Women's Bathing and Swimming Costume in the United States Part 2

In the 1890s foreign visitors were impressed by American concern with finding opportunities to play; early in the century they had remarked on the apparent lack of interest in amus.e.m.e.nts. The term, "summer resorts,"

no longer referred to a relatively small number of fas.h.i.+onable watering places. The _New York Tribune_ was running eight columns of summer hotel advertis.e.m.e.nts aimed directly at the middle cla.s.s. The popular _Summer Tourist and Excursion Guide_ listed moderate-priced hotels and railroad excursions; it was a far departure from the fas.h.i.+onable tour of the 1840s.

Thus, as economic and technological factors changed, bathing was transformed from a medicinal treatment for the leisure cla.s.s to a recreation enjoyed by a large portion of the population.

SWIMMING

As has been stated earlier, swimming was being practiced by men in Europe when the early colonists were leaving their old homes.

Nevertheless, the task of establis.h.i.+ng new homes left them little time to practice the "art of swimming" or to teach it to fellow colonists.

Benjamin Franklin is no doubt the most famous early proponent of swimming in the colonies. In his autobiography written in the form of a letter to his son in 1771, Franklin revealed his early interest in swimming.

I had from a child been delighted with this exercise, had studied and practiced Thevenot's motions and position, and added some of my own, aiming at the graceful and easy, as well as the useful.[23]

[23] JARED SPARKS, _The Works of Benjamin Franklin_ (Boston: Tappan and Whittemore, 1844), vol. I, pp. 63-64.

Benjamin Franklin used every opportunity to encourage his friends to learn to swim,

as I wish all men were taught to do in their youth; they would, on many occurrences, be the safer for having that skill, and on many more the happier, as freer from painful apprehensions of danger, to say nothing of the enjoyment in so delightful and wholesome an exercise.[24]

[24] J. FROST, _The Art of Swimming_ (New York: P. W. Gallaudet, 1818), p. 57.

Not only was Franklin in favor of being able to swim but when requested he advised friends on methods for how to teach oneself. His instructions, in his letter of September 28, 1776 to Mr. Oliver Neale, were published a number of times even as late as the 1830s.

America's first swimming school was established at Boston in 1827 by Francis Liefer. Two expert swimmers, John Quincy Adams and John James Audubon, the ornithologist, visited the school and each expressed delight at having found such an establishment.

Numerous books instructing men how to swim were brought into the United States in the early 19th century and some were republished here, but the first original work (i.e., not a plagiarism) by an American was not published until 1846. In this book the author, James Arlington Bennet, M.D., LL.D., based his instructions upon his own personal observations as an experienced swimmer. Dr. Bennet's publication requires special note not only due to the basic value of the information but because of the extraordinary t.i.tle (i.e., _The Art of Swimming Exemplified by Diagrams from Which Both s.e.xes May Learn to Swim and Float on the Water; and Rules for All Kinds of Bathing in the Preservation of Health and Cure of Disease, with the Management of Diet from Infancy to Old Age, and a Valuable Remedy Against Sea-sickness_). Thanks to this explicit t.i.tle we learn that Dr. Bennet was in favor of women learning to swim.

This energetic aquatic activity had long been considered a masculine skill and, despite such a significant publication, this att.i.tude continued until much later in the century.

We have already noted in a previous discussion that the Berkeley Springs bath houses of the 1850s provided a swimming bath for men but no similar facilities for women. Also at certain seaside resorts of the same period, a special time was set for men to practice the art of swimming without clothing, but women had no similar opportunity. When the ladies entered the water they were clothed from head to toe because men were also present. The description of women's bathing costume, which will appear in a later section, clearly shows that women could do little more than try to maintain their footing. Undoubtedly some "brazen" women did find the opportunity to swim, but the general att.i.tude was that women should only immerse themselves in water.

By the 1860s there was a widespread health movement which gave additional momentum to the belief that physical exercise was good for one's well-being. As a result, women were being encouraged to emerge from their state of physical inactivity imposed by social custom.

Swimming had already gained recognition as a healthful exercise for men, but with this fresh approach it was even being suggested that women should swim. A column that appeared in 1866, ent.i.tled "Physical Exercise for Females," a.s.serted that

Bathing, as it is practiced at our coast resorts, is, no doubt, a delightful recreation; but if to it swimming could be added, the delight would be increased, and the possible use and advantage much extended.[25]

[25] _Frank Leslie's Ill.u.s.trated Newspaper_ (August 25, 1866), vol.

