Burgess (LOC)

Jul 5, 2010 Author: Grace & Billy | Filed under: SwimSuit

Burgess (LOC)
SwimSuit

Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

Burgess

1911 Nov. 19.

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Title and date provided by the Bain News Service on the negative.
Photo shows William T. Burgess, who swam the English channel on Sept. 6, 1911. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2008)
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Subjects:
Swimming

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09755

Call Number: LC-B2- 2294-8

59 Responses for "Burgess (LOC)"

mwhammer July 5th, 2010 at 9:38 pm 1

quite the goggles, and quite the swimwear….
Wystan July 5th, 2010 at 10:23 pm 2

William T. Burgess succeeded in swimming the English Channel on September 6, 1911 — on his sixteenth attempt.
The Library of Congress July 5th, 2010 at 11:20 pm 3

Wystan:

Thanks for the information! We’ve confirmed it, helped by the date in the upper right corner of the negative, 9/19/11, and will update the record.
Branddobbe July 5th, 2010 at 11:47 pm 4

What an unusual piece of swimwear.
thatoliverguy July 5th, 2010 at 11:54 pm 5

"No known restrictions on publication"

So I did this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatoliverguy/2533813989/
Sherri Calder (aka Typing Tornado) July 6th, 2010 at 12:17 am 6

Gee I thought speedos were bad enough.
petite_patineuse July 6th, 2010 at 12:54 am 7

oh god … predecessor to the speedo??
catzi July 6th, 2010 at 1:18 am 8

i absolutely love this.
FAV!!!!!!
Philosophographlux July 6th, 2010 at 1:33 am 9

Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Adumbrations of the Sublunary Ethos, and we’d love to have this added to the group!

–
Seen on my Flickr home page. (?)
Jeffrey July 6th, 2010 at 2:22 am 10

What TypingTornado said.
K a n d y July 6th, 2010 at 2:58 am 11

Yeah, I would really have to third what TypingTornado said…LOL
Tommie Ohlson July 6th, 2010 at 3:55 am 12

That’s so awesome!
8:|
HazardousHunter July 6th, 2010 at 4:44 am 13

This made me smile
El Ojo Sideral ○ July 6th, 2010 at 4:59 am 14

que foto tan hermosa
fluffisch July 6th, 2010 at 5:38 am 15

great speedo
palosose July 6th, 2010 at 5:39 am 16

amazing!
cincoak July 6th, 2010 at 5:40 am 17

nice ancient thong, and package
fotoshupp July 6th, 2010 at 5:59 am 18

hi my friend
exelent picture
see you
im from mexico and you
Dixon Steele July 6th, 2010 at 6:49 am 19

I notice channel swimmers always seem to grease themselves. To protect from cold temps. Obviously a mans man from another time.
Frits1942 July 6th, 2010 at 7:04 am 20

Great picture! The man for sure doesn’t wear a baggy swimming short like the youngsters are wearing today!
saraduzzi July 6th, 2010 at 7:57 am 21

perfect!
ArgyllShire July 6th, 2010 at 8:30 am 22

Thats where my bandana went!
Sherri Calder (aka Typing Tornado) July 6th, 2010 at 9:22 am 23

Hey Argyll – I think you should let him keep it. :p
ArgyllShire July 6th, 2010 at 9:58 am 24

@ TT-I totally agree with you! Haha
Amanda.Fernandes July 6th, 2010 at 10:36 am 25

ugly
writernmt July 6th, 2010 at 11:20 am 26

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacampbell/]
although bandana is funny…at first read I thought it said "banana" which made me laugh out loud. I gotta get my mind outta the gutter.
.ian July 6th, 2010 at 12:16 pm 27

Can’t believe the speedo I bought 100 years later is MORE conservative (though not by much)
walkinginspace pt2...blank July 6th, 2010 at 1:03 pm 28

In Australia we call swimwear as such "budgie smugglers"….very attractive………….
Michael´s-Fotos(DH4OAA) July 6th, 2010 at 1:32 pm 29

die Hose könnte fast von Tarzan sein….
Rey in Orlando July 6th, 2010 at 1:43 pm 30

Nice picture. This is a historical picture.
morgan.adrian July 6th, 2010 at 2:07 pm 31

He is also referred to as Thomas William Burgess, second person to have swum the English Channel. He was born in Rotherham on June 15, 1872, to Alfred, a blacksmith who came originally from Derbyshire, and Camilla Ann (nee Peat)

http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/burgess.htm

Before his Channel swim, he had taken part in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris
http://www.shorpy.com/node/41

He also took part in advertising for Nestle’s immediately after his triumph, signing an affidavit that he drank no meat extract (Bovril) during his swim, only drinking Nestles Chocolate and some tea with Nestles milk in it.

