IT ALL COMES OUT IN THE WASH

History teaches us when we walk through the looking glass of time, we see faces much like our own.

It is the details of everyday life that differ. The type of house the family lived in – three bedrooms, two bath or one-room mudbrick with a courtyard housing a goat. The kind of music – streaming service or lyre. The kind of food – chips and dip or lentil stew and flatbread.

Bathing is an everyday occurrence to moderns, not so much, the ancients. Over time, innovations such as canals, pumps, and piped water to homes have changed how humans are able to wash themselves and their clothes.

One interesting point. In Old Testament times, it was a man’s job to wash the dishes. Or at least to dry them.  

2 Kings 21:13 ~ And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

        

WASHING AND BATHING

Ahem. Back to washing in ancient times. Because I write biblical novels, I’m interested in many aspects of everyday life in biblical times. People washed themselves and their clothes for hygienic and ritual cleansing, using rivers and springs when they were available, lavers, jugs, and basins when they were not.

For example, Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing by the river when she discovered Moses (Exodus 2:5). King Ahab’s blood was washed from his chariot “near the pool where the prostitutes bathed" (1 Kings 22:38). Elisha told the leper Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be healed (2 Kings 5:10).

SOAP AND PERFUME

Sometimes soap is mentioned. “No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt.”  (Jeremiah 2:22). According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, the Hebrew word borith, often translated soap, refers to a cleansing agent made from ashes of wood or plants, particularly salsola kali (salt wort), abundant on the shores of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean.

Hyssop, Hebrew ezov, is also mentioned in regard to cleansing, “Purge me with ezov and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). Identified with Syrian Hyssop, the plant is popular as a spice or tea, with a pleasing fragrance.

Naomi encouraged Ruth to bathe and perfume herself before presenting herself to Boaz at the threshing floor. (Ruth 3:3).

FOOT WASHING

When full-body bathing was not possible, washing the hands, face, and feet could be accomplished with water, jug, and basin. Most people wore only sandals and their feet became dirty on the unpaved roads. It was customary for a person to wash his feet before entering his home. In a wealthy person’s home, a servant met guests at the door to perform this service.

Many are familiar with the story of Jesus acting as the servant and washing the feet of his disciples. This occurred during the Passover, when spring rains would have been falling and the streets of Jerusalem especially muddy. In this instance, Jesus humbly portrayed both physical and spiritual cleansing.

Geologists have uncovered many interesting artifacts related to washing in ancient times.

• A tenth-century BC tub in the sacred precinct at Tel Dan.
• Terra-cotta bathtubs from Philistine sites at Ashdod and Ekron.
• An 8th-century BC figurine of a woman bathing in a shallow tub from Achzib.
• Pottery basins for foot-washing at Samaria, Megiddo, and Lachish.

For further reading: 

Insights Into Bible Times and Customs, G. Christian Weiss

Daily Life in Biblical Times, Oded Borowski

Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical & Post-Biblical Antiquity, Yamauchi & Wilson

Plants of the Bible, Michael Zohary

RAIN ~ Whispers in the Wind Book 1

Aban yearns to join the priesthood of Ba'al, unlock the power of the rain god, and hear the deity's voice. But first, he must survive a perilous initiation ceremony. 

When the mysterious prophet Elijah interrupts the rites, overturns the idol, and curses the land with drought, Aban must choose a side in Yahweh's war against the Ba'als - and it may cost him his life.

Book 2, working title WHIRLWIND, coming February 2023.

Dana McNeely dreamed of living in a world teeming with adventure, danger, and romance, but she had a problem—she also needed a lot of peace and quiet. She learned to visit that dream world by stepping into a book.

Inspired by the Bible stories of Elijah, Dana wondered about the widow of Zarephath and her son. Who were they? What was their life, before? How did the boy change after he died, saw the other world—and came back?

Those questions led to Dana writing RAIN, in which she built her dream world of adventure, danger, and romance. Peace and quiet, however, have remained elusive.

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies.