22, no. 569, p. 355.

In answer to the possible objection that the facilities for teaching were not always available, the writer maintained that in addition to the seash.o.r.e there were rivers, lakes, and ponds as well as the swimming baths found in most large cities. He further a.s.serted that if the demand were great enough, certain days could be appropriated exclusively to women as was done in some of the London baths.

The type of baths referred to in this case were not built simply to supply a health-giving treatment or for recreation as described earlier.

As part of the health movement mentioned above, there was a growing concern in regards to personal cleansing; it was realized that merely splas.h.i.+ng water on the face in the morning was not sufficient for good personal hygiene. While facilities for was.h.i.+ng the whole body were being installed in wealthy homes, there was also a growing concern for the ma.s.ses of people who could not afford such extravagance. Thus philanthropic individuals encouraged the building of public swimming baths in densely populated, low income areas. It was hoped that, although the patrons would be covered by bathing costume and would be seeking refreshment and recreation, this unaccustomed contact with water would improve their personal hygiene.

In 1870 a reporter for _Leslie's_, who was describing two elegant large bathhouses (the type described above) in New York City, stated that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were set apart for ladies and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sat.u.r.days for gentlemen. These baths became quite popular in the large cities, particularly among people who could not afford the time or money to make trips even to the near seaside resorts. By the 1880s they were so popular that bathing time was scheduled to allow many sets of bathers to enjoy the water. Thus a number of women who had probably never been completely covered with water before had the opportunity to learn to swim.

While women were being encouraged to practice swimming as a healthful exercise, this activity was being recognized as a recreation and sport for men. The increasing affluence during the last three decades of the 19th century, which made possible the widespread popularity of summer excursions, encouraged swimming as an individual pastime as well as a growing spectator sport. This was true not only for swimming but for nearly every sport we enjoy today. In 1871 a reporter wrote:

It is not underrating the interest attached to yachting or rowing matches, to say that swimming clubs and swimming matches can be made to create wider and more useful emulation among "the Million" who can never partic.i.p.ate in or benefit by those notable trials of skill and muscle.[26]

[26] Ibid. (July 29, 1871), vol. 32, no. 826, p. 322.

By the 1890s this growing interest in spectator and individual sports evidenced several interesting results. Separate sporting pages were established in the formats of many newspapers. In addition to being a summer pastime, "the art of swimming" became an intercollegiate and Olympic sport, and was included on the roster of events for the 1896 revival of the Olympic Games held in Athens. Innovations in facilities and techniques helped to alter the character of swimming. The most notable of these were the development of the indoor pool and the introductions of the crawl stroke into the United States.

It was in this time period that swimming for women was becoming socially acceptable. In 1888, Goucher College, a prominent girls' school, built its own indoor pool and the following year swimming was listed in its catalog for the first time. Writers, in turn, no longer felt it necessary to convince readers that women should be more active in the water, but concentrated instead on what a woman should know when she swims. This changing att.i.tude gained world-wide recognition in 1912 at Stockholm when the 100-meter swimming event for women was included in the schedule.

The period of prosperity following World War I brought a marked increase in the appreciation of recreation, resulting in an increase of swimming pools and available beaches. Indoor pools, which made swimming a year-round activity, were becoming even more numerous than beaches.

Swimming was now established as a sport and a recreation for both men and women. According to a 1924 magazine article in the _Delineator_, seldom was a swimming meet held anywhere in the country without events for women. At Palm Beach, however, one of the few remaining citadels of "high society," an axiom of fas.h.i.+on dictated that a lady or gentleman not go into the water before 11:45 in the morning; should one do so, one ran the risk of being taken for a maid or valet. The ma.s.ses, however, swam for pleasure without regard to the inhibitions of high fas.h.i.+on.

This period was also marked by the advent of swimming personalities of both s.e.xes. Johnny Weissmuller became a popular hero for his accomplishments in compet.i.tive swimming from 1921 to 1929. Even before the war Annette Kellerman, star of vaudeville and movies, had become famous for her fancy diving as well as her celebrated figure, which she daringly exhibited in a form-fitting, one-piece suit. In addition to writing an autobiography, she auth.o.r.ed articles and a swimming instruction book for women. As an example of what exercise, including swimming, could do for women, Annette Kellerman also lent her name to a course of physical culture for less "well-developed" ladies. Another product of this new age of recreation was Gertrude Ederle, who learned to swim at the Woman's Swimming a.s.sociation of New York. She rose to sudden fame in 1926 as the first woman to swim the English Channel.

