Swimming Costume Collection

Marjorie Leete aged 18 (black costume) of Sunderland kneeling down drinking a yard of ale in a field assisted by Janet Bell holding the glass

Holiday Haunts guide book, 1947
A 1947 edition of the popular Holiday Haunts guide books published by the GWR. A glamorous blonde poses in a white two-part swimming costume in front of a lively beach scene

Young woman with blindfold balancing on diving board

Its the minikini. The tiny strapless triangle which is spring-loaded so that it seems to stay up by magic. Student teacher, Jackie Kerr-Moller and her friends, Vera and Kate from Germany and Belgium

A man on his boat looks admiringly at model Carol Dwyer, wearing a revealing swimsuit May 1976

Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer, 1926. On 6 August 1926 Ederle (1905-2003) became the first woman to swim across the English Channel, which she achieved in a time of 14 hours and 30 minutes

1960s Surfers Running in the Water
Group of surfers running in water with surfboards, smiling. Tom Kelley Archive

General view of the Piscine swimming pool, where the smartest foregather, and sport the most arresting beach wear. June 1954 P012311

Swimsuit Fashion: Fashion show of Spirella foundation garments and new made-to-measure Swimsuits, was held today at Spirella House, Oxford Circus, London

Woman in swimming costume up to her ankles in the sea on a beach holding a crab. Costume de bain
5893045 Woman in swimming costume up to her ankles in the sea on a beach holding a crab. Costume de bain. Handcoloured pochoir (stencil)

Water, from Falbalas & Fanfreluches, Almanach des Modes Presentes, Passees et Futures, 1926 (colour litho)
STC226843 Water, from Falbalas & Fanfreluches, Almanach des Modes Presentes, Passees et Futures, 1926 (colour litho) by Barbier

Women body boarding in the surf at Newquay June 1960 M4303-002

Four stages of swimmer performing rapid turn

Jousting in rowing boats (chromolitho)
2783037 Jousting in rowing boats (chromolitho) by European School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Jousting in rowing boats. Liebig card, published in the early 20th century)

Doctor, U.S. Volunteer Life-Saving Corps, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Doctor, U.S. Volunteer Life-Saving Corps, between c1910 and c1915. U.S. Volunteer Life-Saving Corps. The doctor's commitment to service during that era is commendable

A swimming costume design for women and men
3118539 A swimming costume design for women and men; (add.info.: Photographic print of a swimming costume design for women and men. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG

A swimming costume design for women
3118541 A swimming costume design for women; (add.info.: Photographic print of a swimming costume design for women. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG

An engraving depicting a man teaching a woman how to swim. He has tied one end of a rope around her waist
5311329 An engraving depicting a man teaching a woman how to swim. He has tied one end of a rope around her waist and the other around a pole which he holds up to keep the swimmer afloat

Coney Isl. 1/3/15, 1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Coney Isl. 1915

Saint-Brévin, ses plages, son climat, c. 1930. Creator: Lelong, René (1871-1933)
Saint-Brevin, ses plages, son climat, c. 1930. Private Collection

Le Tréport-Mers. Chemins de fer du Nord et de l'Ouest, 1897. Creator: Gray (Boulanger), Henri (1858-1924)
Le Treport-Mers. Chemins de fer du Nord et de l'Ouest, 1897. Private Collection

La plage de Saint-Quentin, 1897. Creator: Bac, Ferdinand (1859-1952)
La plage de Saint-Quentin, 1897

Antibes, ca 1928. Creator: Broders, Roger (1883-1953)
Antibes, ca 1928. Private Collection

Miss Great Britain 1965, Diane Westbury, 21 year old model from Bowden, Cheshire, pictured at Morecambe, 25th August 1965

Miss UK, Della Dolan, aged 20 from Grimsby, prepares for next months MIss World contest at a Marbella hideaway. 25th October 1982

Bathing Beauty Competition, Daily Mirror Blackpool Week 1963, judged by singer Matt Monroe & Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, August 1963

Miss United Kingdom Grand Final, Blackpool. Miss Wigan, Kathleen Winstanley, sitting on the back of a settee. Swimwear Section, 8th of August, 1968

