A Splash from the Past

Today (tonight if you want to get technical) my post is about this picture. I realize the need to jazz up this blog and this is the start. I also have no idea who this woman is.

The picture came from the family collection. To make it short, the Richerts don't throw things out. Several of my grandfather's siblings didn't have any heirs, so when they died, my grandfather stored their pictures in his garage and became the de facto Richert archivist. When he passed, I assumed conservatorship.

Before he died, my grandfather did label some of the family photos, but not all. This particular photo was from a batch from one of my great-aunts, but it doesn't look like some of the labeled pictures of her, maybe a friend of hers. But then again, if could have been a photo of one of my great-uncle's friends. I don't think we'll ever know with any degree of certainty.

The age is also in doubt. I think we can confidently say it is from between WWI and WWII. That fits the timeframe of the photos it was found with and the hair style of the woman.

I think we sometimes assume past generations were more asexual than they really were. We see films from that era that were self-censored and that visual image influences our opinions of what life must have been like. I think the photo helps show another side of that generation.

The swimsuit is not significantly different from a style some might wear today and she is not self-conscious about her body. You can just imagine the group cooling off in the water, drinking a cold one, and cuddling at night while looking at the stars. The present generation's existence is proof that past generations liked horizontal activity as much as we do today.

I have thousands of photos to organize. My first step is to scan them and create some sort of organizing system. It is a large undertaking and I've put it off for too long. But finding interesting photos like this is a good motivator. I will be sure to share.