In 1906 my wife’s grandmother, Helen Fowler Coombs and 9 of her friends vacationed on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. They called themselves the “Ten Timid Travelers.” These are a few of the photographs that record that vacation, and provide a glimpse into life on Long Beech Island that year!
Here are the scantily clad women on the beach!!
On the waters of Barnegat Bay!!
Here’s a photograph of the train station at Loveladies.
Of course if you have a train station, you need a train!!
The first photograph reminds me of a passage that I read last night in The Imperial Cruise by James Bradley:
….Princess Alice (Roosevelt) donned a bathing costume – a high-necked, long-sleeved mohair dress with long black stockings and bathing shoes, her hair tucked under a tightly fitting cap. Alice recalled, “Mr Taft thought that there was too much skin showing,” and that he pleaded “With photographers not to take photographs of me in my bathing suit. It was considered a little indelicate”
My, how things have changed!!
