Victorian Bathers Collage Sheets
These collage sheets feature Victorian trade card images of women bathing at the beach. I imagine these would have seemed quite risque for that time given how conservative bathing suits of that era actually were.
The preview images of the ephemera sheets that you see below are low resolution. However, the files you will download are print-quality, high-resolution images.
Be sure to also check out the Victorian section of my free printables library. You may also like these Victorian butterfly fairies, or these Victorian fans.
2” x 3” Tags
As I mentioned earlier, swimsuits during the Victorian era were quite different from the modern swimsuits we are familiar with today. During that time, modesty and propriety were highly valued, and this was reflected in the design and style of swimwear.
Victorian swimsuits were designed to cover the entire body, leaving very little skin exposed. Women's swimsuits typically consisted of long-sleeved tops with high collars and ankle-length skirts. These garments were often made of heavy, non-stretch fabrics like wool or flannel.
Another popular style for women's swimwear was the bloomer suit. This consisted of loose-fitting pants that extended to the mid-calf, which were worn under a knee-length skirt. The bloomers allowed for more freedom of movement compared to the full-length skirts.
1” x 2” Dominoes
In the early Victorian era, it was customary for women to enter the water using bathing machines. These were small, wooden structures on wheels that were rolled into the water. The woman would change into her swimsuit inside the machine and then descend into the water from a door or steps. This practice ensured privacy and maintained the modesty expected of women.
To complete their beach attire, women often wore bathing caps made of rubber or cloth to cover their hair. They carried parasols or wore large hats to protect their faces from the sun. They would also likely put on bathing shoes or slippers to protect their feet.
It's important to note that swimming as a recreational activity gained popularity during the late Victorian era, and the style of swimwear gradually began to change towards the end of the era. Towards the turn of the 20th century, bathing suits became slightly less modest, with shorter sleeves and skirts, but still maintaining a modest overall appearance.
1.5” x 2.5”
Print these collage sheets and add them to your supplies for art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking, and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
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You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
