Swimsuit Collection

Child Wearing a Swim Cap Sitting in the Surf, 1922 (screen print)
2622357 Child Wearing a Swim Cap Sitting in the Surf, 1922 (screen print) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Vintage illustration of a young girl in a swim cap)

American actress. The most popular pin-up photograph of the American armed forces during World War II
BETTY GRABLE (1916-1973). American actress. The most popular pin-up photograph of the American armed forces during World War II

Nee Margarita Cansino. American cinema actress and dancer
RITA HAYWORTH (1918-1987). Nee Margarita Cansino. American cinema actress and dancer

1940s style Navy pin-up girl posing with a vintage Corsair aircraft
Beautiful 1940s style Navy pin-up girl posing with a vintage Corsair aircraft

Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer, 1926. On 6 August 1926 Ederle (1905-2003) became the first woman to swim across the English Channel, which she achieved in a time of 14 hours and 30 minutes

Pickaback Beach Delight 1938
Holliday-makers wearing stripped one-piece swimming-suit enjoy a pickaback party to the delight of the ladies 01 July 1938 on the beach of Ostend. AFP PHOTO / AFP PHOTO / STRINGER

Woman police officer Annie Matthews, Hyde Park, London
Woman police officer Annie Matthews (nickname Big Ben), on duty at the childrens lido in Hyde Park, London. Before joining the Met Police, Annie worked as a housemaid at Glamis Castle in Scotland

The Beach At Cannes
Sunbathers on a deck in front of the beach outside the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France in August 1948. (Photo by Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

A 20-25 year old young Brazilian woman standing on the Arpoador rocks with Ipanema and the Morro Dois Irmaos hills in the distance, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America

Audi Quattro Germany

Comic postcard, Enormous man with woman in the sea Date: 20th century

Cecil Beaton and Lady Diana Abdy, Lido in Venice, Italy
Cecil Beaton, photographer and designer, and Lady Diana Abdy, daughter of the Earl of Bradford, on the beach at the Lido in Venice, Italy. Date: 1933

Girl in a Red Dress, Seated by a Swimming Pool, 1936 (oil on board)
657183 Girl in a Red Dress, Seated by a Swimming Pool, 1936 (oil on board) by Lavery, John (1856-1941); 24x20in cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Girl in a Red Dress, Seated by a Swimming Pool)

Veet advertisement, 1926
Advertisement for Veet hair removal cream from 1926 - don t let disfiguring growths of superfluous hair destroy your charm and daintiness any longer

Beauty on Parade - a beach belle by David Wright
Front cover of The American Weekly featuring an illustration by David Wright, of a red-haired woman in a green swimsuit relaxing on the beach. Date: 1948

Flappers (litho)
7148641 Flappers (litho) by Heilemann, Ernst (1870-1936) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Flappers. Illustration from Die Berliner Pflanze (Albert Langen, Munich)

Advert for Wills Gold Flake cigarettes, featuring a glamorous young woman smoking a cigarette on the beach in a red swimsuit, who is the centre of attraction! Date: 1928

Poster, All the year round the French Riviera calls you
Poster, French National Railways, All the year round the French Riviera calls you. 1949

The Water Nymph by Muriel Dawson -- a little girl paddling in the sea. Date: 1933

1917 Bathing Suit Fashion
Hollywood, California: c. 1917. Silent screen actress and Mack Sennett Comedy beauty Vera Stedman poses in the latest beach wear

Marquise de Casa Maury
The Marquise de Casa Maury, formerly Miss Paula Gellibrand, and Mrs Loel Guinness, formerly Joan Yarde-Buller, daughter of Lord Churston. Joan later divorced her husband and married Prince Aly Khan

The Chaperon by Joyce Dennys
A young woman manages to steal a few moments with her sweetheart out of sight of her chaperon (whose Victorian bathing costume can be seen)

Advert for Gorringes womens bathing dresses & capes 1924
Selection of womens exclusive bathing dresses with separate knickers and capes. Date: 1924

Woman drying herself after a dip in the sea outside her hut
Woman drying herself with a beach towel after a dip in the sea In her trendy striped bathing costume) outside her hut which is named Burleigh after a village in Berkshire, England. Date: circa 1920s

Venetian Pools, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
Swimmers enjoying the Venetian Pools at Coral Gables, just south of Miami, Florida, USA. Date: 1952

