The museum has a large and varied collection of artifacts, which surprisingly includes bathing suits. This is a small sample of the types of bathing suits we have in our collection that have been worn throughout the past century.

This picture is from 1893 and was in a magazine advertising fashionable ‘bathing costumes’. Yes, this is actually what women wore to the beach during that time. Anything less was considered inappropriate.

On the right is a women’s and on the left is a men’s bathing suit from the 1920’s. Both are made of wool.

A women’s and men’s bathing suit from the 1940’s.

A women’s and boy’s bathing suit from the 1950’s.

As you can see there has been a significant change in bathing suits through the years, and the bathing suits in our collection highlight that. It is always interesting to see the different types of artifacts that our collection has!