Yesterday I did something that I rarely ever do: I went to the second main day of a flea market. Considering that the rainy conditions on Friday would have turned flea marketing from fun to drudgery, I really had little choice. I’ll give a full report on the finds later this week. Today I want to share one little bit of excitement.
The photo above is of Shirley Pittinger and a mystery friend. It was taken in 1939 at Mountain Lake, New Jersey. It was her bathing suit that caught my eye.
Though it is hard to tell from my photo of a photo, she does appear to be wearing the Jantzen swimsuit above. It was released in 1937 and was caller “The Uplifter.” I messed up and did not buy all the shots of her wearing the suit, but in several of them you can clearly see the plastic tips of the ties.
I’m afraid this shows just how easily excited I am. But while I’m constantly on the prowl for ads that match items in my collection, this is the first time I’ve found an actual photograph of a woman wearing the goods. So yes, call me easy.
EDIT: My friend Lynne was able to sharpen up the photo a bit for me:
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Thanks so much, Lynne.
The Vintage Traveler 
I love it–great find! I would be excited, too, Lizzie. Really cute suits.
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I think this is fantastic!!! I would totally flip out if I found a picture of someone wearing something I owned too. So, no worries! 🙂
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How cool. Too fun. I really enjoyed hearing about this aspect of your hobby. I didn’t realize there was that connection between your ads and your collection. Makes the hunt more interesting. Thanks for all your sharing!
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I’m constantly looking at old magazines in the hope of spotting something familiar. It’s a happy day when I do!
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Liz…I know exactly how you feel. I have an old brass bed in my guest room and it is very ornate….the pipes on the head board look like a tuba or french horn….Imagine my excitement when I saw my bed in an old Doris Day Movie “Please Don’t Eat the Daisys”. Many years earlier I saw a full page ad of the very Antique Pump Organ that sits in my living room in an old magazine. (but, I don’t remember where I put the picture.)
So I know exactly how you feel.
It is a cute suit…notice the “boy legs” on the suits.?
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Now I’m wanting to rewatch “Please Don’t Eat the Daisys” just so I can see your bed!
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This is so fabulous and I agree with everyone else. I would be just as excited to find a photograph of someone wearing something I own.
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That is so cool. I would surely faint if the same happened to me.
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That’s not at all easy! Of course you are excited.
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I have seen a few ads with the shoes those women are wearing (white ones), do you know anything about them? Were they ballet shoes, or actual beach shoes? I have not been successful in finding out more.
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They are beach sandals: https://thevintagetraveler.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/kleinerts-incomparable-bathing-togs/
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Excitement like this I can “easily” understand!!
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I’m with you on this being a discovery worthy of excitement. I’m also always looking through magazines hoping to recognize an item I own. I wouldn’t even have dreamed of finding a snapshot!
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I’m glad that so many of you truly understand!
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