The Great Nude Debate: When Seattle’s Church Ladies Tried to Save Their Living Pictures

ALAMEDA, April 3. — Ladies and gentlemen of Christ Episcopal Church have had a falling out over the propriety of living picture exhibitions at church entertainments.

It has been said in the past that ladies are the advocates of these nude arts, while the clergymen are hostile to the idea and think they could not witness the exhibition and live. The gentlemen blush at any reference to the proposed entertainment, while the ladies look up with a fluster of fair sort of way and insist, with much emphasis, that it is the permissible thing. They blush also, however, but they assert that the blushers are false.

St. John's Guild, connected with the church, had undertaken to give an entertainment to raise funds to replenish the depleted general treasury of the church. Among other talent, the services were secured of Perham Nabl, the living picture artist.

Everything was progressing nicely with the proposed entertainment, when the clergyman came in and spoiled it all, and prompted the ladies to call it off. Tickets had been printed and a great number of them sold on the representation that Mr. Nabl's living pictures would be a feature of the programme.

The ladies made their mistake in selecting too promiscuous numbers. As soon as the news reached the delicate ears of the vestrymen they pronounced it 'Just about awful for anything,' and forthwith took steps to prevent the 'horrid' pictures being exhibited at a church entertainment.

At their request, the rector, Rev. T. J. LeCoye, called a meeting of the vestrymen. The reverend asserts that the mere mention of living pictures shocked him so that he could not undergo the ordeal of taking part in the meeting where they were the only subject under discussion. His presence, however, was not necessary to draw the curtain on the first play of the nude in art.

Other vestrymen covered their flushed faces and cried out against what they considered an immoral show fraught with danger to the welfare of the community. And so the president of the full guild was notified that the living pictures were to be 'killed.'

Mrs. [Name Redacted] was astonished at the action of the gentlemen, and immediately called a joint meeting of the guild and the vestry to discuss the propriety of living pictures.

The meeting was held and the ladies argued for their living pictures, but the gentlemen could not tolerate it. They drew the line at living pictures! especially as the artist was to be given with a man as the central figure. Thus it is that the entertainment has been declared off.

The ladies decided that if they could not have 'living pictures' lived, they would make no effort to add funds to the church treasury. Notice is given that those who have purchased tickets can have their money refunded by applying at the box office.