Summer always has us thinking about the beach, even though we live in New York City and no longer have those blissfully long summer vacations we once did. But this week, we saw this wonderful photo over at Retronaut, and felt even more inspired to head out there — but not before we rounded up a few more awesome, adorable, and bizarre vintage beach photos for your midday dreaming. If you haven’t been to the beach yet this summer (or are itching to go again), click through to check out a little vintage inspiration to get you snapping on those bathing caps. You might want to update the swimwear a little bit though — especially the guys.
Coney Island, 1940s. Photo by Pierre Belzeaux via Retronaut.
Actor Burr McIntosh as “Father Neptune” for the “Neptune Electrical Extravaganza” pageant in Long Beach, California 1933. Photo via Vintage Rama.
Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Photo by John A Marshall via NYPL.
Rita Hayworth, Patricia Farr, and a smoking Penguin, 1930’s. Photo via Unexplained Cinema.
Ed Holovchik (aka Ed Fury), bodybuilder and Mr. Los Angeles contestant with model Jackie Coey, 1953. Photo via Black Watch.
Venice Beach, 1970s. Photo by David Scott via Retronaut.
Bikes on the beach in Copenhagen. Photo via Flickr.
Virginia Warwick, Harriet Hammond, Phyllis Haver, 1918. Photo via NYPL.
Acrobats ca. 1930s. Photo by Sam Hood via State Library of New South Wales.
1956. Photo via The Sartorialist.
Fire Island, late 1950’s. Photo via David’s Gallimauphry.
1950s. Photo via The Nifty Fifties.
Ginger Rogers. Photo via Huffington Post.
ca. 1915. Photo via David’s Gallimauphry.
Photo via Emilie’s Daughter.
Models on the beach in swimwear photographed by Richard Rutledge, 1950s. Photo via The Nifty Fifties.
Mary Lawler & Dorothy McNulty, 1930. Photo via Bathing Beauties.
1930’s. Photo via Bathing Beauties.
“In the swim,” 1906. Photo via NYPL.
Sennett Bathing Beauties, 1915. Photo via the1955hudson.
Ms. Lila Lee, 1920’s. Photo via Vintage Gal.
“Feeling fine.” Photo via NYPL.
German beachgoers. Photo via David’s Gallimauphry.
Claire Anderson and Rose Carter, 1918. Photo via NYPL.
Anita Ekberg. Photo via Vintage Rama.