Learn more about Dana and her books at her website: DanaMcNeely.com 

The Story Behind June Weddings By Donna Schlachter (with Giveaway)

Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy from Pexels

In America, June is a popular time for weddings. Flowering trees are often in bud, and those early summer blooms such as lilacs and apple blossoms are prevalent. But have you ever wondered why June was selected as the most popular month to get hitched?

Photo by jimmy teoh from Pexels

According to many sources, this tradition dates back to the Romans, and their goddess of fertility, Juno, who is likely closely related to the Greek goddess Hera.

 

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok from Pexels

Another story credits the practice with the warming temperatures which encouraged bathing, so having your annual bath and getting married seemed like a good idea.

Then again, the Christian tradition of Lent might have had some effect on the choice of dates. Couples longing to wed had to wait until after the Lenten season was passed, usually by mid-April, and then banns could be posted, which often carried the couples to the end of May before they could legally wed.

Photo by Secret Garden from Pexels

Flowers are another interesting part of the wedding tradition. Before the 18th century, bathing was not so popular, so often flowers were included in the ceremony to cover the scent of unwashed bodies. And waiting until June meant the choices for blooms were greater.

 

No matter the reason for the date, weddings are an important milestone in every couple’s life, and in the romance stories we love to read. Testing Tessa is one of those stories. While the heroine, Tessa, doesn’t set out to find a husband, she soon finds that the love that develops for one of her patients extends to his father. But can Seth, a widower, let go of the past and look beyond his dead wife’s memory to see the positive attributes of another woman? You can learn more about this story at https://www.amazon.com/Testing-Tessa-Donna-Schlachter/dp/1943688761

 

Question for readers: Leave a response to the following question to be entered into a random drawing for an ebook or print (US only) copy of Testing Tessa.

 

Which do you think is the best reason for marrying in June? Your answer doesn't have to be one of the theories mentioned above. 

Resource: https://brombergs.com/the-tradition-of-the-june-bride/





About Donna:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick. As a hybrid author, she writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 30 times in novellas and full-length novels. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, Sisters In Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, and Christian Authors Network; facilitates a critique group; and teaches writing classes online and in person. Donna also ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management. You can find her at www.HiStoryThrutheAges.com

Early Life Saver Fashion Part 1

by Anita Mae Draper

Shipwreck Victims of the Stranded SS Nord, 1913. Public Domain, Courtesy of UofW Freshwater and Marine Image Bank

Although every available person was used to rescue people from grounded or sinking ships, such as the SS Nord which lies off the Tasmanian coastline, the only requirement was a readiness and ability to help. But as open water bathing, better known as swimming, became a common recreational sport, sea-front communities realized they needed more than volunteer life savers and swimming lessons to keep inexperienced swimmers from drowning in the sea, especially where a high surf was involved.

Around 1896, the problem was solved with the modern day lifeguard, someone who was paid for keeping an eye on the bathers and rescuing those who required assistance.

In the last quarter of the 19th century, the U.S. Life-Saving Service (now the U.S. Coast Guard) trained in rescue preparedness to meet the demands of hapless swimmers, as well as aid people from boat wrecks and shore-line emergencies. 

Life-Saving Service crew in their surfboat with the beach cart and equipment. Undated U.S. Coast Guard photo. Public Domain

Lifesavers were mostly teams of uniformed men with padded life vests and surfboats, such as the lifesaving crew of Nantucket's Muskeget.

Lifesavers Pulling in a Boat, c 1900s. Public domain Wikimedia

By the 1920's, Lifesaver teams were still in action although their long pants and jackets were giving way to shorts and tops for quicker and safer movement of limbs in the water. Gone were the days when lifesavers battled exhaustion from cumbersome clothing that attempted to drag them down as well as the person they were trying to save.

Life Savers, Pablo Beach, Fla, 1919-1929. LOC Public Domain

Meanwhile, individual life guards patrolling the beaches were keeping up with trendy swimming fashion earlier than the lifesaving teams. Ever present was their life belt to which a rescue rope could be applied, leaving their hands free to swim to their target. The other end of the rope was attached to a reel where they, or the victim, could be reeled back to shore. 

A Life Saver on the Lookout, Between 1880 and 1906. LOC Public Domain

Over in Hawaii, Red Cross lifesavers were wearing sensible swimsuits by May 1920, and surfed to those in need with their trusty surfboards as part of their job. 

