The
bathing machine, or van, was a necessary component of sea-side
etiquette in the 19th century. Bathing machines were most common at
the sea-side resorts of Great Britain but were also used at beaches
in the United States, France and Germany. The use of this device was
more strictly enforced for women who had to endure a variety of
discomforts which far outweighed any possible compensation of a day
at the sea. The men had the best of it; they were allowed to bathe
in drawers, and could plunge off one of the small boats that often
patrolled along the front of the beach. Meanwhile, the vans and
bathing-places for women were set far apart from those reserved for
men, to guarantee that the modest woman in her bathing costume would
not be seen by the opposite sex. Nevertheless, they often were
still open to the gaze of spectators on the beach, who were usually
not fenced off from the female bathers.
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