Swimming started out as a utilitarian activity, starting in the 1800s until the invention of filtered swimming pools in the early 1900s it was common for bathhouses to be the place where people of all genders and ages went to get clean.

Natural Areas

Lewis Hine 1916

While natural swimming in the nude was a primarily a male youth activity, where long battles were fought by cities of Milwaukee and NYC against male youths who were uncouthly roughhousing. Wiltse asserts that swimming outside was an integral part of  male adolescents with “some boys” reportedly fighting back an anti-swimming law by saying they might as well “don frocks”. Swimming outside was a decidedly young man activity, as well as plebeian and working class. (Wiltse 10-13)

Girls did not swim outside. It was seen as immodest to be nude.

Bathhouses

A “public bath” type situation (Wiltse 2), where it was essential for the urban unwashed masses to have somewhere to was off and there was no filtration system of the water. Pools were used for bathing.

Swimming Pools

Lee Russel https://lccn.loc.gov/2017790050 1941

As swimming became a middle class activity and pools were able to have filtration systems, there was a large rise in swimming as a physical activity and . . , a) schools ran swimming classes for boys and girls, taught various strokes and dives. Young people participated in swim meets. YMCAs and public schools started having many swimming classes, as well as mass public learn to swim campaigns. In the 1930s thousands of public pools were created for the express purpose of swimming. (Gutman 535). The idea that children needed to go to school or engage in play rather than work created a need for appropriate activities, such as swimming. Swimming was viewed as healthy physical activity, and it was popular with girls and boys.

However, not everyone was allowed to go swimming. SEGREGATION As anecdotally referenced by P. Austen, black children were able to enjoy swimming only in dangerous areas such as channels by the wharf (where children had already drowned), in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool and in the City’s only Black pool (as opposed to one of the nine white pools). (Austen). Black children were not included via segregation in the swimming craze, but often times

In addition to the racialisation of the swimming pool as a playspace, there was also conflicting gender ideology. Girls were not always encouraged to swim. Though there was vast participation in swimming as a school and recreation activity by girls it was compounded by ideas of modesty (swimwear) and boys were definitely encouraged more. Many female gym teachers argued for larger inclusion of women in sports despite biological differences and possible handicaps for girl participation. However there were many famous competitive swimmers that were closely followed by the general populace, with thousands showing up to spectate and support their favorite female swimmers. (Zanoni 15) In fact, girls were encouraged to swim indoors, (as opposed to the immodest outdoor swimming) and wear special bathing suits. (Zemlock 49-50)

“Swimming as a competitive sport for women became of national interest as evidenced by the widespread participation of female swimmers from all parts of the country during the 1920s and 1930s.” (Zanoni 15). The literature shows how interactions between the physical geography of the pool and swim space allowed for different interactions between different genders of children.