At the ripe old age of 84, mavis has been collecting vintage swimwear for over 50 years. In that time, her collection has grown to over 500 pieces dating back as far as 1850. Impressed? I was... and just a touch envious too!
Her collection has created a fascinating record of social history, and after years of keeping the swimsuits stashed away in boxes in her attic, her son David has convinced her to share them with the world in an exhibition at the Southend Central Museum.
Mavis' first swimsuit was bought during a visit to a vintage car rally just after she got married. Her husband asked her to pose by a car for a photo wearing her purchase, and so the idea was born. Swimsuits began to arrive from every direction. Her neighbour donated a wooly piece from the 1930's, she begged her mother-in-law to part with her treasured 1920's suit, and she even managed to acquire regulation swimwear from public swimming baths that would have been rented for a few pence a go. She must have had such fun. These days original suits are becoming as rare as hen's teeth due to the deterioration from wear in sea water and chlorine etc, so how wonderful that all these pieces have been loved and preserved by Mavis, and now we can all appreciate them. I will be going to see the exhibition in the next couple of weeks and can't wait. This truly is the most exciting way for me to pass a day! I am indeed a swimsuit geek.
The exhibition is showing at the Southend Central Museum until 2nd October 2010.
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