes in all, but the precision, uniformity and speed with which they execute their sensational dances always sends a thrill through the audience. Someone has called these Sixteen Sunshine Girls the thirty-two soles that beat as one. They are the pick of the John Tiller flock, which now numbers some 20,000 dancers all trained by the English dancing master. Tiller is a staid and sedate Britisher who began instructing corps of dancers more than forty years ago. Now, throughout England and indeed throughout the world, troupes of Tiller girls are performing their intricate dances. The girls are apprenticed to him when they are 10 years old and the first year of their apprenticeship is devoted entirely to marching. They receive an all-round education, but dancing is not taken up until later. It is this marching and counter-marching which so inculcates in them that sense of uniformity, rhythm and speed which is the amazement of all audiences. The Tiller training is severe and arduous and the discipline among the pupils is almost military in its demands. Each member of the troupe takes care of her own costumes. They are all responsible to the eldest girl who acts as captain of the troupe. The Sixteen Sunshine Girls have been together since they were 16 years old. The troupe was first organized five years ago. In that time they have seen all of England, spent a year in Paris and two years in the United States. Eight of the girls are engaged to be married, but have postponed the wedding until the end of the tour of "Good Morning, Dearie." (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Bathing Beach Parade: 1919
... Washington, D.C. Swimsuit "bathing beach parade" at the Tidal Basin. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 7:13pm -

July 26, 1919. Washington, D.C. Swimsuit "bathing beach parade" at the Tidal Basin. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Bathing ParadeI'm not sure what's better - the clocked stockings and the righthand girl's expression, or the gents crowding in on the left for a better look. Bathing Parade cont.I think it might be the lefthand gal's Seuss-y sun hat. It's glorious! Comely DamselsThis photo would be great in color: blue and orange? Based on the descriptions, the ordering in the photo (left-to-right) is: Dot Buckley, Audrey O'Connor, Muriel Gibbs, Grace Fleishman. Washington Post, Jul 27, 1919 Galaxy of Beauty Parades at the Beach Comely Damsels in Scant Attire Win Prizes for Their Appearance While more than 5,000 persons clambered to each other's shoulders and to the 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'Conner 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 to 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 costume contests. Following the parade of the score or more of the beauties between the 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. The ContestantsI took the contestants as being (left to right) Gibbs, O'Connor, Buckley and Fleishman. No. 3's outfit looks like a natural for being in red, white, and blue (Buckley's colors), and No. 1's hat looks like an attempt at the Statue of Liberty's crown. Does anyone know where Iowa Circle was? Bathing Beauties in ColorStanton Square asked for this to be colorised. Well, not if this actual photo I've done the same group here. Blue and orange and all. Iowa CircleIowa Circle is now known as Logan Circle. The name was changed by Congress in dedication to Gen. John Logan. Audrey O'COnnorThe second from the left is my paternal grandmother, Audrey O'Connor. While the colorized version is certainly well done, the loving cup is not silver, but copper. The engraved loving cup is proudly sitting on my bookcase. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Live It Up: 1922
... before her premature curtain, with friends at the Potomac Tidal Basin. View full size. Give me liberty...or give me.... Another ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 3:07pm -

1922. Washington, D.C. The actress Kay Laurell again, five years before her premature curtain, with friends at the Potomac Tidal Basin. View full size. Give me liberty...or give me....Another Broadway contribution to the war effort was the bust of Miss Kay Laurell. In the Ziegfeld Follies of 1917, a tableau by Ben Ali Hagan had Miss Laurell posed before crossed American and French flags in the fatigue uniform of a French soldier, blouse torn by some previously dispatched vicious German, exposing one reportedly magnificent breast. Word was that the French government ordered 200,000 copies of a photo of Miss Laurell's portrayal to use in an enlistment campaign. There is a suspicion that the word came from Ziegfeld's publicity people however. On Kay"Any woman could get money out of a man. What took real skill was getting the money and evading the sleeping." -- Kay Laurell "She was the most successful practitioner of her trade of her generation in New York. She had all the arts of a first-rate harlot. The skull and crossbones were there on the label for all to see." -- Helen Hayes And the URL is?So where's the shot of the reportedly magnificent breast? The February 1973 Playboy claims to feature Kay, among other Siegfeld [sic] Girls. Oar Guitar GirlKay's friend on the right is the oar guitar girl from the canoe photo. Who was she? Eleanor Griffith?Perhaps the other lass is Eleanor Griffith, Kay's costar in the production of "Ladies Night" then playing at the Belasco. The Library of Congress archives contain one labeled photo of Miss Griffith: I think the smile is very similar. Update: another image of Eleanor, circa 1928: Magnificently Breastless This photo via the New York Public Library seems to be her famous costume from the 1918 Ziegfeld Follies. Some prude appears to have engineered a coverup. However those with a purely historic interest in Ms. Laurell's bosom may see it in several works by painter William Glackens, for whom Laurell repeatedly posed. As You Are I Once WasDancing figures on the beach, As the marks left by their feet, Are all long gone. And rising in far off in the mist, We behold the obelisk. The Cigaretteis nice touch on the beach. My mother died in 1938 of pneumonia before antibiotics at the age of 36. A death like that now would be very unlikely. Not exactly "Les Miz"As the war intensified, posing undressed began to be considered patriotic. If a woman stood naked posed as the Statue of Liberty, she was doing her duty for the American troops. Indeed, a record number of woman volunteered to be "undraped" in the 1917 edition's centerpiece. In the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918, which opened after the United States had joined the war, the curtain opened on a darkened stage to reveal a huge revolving globe with Kay Laurell perched on top, breast exposed. Little French girls in rags, a dying soldier attended by Red Cross volunteers, and a trench over which doughboys charged amid devastating gunfire completed the scene. Gazing down on a Ben Ali Haggin set piece designed to look like the world burning, Laurell was supposed to represent the spirit of France. -- From "Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show" by Rachel Schteir. A Photo Shoot...Is no reason to interrupt one's smoking. The Genuine ArticlesI don't know if they are "magnificent," but like they said on Seinfeld: "they're real, and they're spectacular!" The Ziegfeld TableauThe tableau described by gblawson is fairly standard French imagery; a depiction of Marianne (the symbol of France) fighting and victorious. This version of Marianne is inevitably depicted wearing a Phrygian cap (in Roman times indicating a freed slave) and one breast bared, recalling the goddess Athena. Probably the most famous depiction is Delacroix's 1830 painting "Liberty Leading the People." How it might have looked in colorCouldn't resist. Click to enlarge. Kay LaurellKay Laurell did not die from pneumonia. She died in childbirth. Wikepedia is not correct. She had a son, don't know what happened to him, he was to inherit her estate. Read the newspaper article. re: Kay LaurellIMDB and Wikipedia both claim pneumonia as cause of death since that is what was reported in the New York Times obituary. A story in a 1930 edition of the Miami News does however reinforce the contention that it was death by childbirth. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
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