Throwback Thursday: 10 Vintage Photos of Bostonians at the Beach
Children playing at Malibu Beach in Dorchester / Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Heading to the beach this weekend? So were plenty of fellow Bostonians almost a century ago.
Before those cooling fountains on the Greenway existed, city dwellers opted to go for a dip at beaches in Boston. Swimmers flocked to Malibu Beach, City Point, and other spots to beat the heat, much like they do today.
Catch a glimpse of Boston’s beaches through the lens of Leslie Jones. Jones captured countless snapshots of daily life in Boston during his 39-year-long career at the Boston Herald-Traveler. His work is preserved on digitalcommonwealth.org, a digital archive of the Boston Public Library. Check out his photos of Boston’s bathing beauties below to take a step back in time.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Two “bathing girls” dance to the tune of a banjo in 1921.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Seven pals soak up the sun.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Bathing beauties pose for a photo.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
A crowd of beachgoers at City Point gathers for a photo during the summer of 1931.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Bathing girl Gertrude Fuller strikes a pose at Revere Beach in 1930.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Three children and their dog cool off in a self-dug pool at the beach.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Kids lounge at a South Boston beach—along with their bikes.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Swimmers stage a photoshoot along a South Boston beach in 1920.
Courtesy of the Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library
Bathing girls pose at Revere Beach in 1919.
