The Seattle Athletic Club Opens its Doors to Women
For the first time, female friends of members are granted access to gym facilities and the swimming pool in specialized exercise suits.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On Thursday, the quarters of the Seattle Athletic Club were thrown open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to the lady friends of the members. Many ladies came prepared to use the facilities for exercise, bringing exercise suits consisting of loose union suits with knee-length trousers and short skirts, mostly in dark blue trimmed with white—the colors of the club. The ladies took an active part in gymnastic exercises led by Prof. Vanderveer, the physical instructor, using arm, back and shoulder pulleys, and equipment like the horse and springboard, followed by a plunge in the swimming pool. Some of the ladies showed themselves quite expert in the exercises. If the use of these privileges grows in popularity, an additional day will be set aside.
“Some of the ladies showed themselves quite expert in the exercises and all were highly pleased.”
The struggle for women's access to athletic and civic spaces is a long-standing thread in Seattle's history. While this was a limited 'Ladies' Day' privilege, it marks a significant shift in the city's social fabric regarding where women could exercise and exist in public space.
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