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Washington, D.C. April 29, 1925. "Girls from Keith's at Arlington Beach." Showgirls from the local B.F. Keith vaudeville house taking a dip in nippy weather. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
The practice of wearing stockings and shoes with bathing attire, still so evident just a few years earlier, seems to have been passe by the mid-twenties. How fortunate for the girls! Sand permeates every piece of clothing worn to the beach and stockings and shoes would have gotten very nasty!
Left to right:
1. Same to ya, Bud!
2. Ain't this fun?
3. I hope this pic makes it big time.
4. Let's get it over with.
5. Yup ... I'm cold. Hope it doesn't show.
6. Any one else think I'm cute?
7. Oh! So embarrassing!
The third from the left is an authentic Conehead girl!
I suspect wool was the bathing suit material of choice because, unlike cotton, it tends to retain its insulating power when wet. It's also resilient.
Nevertheless, the insulating power of these suits seems to be insufficient in some regards.
We have a large Roman statue-fountain in our garden that we've named "Nippy" (or perhaps "Nipi") for similar reasons.
Yup, the weather is nippy, and they're standing at attention! My personal favourite is the third one from the left. Nice hair.
What do you mean, Dave? Goose bumps on their arms and legs?
[Something like that. "Nippy" -- such an apt description. - Dave]
If the weather was as nippy as assumed, these women were real troupers to look so cheery for the camera.
[Nippiness is revealed by close visual inspection. - Dave]
The bad news: I am going to learn colorization! The good news: I am starting with flesh tones on this photo.
Just kidding!
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