Omaha’s Mermaid, 1920s

My husband’s great grandmother, Corinne Condon, was a champion swimmer and named Omaha’s mermaid by the local newspapers.

Corinne Condon, c. 1923-4.

 

The hand-tinted photo above is of Corinne between the ages of 12 and 14.  She began swimming only a few years earlier at the age of 10, and trained in the pool at the hospital her father owned (Nicholas Senn Hospital.)  When this photo was taken, she was already a champion swimmer, and the below article documents her success:

I love the formality of this photo.  Quite different from her candid photo in the park!  I also love her peplum swimsuit! Perhaps one of these days I’ll discuss the evolution of swimwear…