1880-1919

Boardwalk rolling chairs or sometimes called rolling push carts were made popular in Atlantic city dating back to the 1880s through the early 2010s. You can still find some variations of the push cart to this day in Atlantic City but their popularity was diminished due to city regulations in 2010.

*On view at The Bryan Museum

From the 1880s through the first two decades of the 20th century, men’s swimwear changed very little. Although there were variations it is generally a one-piece form-fitting short-sleeved garment resembling long underwear with horizontal stripes. The legs on these suits extend down the thigh to just above the knee.

“Athletes”, a red pair of short hit-cut trunks, were commonly worn over the stripy stockinette shorts by men to cover their private parts, especially after coming out of water.
Image: Men’s bathing shorts and matching ‘athletes’

This outdoor street lighting is from Galveston’s Electric Pavilion. These lights used a large exterior globe to provide weather protection to the smaller interior light source. The globes were either clear, like this example, or opalescent.

*Object on view at The Bryan Museum

Two-piece bathing suit. Made from dark-colored wool, this hot and restrictive costume was designed for wading or immersion rather than physical exertion. It consists of bloomer-style legs, a ruffled neckline, and puffed short sleeves.

*On view at The Bryan Museum
Courtesy of Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas

Bathing Suits offered in the Montgomery Ward & Co. | Spring and Summer Catalog

FIRST CAMERA ENABLED PEOPLE TO TAKE SNAPS

The beginning of the 20th-century was a time of remarkable technological advances. Due to the introduction of the small, portable, inexpensive Brownie camera, by Eastman Kodak, enabled people to take “snapshots” for the first time in history.

* Object on view at The Bryan Museum

Since undressing in public was deemed improper, bathing machines became popular. These machines provided bathers with a convenient space to disrobe and stow their belongings. These carriages or wagons served mainly as changing rooms, principally used by women.

A swimmer would enter the bathing machine while it was parked on the beach and change into their bathing suit. They were rolled or drawn into the ocean by either horses or men. Once the bathing machine would be dragged out far enough into deeper water, the swimmer would emerge from the opposite door and dive into the ocean, far away from the prying eyes of those on the beach.

A particularly interesting feature offered at some locations were women attendants called “dippers” who served as assistants to the lady in the machine by helping her into the water (often by just pushing her out of the carriage). Dippers had to be strong because they were also charged with getting them employers back into the machines after they were through paddling around.

Little actual swimming took place under the circumstances. Since a swimmer’s wet clothes could easily add twenty or more pounds to her weight, dippers needed to be able to shoulder this added bulk in the form of soggy swimwear. They also needed to be watchful and make sure the lady they were serving did not get sucked underwater and drown in her heavy clothes.

A small flag was usually raised by the occupant of a bathing machine to signal that she wanted her carriage to be pulled back to the shore.

“In the Good Old Summer Time” is an American Tin Pan Alley song first published in 1902 with music by George Evans and lyrics by Ren Shields.

Women accessorized their bathing suits with bathing slippers. These slippers were necessary on stony beaches to protect from cuts caused by broken glass, oyster shells, and pebbles.

These slippers were commonly made of twisted straw or felt, and they had laces. Women would sometimes make them look more stylish by adding ribbons, bows, or braids. Due to popularity, these were continued to be worn commonly through the 1920s. You can often see these paired with stockings rolled partially up the calves.

After the turn of the century, we immediately begin to get to see the lighthearted joy of vacationers at the beach.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1900-1910

An incident that served as a catalyst for a significant change in the design of women’s swimwear:

Annette Kellermann, a world-renowned athlete, was found wearing a one-piece bathing suit that hugged the contours of her shapely body. As a result, she was arrested on Boston’s Revere Beach. She had designed a bathing suit for herself is known as “figure suit”. The police released her after she agreed to cover up with a cape until she enters the water. Annette Kellermann is credited as the first woman to wear the modern bathing suit.