Red Cross life-savers at Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. Left to right: John D. Kaukiko; Duke Kahanamoku, champion; Com. W.E. Longfellow, ARC of Washington D.C.; David Kahanamoku, life guard. May 18, 1920. LOC Public Domain

My next post (July 5th) will feature female life savers, their training, and how fashion changed during the early 1900's to accommodate the freedom of sport and exercise for all. 

Please share with us if you've had a positive experience with a life guard.

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Anita Mae Draper writes historical romance in the Land of Living Skies where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with unique and personal details. Her faith is reflected in stories of forgiveness and redemption as her characters search for love and home. Readers can enrich their reading experience by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards for visual references of her stories, and more, at the links on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Anita Mae Draper's published stories appear in Barbour Publishing, WhiteFire Publishing, and Guideposts Books

The Life Saver of Bognor Beach

The Illustrated London News, Volume 75, 1879

My research on bathing machines uncovered the inspiring story of Mary Wheatland who saved over 30 lives in her lifetime. Born Mary Norris in 1835,  she was only 14 when she got a job working as a house servant for the bathing woman, Martha Mills, at the seaside resort of Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England. (Source: 1851 England Census) Mary loved to swim and seemed to handle the swift currents and high surf of the Bognor beach well so it wasn't long before Mary was put to work as a bathing assistant helping the patrons who visited the bathing machines. 

By the 1861 census, Mary, a bathing attendant, was married to George Wheatland, an agricultural labourer, and already had 2 of the 6 children who would be produced of the union. From all accounts, Mary's domestic life was a mess and she seems to have raised the children by herself, even while working. In fact, a year after her marriage, Mary was already famous for her life saving skills as proved in an entry in Bradshaw's Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain & Ireland. The gazeteer was published in 1858 and on page 65, one can find the following entry:

Bradshaw's Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain & Ireland entry for Bognor, Sussex

Swimming lessons were often offered as a service - for a fee - in conjunction with bathing machine use, but not everyone recognized the signs of drowning versus playing around, and many were scared to jump into the heavy currents lest they themselves be swept out to sea. Printed material, such as All About Bathing with Instructions, How to Swim and How To Save From Drowning, by Piscatory, was available, but Mary rescued her first drowning victim years before it was published in 1871.

East Parade, Bognor, England between ca.1890 and 1900. LOC Prints and Photographs Division

The Illustrated London News, Volume 75, 1879, reported that an article in a local halfpenny paper, Bersted Parish Magazine, told the story of a local bathing attendant who "...holds the saving of life to be as much the work of a bathing woman as the rinsing of a bathing dress." The article had been written by the Vicar of Bersted who interviewed Mary Wheatland who had recently received an honorary testimonial, on vellum no less, from the Royal Humane Society. After a bit of prodding from the vicar, Mary finally listed the bathers she'd rescued with the first being 20 yrs before (about 1859):

1. The heavy wife of a London brewer, whose soul was drifting into eternity and her body across the Channel.

2. A nurse whom a bathing-man had attempted to save, but gave up. Mary dashed in and completed the rescue.

3. A little foreign lady who was crying out as she drifted back to her Continental home. Mary added, "It was a strong sea and a ground swell. She swam round her, caught her by her dress, and paddled home with her foreign prize in tow."

4. A young lady who had treated Mary well and often brought her hot coffee.

5. Mary didn't remember anything about the lady except that she had snatched her from a watery grave.

6. A gentleman who turned to swim back upon experiencing heart trouble, but "knew no more" until awaking in his own bed. (The author of the article injected that he heard Mary received 20 pounds from the kind gentleman who apparently didn't miss it.)

7.-13. Mary needed some goading to admit this save because she didn't want to betray a confidence, but finally admitted that 5 years before, she came upon "six sportive young nymphs who had played away out of their depths and were drowning in a batch". Mary swam out and brought them in one-by-one while battling their water-soaked garments. Mary pleaded with the author not to say anything about it because the women had paid her "2 pounds back rent and sent her a bit of beef at Christmas".