Prince Charles pulling up his shorts on a beach in Australia royal Prince of Wales having fun in the water Funny picture taken from behind in the ocean March 1979

Sylvia Syms Actress on a boat at sea May 1959

Prince Andrew with Vicki Hodge on Mustique October 1985

George Best with Angela MacDonald ex Miss World before their marriage began to crumble 1976

George Best and Susan George on the Beach in Majorca

George Best and Susan George on holiday in Palma Nova Majorca

Catherine Bach (27) actress who stars as Daisy Duke in tv series The Dukes of Hazard; pictured at home in Los Angeles California May 1982

Prince Charles plays with model Jane Priest on Cottesloe Beach, Perth, Western Australia. Prince Charles girlfriends March 1979 1970s

Catherine Bach (27) actress who stars as Daisy Duke in tv series The Dukes of Hazard; pictured at home in Los Angeles California May 1982

Glamour model Felicity Jane wearing the "Thong in Brighton (Saturday)
Glamour model Felicity Jane wearing the " Thong in Brighton (Saturday). March 1975 75-1708-002

Ruth Calvert seen here modelling the latest 1959 springtime fashions posing with blossom. May 1959

Unsinkable swimsuits worn by Jean Marsh and Lillemor Knudson. September 1952 P017653

Ruth Calvert seen here modelling the latest 1959 springtime fashions posing with blossom. May 1959

Top glamour model Stephanie McLean posing on a sailboat January 1975 75-00129

Glamour girl / actress June Barry at Hammersmith Pier. June 1960 M4372-004
Glamour girl/actress June Barry at Hammersmith Pier. June 1960 M4372-004

Vicki Michelle left the world of showbiz to take over a boutique but soon returned a little later to make a television commercial

Old Fashioned swim suit. So this is what grandma used to look like on the beach in Edwardian times. Trying out the swimsuits is Yvette Carroll, 18 from London who travelled north to Scarborough

Yvonne Marsh and Ann Hanslip seen here bathing in the sea at West Wittering. August 1952 C3902-001

Valerie, 1938. Creator: Unknown
" Valerie", 1938. Valerie Hudson was a well-known model and showgirl in the late 1930s and 1940 s. From " Modern Beauties"

Joan Jay, 1938. Creator: Unknown
Joan Jay, 1938. From " Modern Beauties"

Bather, August 1931
GWR publicity image of a woman wearing a diamond patterned swimming costume and cap leaning over a wall at the seaside in August 1931

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"Dive into the Past: A Fashionable Journey through Swimwear" In the pages of the vintage "Holiday Haunts guide book, 1947, " a young woman with a blindfold delicately balances on a diving board, capturing the essence of summer fun. Meanwhile, an admiring man aboard his boat gazes at model Carol Dwyer in her alluring swimming costume from afar. Fast forward to the vibrant 1960s, where surfers energetically run through crashing waves, their colorful swimwear reflecting their carefree spirit. Alongside them stands a woman on a beach, clad in an ankle-length swimming costume and holding a crab - an enchanting scene reminiscent of Tommaso Antongini's Journal des Dames et des Modes. The allure of water transcends time as showcased by Falbalas & Fanfreluches' Almanach des Modes Presentes, Passees et Futures from 1926. A handcoloured pochoir (stencil) etching portrays a woman immersed up to her ankles in the sea while donning an elegant swimsuit - capturing both grace and style. Moving continents to Newquay in June 1960, women body boarding amidst rolling surf paint an exhilarating picture of adventure and thrill. Their choice of swimwear reflects both functionality and fashion-forwardness. Witnessing four stages of swimmers performing rapid turns showcases not only athleticism but also how swimwear has evolved over time to enhance performance. From Australia's sunny shores in New South Wales to Sydney's bustling beaches, these athletes embody determination and skill. Glamour takes center stage as actress June Barry graces Hammersmith Pier in June 1960. Her radiant smile matches her stylish swimwear perfectly – epitomizing elegance against London's picturesque backdrop. Lastly, we encounter moments filled with laughter and joy as snorkel-clad men proudly present lobsters beside smiling women.