Followers

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Yale


I've had this photo made in the Yale football locker room for a long time, and I think I've finally figured out the idea.  "If you don't have time for a full shower, at least get the most important parts."

 

14 comments:

  1. Interesting concept...claustrophobic as all get out, though, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yeah. Maybe it was added to the facility as a afterthought.

      Delete
  2. What a bizarre contraption. I always worked on the assumption that it was to prevent lice - or crabs. They can travel in changing rooms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's as good as anything I can think of, lol.

      Delete
    2. But a mere spray of water doesn't get rid of critters of that sort. The purpose of this contraption is indeed odd.

      Delete
    3. Maybe they had an anti-fungal chemical in the water to prevent jock itch. A lot of them had foot washes for that purpose.

      Delete
  3. LOL, un lave-couilles et cul express !
    ************
    LOL, an express ball and ass washer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The photo was taken in 1937 by Alfred Eisenstaedt for a LIFE photo set called "Yale Univ." The rest of the photos in the set are all of the Yale swim team and its coach, Bob Kiphuth. So, the guys in the weird under-shower photo are swimmers.

    Yale's Payne Whitney Gymnasium is an enormous nine-story building containing twelve acres of interior space. The swimming pool is on the third floor. Presumably the under-shower, used by swimmers, would also be on the third floor, and would be unlikely to be used by other sports teams such as football.

    Of note, the photo set also included two photos of coach Kiphuth frontally nude. The swim team practiced naked, and apparently the coach felt no need for formal dress while overseeing swimming practice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Larry! I have the pictures of the coach, but I didn't know the rest of the story.

      Delete
  6. Oh wow...I want to try that. Great story too...

    ReplyDelete
  7. And here is the description from the ShowerSpecialistLondon2 blog (with similar info as what Unashamed Male posted above):
    "This LIFE Magazine image often is posted but seldom with accurate explanation. It is erroneously indicated to be Harvard, but was actually in the PE/Swim gymnasium at Yale. Swim classes (nude) marched thru the showers both before and after using the pool. Tunnel showers came into vogue in the early 1950’s, and were designed to bath large numbers of men in a short period of time. For that reason, they were typically found in large high schools, colleges and at at least two military training bases that I am aware of. The advocates claimed they provided “discipline and efficiency” in the shower process. The process was similar to some current car washes. You just lined up at arms length, got sprayed with water and soap solution, rubbed down as needed, then existed clean after walking thru rinse jets. The “undercarriage" spray station shown was a bit extravagant compared to the two tunnel showers I personally observed. The had little more than straddle pipes with nozzles doing the honors. You had to feel sorry for the short legged student who was straddling the stream when the line slowed or stopped."

    We learn new things every day on this blog! Thanks Jerry!
    -Tom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for researching and sharing this, Tom! Fascinating information.

      Delete
    2. Yes, I had the Yale swimmers series but I didn't associate the above image with it. Thank very much to both of you for solving a mystery. Of course, when I was researching the history of sportswear, these images were not of much use because of the nudity!

      Delete