The first section of it was opened to the public on this day in 1870.
Here are two bathing beauties – this photo was taken at Atlantic City – in the late 1800s. I just love the insouciance of these girls. Even though they are wearing BLACK FROM HEAD TO TOE … look at their jaunty little legs kicking up in the air.
You go, girls. Don’t let anyone keep you from the ocean on a hot day.
They’re Gibson girls in the flesh!
Happy birthday, boardwalk!
My parents went on their honeymoon in Atlantic City. They were too young(just turned 18 and 17) to go into any place serving alcohol, so they just spent their evenings walking up and down the boardwalk. The photographs I have from their honeymoon are great. They are both sunburned, very happy, and sooooo young and fresh looking–such an attractive couple. They were also in the process of producing yours truly, as I came along nine months later.
I thought you were a Gibson girl in the flesh, Sheila! =)
I went to high school in the Atlantic City (aka AC aka AllannicCity) vicinity and have many a fond memory of my time on the boards. Nighttime encounters with strange men on rollerblades while jogging, getting pounded by a storm that came up while in the middle of a 4 mile walk from margate to AC, splinters, seagull crap… ahh. The beauty of a mind’s eye. Well. At least we can see what it was, even if what it is isn’t quite so classy or endearing. There’s always Miss America.
Marti – hahaha Yeah, it’s certainly not the romantic salt-spray idyll anymore described by Doctorow in Ragtime!