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One of my favorite objects in the Archives
is a letter from the Don Sherwood Parks History Collection.
Dated May 1, 1934,
it is written by O. H. Lindstedt to Seattle Park Board President Samuel Martin.
Lindstedt begins this letter by referring to bathing suit laws as obsolete
and says, quote, “it does seem absurd that we should be forced
to conform to them when no one wants them.” End quote.
As manager of sporting goods at the University Bookstore,
Lindstedt takes it upon himself to voice men's collective frustration
regarding the fact that Seattle's public beaches will not allow them to wear
trunks, requiring them instead to wear full bathing suits.
He even claims that men are putting their lives at risk by wearing trunks anyway
and swimming in unprotected and dangerous areas
instead of at public beaches with lifeguards.
Outdoor leisure and recreational activities were becoming
popular in the first decades of the 20th century in Seattle.
The 1931 Ten Year Program for the Seattle Parks Department states
that, quote, “there is little doubt that a great deal of pleasure and benefit
is derived from play in the open air and exposure to the sun.” End quote.
From 1903 to 1936, the City became home to many parks
designed by the Olmsted Brothers, a Massachusetts-based landscape
architecture firm.
Many of these parks included
beaches due to Seattle's immediate proximity to multiple bodies of water.
And wading pools were popular amenities at parks that did not have beach access.
The 1931 Ten Year Program also reports that in 1930,
the estimated number of people swimming at beaches was nearly 780,000.
Bathing suit style and material had changed relatively little
from the turn of the century.
Made of heavy cotton or wool these suits were essentially the same shape
for men, women, and children: a one piece suit with trunks and a tank.
In addition to being modest, these thick one piece suits were also functional.
It was common at the time
to rent bathing suits from the bathhouses that accompanied beaches.
Highly durable
fabrics were needed for these suits, which would be laundered repeatedly.
At the time of Lindstedt’s complaint, beach bathers and pool waiters
were steadily breaking away from the modesty
revered by previous generations, and were trending toward showing more skin.
Despite this, there were still laws dictating swimwear moving into the 1930s.
According to Lindstedt, quote “false modesty can hardly be an excuse
for continuing the use of an inadequate and irksome jersey top.
While women are discarding more and more clothing.” End quote.
He concludes his letter with the question, “why the discrimination?”
It's been 91
years since O. H. Lindstedt penned his complaint,
and I think he'd be happy to know that beach and park-goers in 2025
are no longer bound by the same wardrobe constraints as they were in 1934.
Seattleites are still flocking to the City's beautiful parks
to enjoy playgrounds and play fields, wading pools, spray parks, and beaches.
You can find out more about the Archives at seattle.gov/cityarchives.
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