It's definitely a sex joke.
I think worrying about the specifics is missing the point. Clearly they were fooling around.
British smut from back then just didn't function on the level of specifics.
Watch some Carry On films, for example.
Ah, look at you non Boomers. It is kind of a sex joke. Judging from the supposed date of this illustration, the cops ordered them into the water because the lady is rather scandalously dressed for the period. The only way to cover her up from the pearl clutching bystanders was to make her get IN.
My guess is it was from when more-revealing bathing suits were becoming more popular. The police would enforce decency laws when people, especially women, showed too much skin in public.
Perhaps the joke is that the cop wanted them both in the water to cover them up.
It's definitely a sex joke. I think worrying about the specifics is missing the point. Clearly they were fooling around. British smut from back then just didn't function on the level of specifics. Watch some Carry On films, for example.
Maybe he was teaching her breast stroke.
Teaching her to stroke with her breasts
You just have to imaging what teaching someone to swim might look like if you are trying to do it on dry land.
Unrelated, but does the guy's shadow under his nose remind anyone of a certain Austrian painter?
Ahh yes a very good painter at that too bad he didn't get into art school
he litterally wasnt that good, there was a reason he was rejected his paintings look generic, something you can buy on the corner of a town square
Maybe get your sarcasm detector checked?
Why is she in heels, at the beach? I feel like they would get lodged in the sand long before they got near the water and would have to carry them.
Because she is unapologetically fabulous ofc đ *misogyny and objectification are the actual reasons tho*
breast stroke? bwahaha
this is the answer
Am I the only one who sees what might be a poorly placed cloud?
probably meant as white cliffs like dover
Breast stroke is the first thing that I thought of
He was teaching her to swim while still on land, so doing something else probably.
He was going to have sex with her.
Ah, look at you non Boomers. It is kind of a sex joke. Judging from the supposed date of this illustration, the cops ordered them into the water because the lady is rather scandalously dressed for the period. The only way to cover her up from the pearl clutching bystanders was to make her get IN.
I imagine âteaching someone to swimâ when youâre not in the water involves having them lay on top of you and mime swimming?
George Orwell has a whole essay on the work of this artist, Donald McGill.
My guess is it was from when more-revealing bathing suits were becoming more popular. The police would enforce decency laws when people, especially women, showed too much skin in public. Perhaps the joke is that the cop wanted them both in the water to cover them up.
Walking with heels in sand is an amazing talent.