Recruiting on the beach at Southsea, WW1
A call to arms. A very persuasive pair of recruiting sergeants, Beattie and Babs, on the beach at Southsea. The pair later appeared on stage at the Southend Hippodrome to continue their campaign

Summer Happening at Harvey Nichols
Shoot for Harvey Nichols - Summer Fashions ('Summer Happening') - swimsuit with bold colourful paisley effect pattern in turquoise and gold Date: circa late 1960s

Comic postcard, Plump woman sitting on man on beach Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Large woman in red swimsuit on the beach Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Plump woman riding a donkey on the beach Date: 20th century

Cheryl Walker, American fashion model and actress
Cheryl Walker (1918-1971), American fashion model and actress. 1939

These girls have taken their first steps in a bid to become Miss Madison 1987. The trio, from the first heat held in Newcastle, go forward to the area final next month

Miss UK, Della Dolan, aged 20 from Grimsby, prepares for next months MIss World contest at a Marbella hideaway. 25th October 1982

Unsinkable swimsuits worn by Jean Marsh and Lillemor Knudson. September 1952 P017653

Top glamour model Stephanie McLean posing on a sailboat January 1975 75-00129

Miss Marina 1950
Sheila Simpson, winner of 1950s Miss Marina contest at Ramsgate, Kent, poses in her swimsuit

FRANCE-PARIS-EIFFEL TOWER-SWIMMING
A woman in swimsuit poses in front of the Eiffel Tower on the banks of the Seine River, in July 1949 in Paris. (Photo by - / AFP)

Valerie, 1938. Creator: Unknown
" Valerie", 1938. Valerie Hudson was a well-known model and showgirl in the late 1930s and 1940 s. From " Modern Beauties"

Joan Jay, 1938. Creator: Unknown
Joan Jay, 1938. From " Modern Beauties"

Paris-Seine-Summer
Young people in swimwear buy ice cream near the Eiffel Tower, in July 1945 during a heat wave in Paris. (Photo by - / AFP)

Bathers on the beach at Perranporth, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall. 1920s
Twelve bathing " belles" posed on beach in order of height. six older girls, five boys and a little girl. Photographer: Arthur William Jordan

Dancing On The Beach
The Margaret Morris dancers rehearsing on the beach at Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, circa 1930. (Photo by Keystone/FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Little pasta: children play on the beach with sand. Illustration of the beginning of the 20th century (chromolitho)
JLJ4568704 Little pasta: children play on the beach with sand. Illustration of the beginning of the 20th century (chromolitho) by French School, (20th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs

Beach Day
Alix Campbell

Colombia, Bird's eye view of Woman swimming
2040-210674-01

Nevada, Las Vegas, Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden And Dolphin Habitat
1431-202455-01

2 female surfers at the beach

Female surfer riding a wave

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

From vintage pin-ups to modern beach babes, the swimsuit has always been a symbol of style and freedom. In 1922, a child wearing a swim cap sits in the surf, capturing the innocence and joy of summer days. Fast forward to World War II, where an American actress becomes the most popular pin-up photograph for our brave armed forces. Margarita Cansino, later known as Rita Hayworth, mesmerizes audiences with her beauty and talent as an actress and dancer. A 1940s-style Navy pin-up girl strikes a pose next to a vintage Corsair aircraft, embodying both glamour and patriotism. Even cigarette ads couldn't resist featuring swimsuit-clad women like Wills Gold Flake's glamorous young smoker. The allure of the French Riviera beckons all year round in an enticing poster that promises sun-soaked adventures. In 1938's Pickaback Beach Delight, friends frolic on sandy shores while enjoying each other's company. Meanwhile, Audi Quattro showcases its German engineering prowess against stunning coastal backdrops. Beauty knows no bounds as contestants line up for Miss County of Cornwall beauty contest; their confidence radiates through their swimsuits. Annie Matthews breaks barriers as a woman police officer patrolling Hyde Park in London - proving that strength comes in many forms. The beaches at Cannes become playgrounds for relaxation and luxury under the warm Mediterranean sun. And who can resist Ipanema's charm? A young Brazilian woman stands proudly on Arpoador rocks overlooking this iconic beachscape. Through history and across cultures, the swimsuit remains timeless - embracing individuality while celebrating fun in the sun.