As previously stated, swimming was practiced through the Middle Ages as a useful skill for men. Gradually this activity became regarded as also a healthful exercise and then as a recreation. Finally by the late 19th century swimming also had achieved the status of a compet.i.tive sport--but for men only. It was not until the 1920s that social att.i.tudes permitted women the same full use of the water as men.

The restrictive att.i.tudes defining women's proper behavior in the water prior to the 1920s were one element of the mores defining women's partic.i.p.ation in society. Thus as more liberal att.i.tudes gained acceptance and modified the original concept of the "weaker s.e.x," women gradually achieved social acceptance of their full partic.i.p.ation in aquatic activities.

Bathing Costume

Bathing became popular as a medicinal treatment for both men and women of the new world in the last half of the 18th century. It was the only aquatic activity, however, that was considered proper for women until over a hundred years later.

Like so many other customs, changes in bathing costume styles were initially introduced by way of England. They were adapted or rejected according to the special conditions of this continent. To give a clearer picture of the costume worn in the colonies and in the United States, descriptions of the English dress will be included where pertinent. I have not, however, found any evidence showing that bathing nude was a practice for women in this country.

THE EARLY BATHING GOWN

It is disappointing but not surprising to discover the lack of descriptions pertaining to early bathing costume. This simple gown was utilitarian, not decorative. Thus it deserved little attention in the eyes of the contemporary bather.

No doubt it is due to the importance of the original owner that the following example has survived. In the collection of family memorabilia at Mount Vernon, there is a chemise-type bathing gown that is said to have been worn by Martha Was.h.i.+ngton (fig. 6). According to a note attached to the gown signed by Eliza Parke Custis, and addressed to "Rosebud," a pet name for her daughter, Martha Was.h.i.+ngton probably wore this bathing gown at Berkeley Springs as she accompanied her daughter, Patsy, in her bath.

This blue and white checked linen gown has several construction details similar to the chemise, a woman's undergarment, of the period. The sleeves were gathered near the shoulder and were set in with a gusset at the armpit. The skirt of the gown was made wider at the bottom by the usual method of adding four long triangular pieces--one to each side of both the front and back. The sleeves, however, are not as full as those one would expect to find on a chemise of the period. Also a chemise would probably have had a much wider neckline gathered by a draw-string threaded through a band at the neck edge. Instead, this bathing gown has a moderately low neckline made wider by a slit down the front which is closed by two linen tapes sewn to either edge of the front. Although less fabric was used for the bathing gown than was normally required to make a chemise, it was probably not because of functional considerations as one might like to think, but because of the scarcity of fabric. Close examination reveals that the triangular sections of fabric used to add fullness to the skirt consist of several pieces. In fact the two sections used in the back are made from a different fabric, although it is still a blue and white checked linen. Frugal use of sc.r.a.ps in linings and hidden sections of decorative costume was common practice in the 18th century. The piecing of the bathing gown is further evidence of the fact that it was a garment that had no ornamental purpose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 6.--LINEN BATHING GOWN said to have been worn by Martha Was.h.i.+ngton. (_Courtesy of The Mount Vernon Ladies'

a.s.sociation._)]

Of particular interest are the lead disks which are wrapped in linen and attached near the hem next to the side seams by means of patches. No doubt these weights were used to keep the gown in place when the bather entered the water.

The following account of bathing in Dover, England, in 1782 suggests how the bathing gown might have been used at Berkeley Springs:

The Ladies in a morning when they intend to bathe, put on a long flannel gown under their other clothes, walk down to the beach, undress themselves to the flannel, then they walk in as deep as they please, and lay hold of the guides' hands, three or four together sometimes.

Then they dip over head twenty times perhaps; then they come onto the sh.o.r.e where there are women that attend with towels, cloaks, chairs, etc. The flannel is stripp'd off, wip'd dry, etc. Women hold cloaks round them. They dress themselves and go home.[27]

[27] _Diary of John Crosier_, 1782, as quoted in C. WILLETT and PHILLIS CUNNINGTON, _Handbook of English Costume in the Eighteenth Century_ (London: Faber and Faber, 1957), p. 404.

The earliest ill.u.s.tration showing costume worn in the United States for fresh water bathing is dated 1810 (see fig. 2). Unfortunately the painting reveals only that the bathing gowns were long and dark colored in comparison with the white dresses of the period.