Is the Fig Leaf Over Rated?

Nudity was a natural and normal part of life, throughout most of human history. The "bathing suit" dates back only about a century, and only with the advent society pressures urged humans to be ashamed of their bodies. As we began to replace the natural world with manufactured goods, we began to see all non-made items as imperfect. The human body became an object of shame to be hidden by clothing.

Naturism began as a self-help movement in reaction to the debilitating industrialization and urbanization aspects, during the nineteenth century. Because medicine could not explain or cure disease, many people believed overcrowded and unsanitary city conditions, tenement housing, restrictive clothing, and working conditions led to poor health and illness. And, some believed people needed to be exposured to the natural healing elements of fresh air, sunlight, and water -- preferably with loose-fitting or no clothing.

A coalition of natural lifestyle reform began during the late nineteenth century, combining clothing reform, vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and naturopathy. Nudism found expression in several books by German writers, Heinrich Pudor and Richard Ungewitter, and the naturist idea received cultural support when the first modern Olympic Games in Athens drew attention to classical nudity.

Experimental clubs, first opened in Germany, and later in France and England where individuals could practice their natural lifestyle without outside iterference. These clubs were experiments in the natural way of living, and imposed the full natural regimen on all guests: nudity rain or shine, abstinence, vegetarianism, and mandatory callisthenics.

Many decided the practice was not as attractive as the theory, some deserted the cause completely, while others noticed that social nudity had a positive psychological effect. When people removed their cultural body armor, they felt freer and less stressed than during their everyday lives. People were just who they were and not what they pretended to be behind uniforms, jewelry, or makeup. The relaxed social ambiance became the hallmark of twentieth century social nudism.

Several other trends hastened the transition from naturism to nudism. The young generation, at the turn of the century, embraced the great outdoors, and went hiking and canoeing around the countryside nude. Western society underwent a sort of sexual liberation at this time, and relaxed many of their moral standards. As a result, nudism was poised for rapid growth during the 1920s, especially in Germany, where tens of thousands of people romped in clubs, beaches, city parks and swimming pools. In 1931 representatives from various clubs and societies met in Germany to form an international nudist organization. However, the depression years proved it was not the best time to start new ventures, and the experiment ended.

However, pioneers established nudism on a sound footing and it was revived and flourished in Europe. Nudism in North America followed the European pattern by promoting nudism in various magazines. The first true nudist club was formed in New York State by Kurt Barthel and German immigrants. The Sky Farm Club became home to the early International Nudist Conference, that Ilsley "Uncle Danny" Boone seized control, reorganized the American Sunbathing Association (ASA), and launched the Sunshine & Health Club. And, other clubs soon appeared throughout the United States. Members did not like the one-man monopoly, and the National Nudist Council was formed.

Social trends caught up with social nudism and during the Sixties, and the sexual revolution, produced a generation more nonchalant towards nudity. This affected mass popular culture in magazines, such as Playboy, (as well as the nudist magazines, which won several major court decisions in the Fifties), and in movies. The new generation assumed nudity was natural and appropriate almost anywhere.

The Free Beach movement resulted in California and spread rapidly. They dismissed the quaint restrictions of club nudism about no touching, no hand-holding, and no singles. This casual and unstructured form of nudism acquired the term naturism to distinguish it from more traditional club and organizational nudism.

Club nudism still remains popular for families and for those who appreciate a regular group of friends and acquaintances, and who seek the protection of private property. Naturism is an increasingly popular lifestyle that offers similar goals as it did a hundred years ago. Naturism is;an escape from the urbanized, industrialized, and stressed-out civilization surrounding us.