Four original 19th-century tintypes depict men and women enjoying leisure time at the seaside, dressed in early bathing suits and posed against painted beach backdrops. These vernacular images offer rare and candid glimpses of the evolving culture of recreation and gender expression in the late Victorian period.

One standout image captures a couple seated at a faux stone wall, with the man barefoot and relaxed while the woman poses in a full bathing outfit with striped stockings. Another tintype shows two men in matching athletic swimwear emblazoned with the word “Atheneam,” posed formally but with camaraderie. A third features a playful group of five women on a beach set, caught mid-laughter in an animated composition that breaks from traditional portraiture. The final image presents three men in early swim trunks and sleeveless tops, posed casually around a studio bench, with faint insignias on their garments suggesting organized aquatic activity or club affiliation.

Together, the group captures a transitional moment in 19th-century leisure culture, where fashion, athleticism, and emerging social freedoms converge at the water’s edge. Scarce and highly displayable, these tintypes are both historically rich and visually compelling.