Photograph of a Swimmer of Portobello Swimming Club

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

52346

Title

Studio photograph of a swimmer of Portobello Swimming Club with medals and trophies

Description

Studio photograph in black and white mounted on dark grey thick cardboard, showing a male swimmer in costume standing beside a table with three trophes. He has a number of swimming badges on his costume. There is a piece of pink paper at one time attached to back of photgraph (now loose) with writing in red stating 'Portobello Swimming Club'.

Accession number

SH.2011.513

Copyright

The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

Since the COVID pandemic, wild swimming in a few spots around Edinburgh has seen numbers increase, but it has always been the case that wherever there is safe water to swim in, you will find swimmers. Edinburgh's location on the Forth is no exception. Because swimming requires so little equipment, it has always been a sport open to all, regardless of wealth.

The earliest swimming clubs were formed before many towns had indoor swimming pools. They swam in open water, where there are of course significant dangers involved. As clubs developed, they adopted the ethos of lifesaving as well as the encouragement of swimming. Edinburgh had a large club called the Forth Swimming and Humane Society.

As the waters around the Forth became dirtier through pollution, more public calls were made for indoor pools. Edinburgh gained its six Victorian baths in the late 1800s. Portobello Baths opened in 1900, and was home to the Portobello Swimming Club. This swimmer is seen with his trophies and medals wearing what appears to be a woollen knitted swimming costume.

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Photograph of a swimmer of Portobello Swimming Club