Original August 28, 1920 camera-original glass plate negative capturing female swimmers poised at the starting line of a swimming race during the American Carnival on the Charles River Basin in Boston, Massachusetts.

The lineup of female competitors stands poised along the edge of a wooden floating dock, arms extended forward in the classic crouched track/dive starting stance of the era. The scene captures exceptional historical and cultural significance:

• Pioneering Athletic Swimwear: The women wear sleek, streamlined knitted one-piece athletic swimsuits and fitted swim caps—a pivotal transition era when women athletes challenged restrictive seaside modesty standards to compete in functional racing gear.

• Race Officials & Spectators: A race starter/official in a dapper white suit, tie, and straw boater hat stands directly behind the line with paperwork, flanked by uniformed naval or harbor officers and numbered competitors (with bibs/patches like 93, 60, etc.) waiting on deck. A wooden high-dive tower/lifeguard stand rises directly behind them.

• Background Panorama: Looking across the open water toward the urban shoreline, showing period industrial waterfront architecture, smoking factory stacks, and a motor launch patrolling the course.

Included Paper Artifact:

• Housed in its original vintage heavy textured sleeve with red-stained edges, inscribed in period fountain pen script:

• "Bathing Girls in One Pc - Suits in American Carnival at Charles River Basin. Aug. 28 - 1920."

Condition & Preservation: Glass plate is structurally intact and fully free of cracks or breaks. The emulsion is clean, crisp, and stable, displaying sharp focus and superb dynamic range, with only minor authentic emulsion wear at the upper extreme corner perimeter.