Mary Wheatland, Bognor Celebrated Bathing Woman

Along with two medals and accompanying certificates presented by the Royal Humane Society for her courageous acts of bravery, Mary Wheatland was presented with another medal for "...saving the lives of six girls who had gotten into difficulty while swimming out to sea." In total, Mary is credited with saving the lives of over 30 drowning people, with one account saying the total is nearer to sixty.

By the 1891 England census, Mary was the owner of the yellow and red striped bathing machines located on the east side of the Bognor Pier, where she continued to work until retiring in 1909. 

According to the accompanying newspaper clipping, Mary didn't let her advancing age stop her from swimming or diving off a boat, although she made her last dive off the Bognor Pier on her 71st birthday. 

On April 1, 1924, at the age of 89, Mary Wheatland died at home. As befitting a woman of the sea, her funeral procession was escorted by Bognor fisherman who carried her to the Parish Church of Bognor, St. Mary Magdalene, where she rests in the church graveyard. 

Mary Wheatland is still remembered by local residents, many of whom are Mary's descendants. In 1999, the Bognor Regis Town Council set out its first permanent memorial to Mary when it held a ceremony to commemorate a memorial bench outside the church wall where weary travellers can rest and look out over the water Mary loved so much. 

Mary Wheatland is an inspiring role model for women of all ages. Mary worked her way through life, giving aid when and where it was needed. She didn't let a troublesome domestic life interfere with what she felt was her calling, and in the process, saved more lives than anyone else of her time. 

If you'd like to know more about bathing machine history, check out my previous posts:
March 5 - Rise of the Beach Machines Part 1
April 5 - Rise of the Beach Machines Part 2

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Anita Mae Draper served a 20-year term working on air bases in the communication trade of the Canadian Armed Forces before retiring to the open skies of the prairies. She uses her experience and love of history to pepper her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism as well as faith. Anita Mae Draper's published stories appear in Barbour Publishing, WhiteFire Publishing, and Guideposts Books. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Rise of the Beach Machines Part 2

DRAFT Photograph of a trade card of Amidas & Mary Surflen, bathing machines. C 1775. Courtesy of The British Museum

Rise of the Beach Machines Part 2 continues the practice of sea-bathing which began as a private way to bathe and swim unfettered by heavy clothing yet maintain modesty from prying eyes, and evolved into a successful, structured form of tourism. Although my research indicates that many people considered bathing machines to be unnecessary and laughable, it was still the only way a decent woman could take a swim in the sea without losing her respectability.

By the 1770's, seaside establishments were advertising new comfortable buildings that catered to women and men while they waited their turn to bathe, as well as personal water guides to ensure their experience was without drama.  According to this 1750 trade-card, the umbrello Machine allowed the woman seven square feet of space to change out of her street clothes, and then a ten-foot length under the umbrella to walk or swim without anyone seeing her. 

DRAFT Photograph of a trade card of Dunn, bathing machine maker, c 1750. Courtesy of The British Museum

(Note the use of "f" vs "s" in the 18th century ads.)

Margate, England, is a good example of the tourist trade that evolved at many beach locations in the UK, on the continent, and even as far as Australia and New Zealand over the next hundred or so years. In the image below, we can't tell if the bathing machines are for men or women, but they form a tight line to block the view of crowd, many of whom are waiting for their turn. Along with a puppet stage in the center of the picture, there is an onsite photographer with his wagon of samples and equipment. 

Margate, the beach. C 1890. Courtesy Digital Collections NYPL

Bathing machines are most often referred to as something for the privileged or higher classes due to the need for keeping their dignity while wearing clothing that stuck like a second skin when wet. However, the other reason was the cost. The use of a bathing machine was meted out in 30 minute segments. Sometimes the machine wasn't taken down to the water until the bather knocked on the wall that she, or he, was ready. Most times, however, the bather had to endure removing layers of clothing while on the move. Horses and men were both used in moving the machines and participants report the ride could be as smooth or jerky depending on the texture of the beach.

