assertion of the rinht to enjoy whatever recreation they 

 chose, costumed accordini; to the demands of the sport 

 rather than the tabus of an outworn prudery, and to 

 enjoy it in free and natural association with men.' 



Since the prescriljcd limitations of women's role in 

 any gi\en period are determined and afTected by- 

 many social factors, the evolution of the bathing 

 gown to the swimming suit n^ay not only be dependent 

 upon the changes in the American woman's way of 

 life, but also may reflect certain technological and 

 sociological factors that are not readily identifiable. 

 The purpose of this paper is to describe the changes 

 in women's bathing dress and wherever pertinent 

 to present the factors affecting these styles.- 



Anyone who attempts to research the topic of swim- 

 ming and related subjects will be confronted with a 

 history of varying reactions. Ralph Thomas, in 1904, 

 described his experiences through the years that he 

 spent compiling a book on swimming: 



When asked what I was doing, I have felt the greatest 

 reluctance to say a work on the literature of swimming. 

 People who were writing novels or some other thing of 

 little practical utility always looked at me with a smile of 

 pity on my mentioning swimming. Though I am bound 

 to say that, when I gave them some idea of the work, the 

 pity changed somewhat but then they would say "Why 

 don't you give us a new edition of your Handbook of 

 Fictitious Names?" As if the knowledge of the real name 

 of an author was of any importance in comparison with 

 the discussion of a subject that more or less concerns every 

 human being.'' 



Such reactions toward research about swimming 

 probaijly di.scouraged many seriotis efforts of writing 

 about the subject. Its scant co\erage and even omis- 

 sion in histories of recreation or sports may Ijc ex- 

 plained by the fact that swimming cannot be categor- 

 ized as simply physical exercise, skill, recreation, or 

 competitive sport. In trying to determine the extent to 

 which women swam in times past it is frustrating to 

 observe the historians' masculine bias in researching 

 and reporting social history. 



' Foster Rhea Dulles, America Learns In Pluv, 1607-1940 

 (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1940), p. 36Ji. 



- The author is indebted to Mrs. .\nne \V. Murray, formerly 

 Curator in Charge of American Costume, Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, for the interest she has shown throughout the research 

 and writing of this paper. The difficulties of this work would 

 have been greatly compounded without the benefit of her 

 experience and encouragement. 



3 Ralph Thomas, Swimming (London: Sampson Low, 

 Marstcn & Company Limited, I '104), p. 11. 



A study of women's bathing dress meets with similar 

 problems, and while a discussion of bathing dress can 

 evoke considerable interest, its nature is usually con- 

 sidered more superficial than serious. Descriptions of, 

 and even brief references to, bathing apparel for wom- 

 en are very scarce before the third cjuarter of the 

 19th century. Before this time only decorati\e costuitie 

 items were considered worthy of description and bath- 

 ing costume was not in this category. It is only within 

 comparatively recent times that costiune historians 

 ha\e conceded sufficient importance to bathing dress 

 to include meaningful descriptions in their research. 



Participation in water activities was widespread in 

 the ancient world although the earliest origins of this 

 activity are imknown. For example, in Greece and, 

 later, in Rome, swimming was valued as a pleasurable 

 exercise and superb physical training for warriors. 

 The more sedentary citizens turned to the baths which 

 became the gathering point for professional men, 

 philosophers, and students. Thus bathing and swim- 

 ming, combined originally to fidfill the functions of 

 cleansing and exercise purely for physical well being, 

 developed the secondary functions of recreation and 

 .social intercourse. 



With the rise of the Christian chiuxh and its 

 spreading anti-pagan attitudes, many of the smuptu- 

 ous baths were destroyed. CUiristian asceticism also 

 may ha\e contributed to the decline of bathing for 

 cleansing. In addition there was a secular belief that 

 otitdoor bathing helped to spread the fearful epi- 

 demics that periodically swept the continent. Although 

 there is isolated evidence that swimming was valued 

 as a physical skill,"' swimming and bathing all but 

 disappeared during the Middle Ages. 



In 1531, long after the Middle Ages, Sir Thomas 

 Elyot wrote of swimming that 



There is an exercise, whyche is right profitable in extreme 

 danger of warres, but . . . it hathe not ben of longe tyme 

 muche used, specially amoge noble men, perchaunce some 

 reders whl lyttell esteeme it.^ 



This early English writer gave no instructions, but ex- 

 pomided on the value of swimming as a skill that 

 could be useful in time of war. 



It herewith becomes necessary to differentiate 

 between bathing and swimming with their attendant 



' Joseph Sfrutt, The Sports and Pastimei of llir People of 

 England (London: Chatto and Windus, 1876), pp. \5\-\5'2. 



5 .Sir Thomas Elvot, The Boke Named the Governour (London, 

 15.57), vol. 1, pp. 54-55. 



BULLETIN 250 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MLISEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



