Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington
Maybe this is a bad picture, but these four women aren’t exactly the most attractive I’ve seen. I will say that the fashion is pretty stellar, given that this is 1922.
The photo is from the annual beauty show held at the Washington Bathing Beach, and these four were the prize winners. The women, in order, are Gay Gatley, Eva Fridell, Anna Neibel and Iola Swinnerton. Based on trophy size, it seems that Eva came in first and Gay came in second. Anne was first in the costume category with Iola coming in second.
Four prize winners in annual beauty show, Washington Bathing Beach (1922)
The bathing beach was near the tidal basin and was a popular place for Washingtonians to cool off in the summer months — I wouldn’t set foot in that water today. Check out the photo below of all the contestants in the August competition.
Contestants at the annual beauty competition
If you liked this post, why don’t you get our updates via Twitter or Facebook?
Washington Bathing Beach in 1919
Related articles
- Then and Now: Joan of Arc Statue in Meridian Hill Park (ghostsofdc.org)
- Bathing Suit Police at the Tidal Basin (ghostsofdc.org)