Valuable Hint by John Leech, Punch, 1849. Public Domain

In the 1817 book Isle of Thanet and the Cinque Ports by E. W. Brayley, the terms for use of a bathing machine for 30 minutes were:

The Bath and the Beach, or All About Bathing, published 1871 in Brighton and London, explains the rules of running a bathing machine establishment, which includes a number painted on the front and back of each bathing machine, as well as either, For Ladies, or, For Gentlemen, painted on a conspicuous part of each one. Surprisingly, machine owners were also required to provide free gowns or dresses for female bathers, and free bathing drawers or "other suitable covering as will prevent indecent exposure of a person" for the males. 

Bathers in rented gowns, Ostend, Belgium, ca 1910-1915. Courtesy LOC

The bathing machines were built in a similar fashion with smaller wheels in the front for turning and large ones at the back. Some machines had a front entry door as well as the back water exit, but other machines were positioned with the back to the shore and the same door used for both. It all depended on whether the machines were pulled into the water, or backed in and then walked out. Also, some bathing machines were kept in the water all day and the patrons were required to walk out to them. 

Bathing Machines, Ostend, Belgium, ca 1910-1915. Courtesy LOC

A life buoy was another requirement of the bathing machine, as well as a seventy-two foot minimum length safety rope attached to the front in case the machine needed to be pulled through heavy waves. Finally, there needed to be a twenty-four foot minimum length rope behind the machine for the use of the bathers.

The rope in this image taken from London's Marshall & Snelgrove Department Store advertising in the 1 August 1, 1887 issue of Lady's World may not be up to regulation length, but the bathing costumes are quite trendy. 

Bathing Costumes from Marshall & Snelgrove, Oxford, Lady's World, 1 August 1887. Public Domain

Twenty years prior, women's bathing costumes looked like these 'bathing dresses', as featured in Godey's Lady's Book, 1868. 

Bathing Dresses, Godey's Lady's book 1868. Courtesy Digital Collections NYPL

Apparently, the custom of using bathing machines took time to cross to North American shores and when it did, it appeared to be received as a novelty for entertainment and not its true intention of private bathing.

Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]), 15 July 1915. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

So, what do you think about the use of a beach machine? Necessary? Extravagant?

Check out Rise of the Beach Machines Part 1 for more history and photos of beach machines, including those of royalty.



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Anita Mae Draper is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who served twenty years on Air bases with her eyes on the skies. She uses her experience and love of history to pepper her stories of yesteryear's romance with hardship, faith, and joy. Anita Mae Draper's published stories appear in Barbour Publishing, WhiteFire Publishing, and Guideposts Books. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Rise of the Beach Machines Part 1

Replica of a bathing machine on Weymouth Seafront. Wikimedia creative commons

King George III led the way in a new trend when he used a bathing machine similar to the replica above and took his medicinal bath at Weymouth to the musical accompaniment of 'God Save the King''. Presumably, his men kept gawkers from looking at his bathing attire.

King George's granddaughter, Queen Victoria, also had a penchant for the bathing machine, a gift from her husband, Prince Albert, who encouraged her and the children to use it. One entry in her Journal shows, "Drove to the beach with my maids and went in the bathing machine, where I undressed and bathed in the sea (for the 1st time in my life)...I thought it delightful till I put my head under water when I thought I should be stifled." Queen Victoria's Journal, 30 July 1847. 

Queen Victoria's bathing machine, Isle of Wight. Pxhere creative commons

Queen Victoria's bathing machine is open to the public on the section of beach she loved and used on the Isle of Wight. Inside contains a changing room and a plumbed-in toilet. According to English Heritage, when she was done bathing, a rope and winch pulled the bathing machine back to shore.

The earliest image I found of a bathing machine is an 1806 drawing by John Hassell (1767-1825) which depicts Aberystwyth Castle in Wales with a bathing machine being pulled back to shore in the foreground.  

Aberystwyth Castle, 1806. Wikimedia creative commons

In 1829, British artist William Heath (1795-1840) created a hand-tinted caricature of society ladies enjoying a sea bath which he entitled Mermaids at Brighton.