The swim took 22 hours and 35 minutes, when he was 39 years old,. He also coached Gertrude Erdele who became the first woman to swim the channel on August 6, 1926, and he also advised Edward Temme (1904-1977), who swam from France to England in 1927 and from England to France in 1934..

Thomas William Burgess married a French woman, living with her outside Paris, later moving to Cap Gris Nez near Calais, and he died in 1957, aged 85
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~westat58/theburgessfamilyo-z.htm
Wandering, Wondering ... Creating July 6th, 2010 at 2:26 pm 32

nice
Arden (LOC P&P) July 6th, 2010 at 3:09 pm 33

morgan.adrian: thank you for the additional information on Thomas William Burgess. We will add it to the description when we update the database.
szeszi July 6th, 2010 at 3:38 pm 34

fav*
raqmitch - busy July 6th, 2010 at 3:46 pm 35

hmmmm [rolling eyes]
« әšнσO¬ [ ²º¹º ♥] July 6th, 2010 at 4:32 pm 36

FAV !!!!!
oldrebel27330 July 6th, 2010 at 5:17 pm 37

Wow…that was an exceptional achievement !
gymnast 19 July 6th, 2010 at 6:01 pm 38

wow.
that’s the most interesting swimsuit i have ever seen?
Born 2 Be Mild ~ I LOVE 2 LAUGH July 6th, 2010 at 6:09 pm 39

Back when looks did not matter and when It was all about commitment and stamina not Fame and Fortune !!!
™Mr.Àlmånnã3i July 6th, 2010 at 6:16 pm 40

nice keep it up ^^……
das auge ! July 6th, 2010 at 6:50 pm 41

Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Wir haben`s schwarz auf weiss ONLY THE BEST IN B&W ART♥ ♥, and we’d love to have this added to the group!

It looks very modern !
Anaid Namohl July 6th, 2010 at 6:54 pm 42

Thank you for sharing it! It is a great photography!
Seen in:
B&W ART GROUP
sacacaramelo July 6th, 2010 at 7:26 pm 43

great photo
` ŔõсҚєя ЄvіŁ ❤` July 6th, 2010 at 8:16 pm 44

so nice
大催2046 July 6th, 2010 at 8:26 pm 45

nice
kellyacurtin July 6th, 2010 at 8:38 pm 46

oh gosh I love this!
Nikola Iliev July 6th, 2010 at 9:37 pm 47

retro shot….
good one
grandn'rae July 6th, 2010 at 10:06 pm 48

very nice
david_cory July 6th, 2010 at 10:08 pm 49

Added to the gallery, More Oddities From the Commons.
Yörik July 6th, 2010 at 10:36 pm 50

great document and photo!
Dreilide July 6th, 2010 at 10:38 pm 51

Love the salt and pepper…
NaPix -- Hmong Soul July 6th, 2010 at 11:14 pm 52

Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Tell me a story… (Show & Tell), and we’d love to have this added to the group!
anewname2010 July 6th, 2010 at 11:55 pm 53

Ummm brave
Chanel Watches
ค๒гค єא๏ภคг July 7th, 2010 at 12:09 am 54

You remind me of my SL crush…
Gene Davis July 7th, 2010 at 12:54 am 55

See? nothing is new the spedo is old stuff.wide ties will return also
Lauri Hannus July 7th, 2010 at 1:50 am 56

EPIC!
Maureen Bond July 7th, 2010 at 2:18 am 57

yes, had to take peek…..great shot!
Gene Davis July 7th, 2010 at 2:34 am 58

Notice the dignity of the subjects appearance,people had it in those days.
Heavy♫Rotation July 7th, 2010 at 2:44 am 59

hahahaha