Changes

The modern beach began to form as the rolling machines began to diminish and swimming by both sexes together became more acceptable, allowing also families to enjoy time together either sitting at the beach or swimming. In the early 1900s, people began to accept women and men could swim together or at least swim at the same time and on the same beach. Bathing rolling machines became less popular and soon began to disappear. Clothing still covered most of the body, for men and women, but attitudes in England and the United States began to relax, with continental Europe already having been relaxed about swimming decades earlier. Nevertheless, councilors as late as the 1930s attempted to ban mixed swimming, arguing in some cases that it prevented marriage and made women have loose morals. What probably helped change public attitudes were people becoming increasingly health conscious, not only for men but also women. The Olympics of 1912 were influential in public swimming, as that was the first time women were allowed to compete in swimming competition. This helped to make the public seeing swimming by women more acceptable, including at the beach. Swimming was now seen as part of exercise for a healthy life and both sexes were now taught how to swim. People in the 1930s, particularly as the Depression made other activities more expensive, began to see the beach as a pleasurable and affordable place to visit, with movements against any more socially conservative attempts to prohibit the mixing of sexes in using the beach.