Here, for no explicable reason that I can find anywhere on the web or elsewhere, we have a sailor apparently measuring the leg of a comely young lass. Meanwhile, other fillies await the same treatment, one has to assume. As I look at this picture, two things come to mind. First, do any of the ladies in the photo have a copy of it and have their great-grandchildren seen it? Second, sometimes it’s good to be a sailor.
Update: Check the comments for a little more indepth information on this photo discovered by the inimitable Captain John Swallow; thankee indeed, sir!
On that note, happy Friday, Brethren. I’ll leave you with this thought: recreated beer from an 1840's shipwreck sounds like something I, for one, would like to try.
Header: Picture of an unknown sailor and some equally unknown bathing beauties via the always amazing Black and WTF
8 comments:
Ask...and ye shall receive (we're resourceful Pyrates) - apparently it's Seattle Beach.
"My name is Danae.
I am a 5th generation Seattlite. My Grandma, nearing 80 and still living in Lake City, has wonderful stories and artifacts in her house. The other day I was going through some photos with her and found these snaps of girls on the beach in suits. She didn’t know any of the women but she said they were probably childhood friends of her mothers.
I thought you might enjoy them.
Unfortunately, I have no way of placing where they were taken. I especially love the one with the sailor that seems to be measuring a girls leg.
Thanks for your blog! Danae"
Ye can see it and one other pic here http://www.vintageseattle.org/2010/05/12/measuring-up-at-the-beach/
(* one odd thing, the backend code o' that blog is peppered with links for pharma-spam...I suspect to catch bots, but if ye cut/paste anything, they show up & ye have to delete them)
BTW, "Black & WTF" is quite fun...in an equally (more?) absurd way, so is "Folio Olio" http://folioolio.blogspot.ca/
That photo is hysterical! I wonder what the heck is going on. They all look to be having a grand time at the very least :)
Ahoy, Pauline! Looks like they are having a "longest femur" contest and the lucky sailor got to be the judge...
Happy Mother's Day weekend to all!
And put me down for one of those beers too.
Well, I should have known the good Captain would find a source for us! Thankee, Capt S. It's all still a bit of a mystery, but nonetheless hilarious as y'all note.
My guess is the sailor - being resourceful as any - saw an opportunity and took it; good on ya, mate!
This looks like it's from one of the "bathing beauty contests" that were popular on beach resorts in the 1920s. Apparently, the judges would take measurements of all the participants--including measuring their thighs to make sure the bathing suits weren't showing too much leg! My best guess is that's what our hero in this picture was doing. (If you scroll down these pictures, you'll see a similar shot, only using a tape measure rather than just his hands.)
http://edwardsphotosoftheday.blogspot.com/2012/03/bathing-beauty-contests.html
And that is a very plausible scenario given what's going on here. Thank you for adding to this post, Undine, and for the link!
Can't claim to have ever had quite this experience in uniform - my closest was back in recruiting.... They had us set up a table at the airshow at NAS Belle Chasse (ye might remember that place). I was in my summer whites, handing out free stuff, brochures and whatnot, and talking shop. Fun day for sure. A little gal walked over (she was six or seven, I guessed) with a recruiting poster and asked if I would autograph it! hahaha! That made me feel pretty special, and I was happy to do so. (I forget what I wrote, but it was a nice, positive message, wishing her a Fine Navy Day and such) She gave me a small adhesive sticker of a unicorn in thanks, and I kept that in my wallet until it fell to pieces. Not quite famous ;-)
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