Mermaids at Brighton, 1829. Digital Public Library of America, Public Domain

In 1865, a chromolithograph of John Leech's work, Scene at Sandbathe, has the description as "The female Blondin out done! Grand morning performance on the narrow plank by the darling x x x x". The image shows a woman with a billowing skirt, walking down a narrow plank between a bathing machine and the shore and eludes to Charles Blondin who inspired a generation of tightrope walkers, including females, after his infamous walk across the Niagara River in 1859 as well as other dangerous heights. 

Scene at Sandbathe. Wellcome Images, Creative Commons

If you look at the back of the bathing machine in the above image, you'll find a variation that appeared in bathing machines for a brief period of the 19th century. Although it's not on the royal bathing machines, you can see it in the 1806 image of Aberystwyth Castle. Here's a closer look at it in a drawing from Punch, 1870. The explanation is that the man has returned after a swim in the sea and apparently, his bathing machine has been walked off by mistake. 

"Ahem! Pray Excuse me, Madam. My Bathing-Machine I think." Punch, 1870. Wikimedia creative commons

Horses were the usual method of getting the bathing machines into the sea, and then walking them off. I wonder what the signal was to let the horsemen know the bathers were done, or did the men keep a watchful eye over the scene? 

Bathing Carts in Wyk, 1895. Wikimedia Public Domain

Bathing machines were also used in Europe, although not always pulled by horses. For example, the next image taken in 1908 from the coastal city and municipality of San Sebastian in Spain shows a bathing machine being pulled by oxen.

Donostia - San Sebastian hacia, 1908  Wikimedia Public Domain

Lest you think women had all the fun with sea bathing, I was excited to find this wood engraving from the Wellcome Library which shows "A man playing with his sons in the sea; his wife and daughters watch from the beach." I'm glad he added that it was his wife on the beach, because at first glance, I thought that perhaps a bathing machine wasn't so private after all if the neighborhood women could watch from the shore with their opera glasses, or field glasses, depending on the year of this undated engraving.

Papa Giving the Boys a Dip, undated wood engraving. Wellcome images Public Domain

In Rise of the Beach Machines Part 2 we'll take a closer look at advertising and rules of the bathing machine industry, fashionable swimwear of the period, and if it had an impact on North America.

Bathing machines can be seen in images from my recent post, From Rooftop Bandstand to King's Hall.

If you had a chance to use a bathing machine, what would be your biggest concern? 

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Anita Mae Draper is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who served twenty years on Air bases with her eyes on the skies. She uses her experience and love of history to pepper her stories of yesteryear's romance with hardship, faith, and joy. Anita Mae Draper's published stories appear in Barbour Publishing, WhiteFire Publishing, and Guideposts Books. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Photographs: Early 1900 Beach Fashions

Yep, I'm hanging out my shingle here at CFHS on the 5th day of every month from here on until it either gets burned off, pulled down, or shot up. Well, I guess a few bullet holes won't hurt, but otherwise, I'd like to stay awhile. I'm Anita Mae Draper, born in Northwestern Ontario, Canada and now living on the prairies where the bison run free behind fences and the antelope play pretty much wherever they want. 

You'll come to see that although I'm a writer, I'm a visual person and love posting photographs of days gone by for all those other people who like looking at the pictures, too. Here then is my inaugural post with lots of pics about Early Beach Fashions. 

It must be noted that like most clothing, bathing suit apparel was dictated as much by circumstances, location, finances, and the company one kept as well as fashion. People made do with what they had or they watched from the sidelines. And as you'll see in my next post, many people simply watched from the sidelines.

In this first photograph, author Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) is seen sitting alone on the rocks by the water's edge at Cavendish, PEI. I've read that Maud spent several unhappy childhood years in Cavendish, but even with that, I love this photograph which is dated ca.1890's. As a young woman who needn't yet worry about being in the public eye, Maud is staring out to sea, enduring the occasional splashes of water, and perhaps dreaming and plotting the stories that would eventually touch the hearts of millions of people around the globe. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery on Cavendish shore in bathing suit, ca.1890's. Cavendish, P.E.I., 

Photo courtesy of the L. M. Montgomery Collection, Archival Collections, University of Guelph Library

Of course, not everyone wanted to be alone, which brings me to my next photo which is bubbling with exuberant kids, dated 1900-1909, from the Lake Simcoe area, north of Toronto, Ontario.

1900-1909 Lake Simcoe, Water Sport. Photograph of glass lantern slide, hand colored. Western Development Museum Curatorial Centre Saskatoon--George Shepherd Library--WDM-74-S-105-9 “Across Canada Via C.N.R.”

Although this next photo from 1910 is faded, the personal interest subject matter makes me smile.  Taken at Chaffeys Lock in Eastern Ontario, the young woman is wearing a bathing cap and showing a good portion of her lower limbs. (Mercy!)

1910 Bathing Scene near Chaffeys Lock, Ontario. Photo courtesy of Rideau Lakes Public Library, and OurOntario.ca

The woman in this next photograph looks older than the subject in the previous photo and is referred to as a matron. She's wearing stockings with her bathing suit and cap. I can't say she looks comfortable. What do you think?

Undated Women on Beach in Bathing Suit and Cap, St Mary's, Ontario.
Photo courtesy of St. Mary's Museum, and OurOntario.ca

Although the above photo is undated, the woman's bathing costume is similar to the one in this next photo which is dated 1916 and also comes from Ontario. A 2 yr old boy is trying to catch the woman's attention. And is it just me, or is the woman missing her shoes? I can't believe it would be comfortable walking around with sand in one's stockings.

1916 Women and Child on Beach, Chatham, Ontario.
Photo courtesy of Chatham-Kent Museum, and OurOntario.ca

A quick glance at this next photo from Southwestern Ontario shows 3 ladies posing in their bathing outfits. The youngest one on the left is clearly wearing stockings and it looks like the middle lady is as well, but we can only presume the oldest woman on the right still has her stockings on. Now those bathing caps are unique, aren't they? Anyone have any thoughts on these fancy ones?

ca 1915, Lillie Boniface and friends at Burlington Beach, Ontario. 

Photo courtesy of Burlington Historical Society, and OurOntario.ca

And since I've shown so many bathing beauties, I thought I'd show you what the male species was wearing during the same period. An avid swimmer, Walter Youngman built his own diving platform  at Good Lake, Ontario where he regularly swam from March until first frost. 

1911 Walter Youngman in bathing suit, Good Lake, Ontario.
Photo courtesy of the Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

For my last photograph, we're travelling west from Ontario, through Manitoba, and stopping in Saskatchewan where I now live. The town of Watrous was built on the shore of Manitou Lake, a large body of water so high in mineral salts it became a roaring resort 'spa' in the 1920's and is still popular today. This 1913 photograph shows a row of women sitting on the beach wearing everything from bathing suits to Sunday best outfits despite the official description which states, View of a group of women in formal attire sitting on the shore of Lake Manitou.

1913 On the Beach at Manitou Lake, Watrous, Saskatchewan.  

Photo Courtesy of  Prairie Postcards, University of Alberta Libraries 

I love this photo because it shows women dressed in what they want, or what they have, whether it's the latest fashion or not. Some wear stockings, some don't. Some sport bathing caps, some have fancy hats, some are bare-headed, and one is wearing what looks like a handkerchief with twisted corners. Just looking at this photo puts me there with them with the hot sand under my legs and the warm prairie wind on my cheeks. These women could be my neighbors, my fellow church members, and  my children's teachers. The woman in white appears to be knitting - or perhaps she's reading a small book. And I like to think the woman on the far left is allowing sand to trickle through her loosely fisted hands. 

Photographs like these show a small portion in the life of ordinary people living a century ago. Next month I'll post more photographs of the same era, but they'll be group shots of fun beach activities. I hope you'll stop in and see them. 

So, what are your thoughts on these early bathing suit photographs? 

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Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their 4 kids. She writes cowboy stories set in the Old West, and Edwardian stories set in the East.  Anita Mae's short story, Riding on a Christmas Wish is published in A Christmas Cup of Cheer, Guideposts Books, October 2013. She is honored that Guideposts Books has chosen a second short story, Here We Go A-wassailing for inclusion in the 2014 Christmas Cheer II book set due out this October.   Anita Mae is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Agency. You can find Anita at   http://www.anitamaedraper.com/