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balataf
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 Posted - 08/16/2005 : 09:36:01 AM
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I would nominate Jan Gay, whose book "On Going Naked" helped set the tone for many later developments. An American, she pioneered here, and toured the European sites during the 1920s. I am not sure, but I think the book was around 1929, and I can't check right now as I do not have my copy in my own home at the moment.
It has great descriptions of the German "Korperkultur" including nude elementary schools during the Weimar Republic, which was a part of the revolutionary ferment gripping Germany.
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vealj
Forum Member
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Posted - 08/29/2005 : 10:11:13 AM
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Jan Gay (Helen Reitman)
Ms. Reitman was probably the first woman in the 20th century to go public with the fact she was a nudist. Indeed she was an activist to the extent she published her own book, On Going Naked in 1932. In the book she recounts her early leanings to wanting to experience nude activities for which she was severely punished as a girl of 10 or so. When she grew into a young woman she toured Europe in 1931 and researched the "Nacktkultur" or Naked Culture that was gaining popularity in pre-war Germany and France. She was also a member of the American League for Physical Culture back in the U.S. (the precursor to
today's AANR organization) and played in the Tom Cushing play Barely Proper several times for which she was filmed.
Her book, On Going Naked, is out of print but is available on the Internet if you search for it as a rare book. I read it and it is a forthright observation of nudism's early days. I admire this woman's courage for coming forth to extol the beauty and healthy aspects of nude living in a time when women weren't supposed to be liberated but under men's thumbs. She did get one thing wrong, at the end of her book she predicted that in 10 years the American government would be more open to naked culture and people would be going nude in more places. She lived to see what really happened and died in 1960.
Take care and ...
Keep it Bare !!!
- veal
http://www.vealj.com/naturist.html
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Edited by - vealj on 08/29/2005 10:19:36 AM |
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laktor
New Member
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Posted - 03/09/2007 : 01:14:39 AM
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Regarding the Treehouse Fun Ranch that was run by Bill and Fran Flesher, yes, the nude pageants certainly were controversial, but they were responsible for my becoming a nudist. I saw an ad somewhere about one of these pageants in the early 70's and it said that anyone could purchase a ticket and come to this event. I was curious so I attended. To make a long story short, I became a regular visitor to the Treehouse Fun Ranch for pageants and many other summer weekends. Eventually I joined a travel club, the Air-A-Tans and became an "official" nudist. Thirty years later, I still embrace the nudist lifestyle but no longer live in California. I am a member of an Ontario, Canada non-landed club, am an active participant and in the summers I enjoy all the nudist volleyball tournaments within an 8 hr. drive. So if these pageants brought me into the nudist lifestyle, I'm sure they brought others as well.
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CalTom
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Posted - 03/13/2007 : 1:24:38 PM
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The late Bill Flesher certainly belongs on the notable nudist list. Passing away at far too early an age (as a result of Alzheimer related causes) his Treehouse nudist resort would have been only a footnote in Southern California lore if not for the fact that Bill had more than his share of marketing genius.
Back in college a favorite late night program was a low budget political talk show called the Hot Seat hosted by Wally George, a guy who was one part far right wing nut and one part pure schtick. Wearing a helmet head of a horrible snow white toupee and his on-air set replete with patriotic posters that boarded on cornball jingoism, Wally had an amazing assortment of fringe humanity as guests in his little studio a stones throw from Disneyland.
By far one of his most popular guests was none other than Bill Flesher. All Bill had to do was show up and let Wally take over with the pseudo-indignation and hyperbole. "I want to know why they call it the Treehouse Fun Ranch," Wally would ask feigning disgust as Flesher would look on passively, a smile on his face.
Come one evening Bill came into the studio with an attractive young woman of about eighteen who had just been crowned Miss "fill-in-the-blank" at the latest Treehouse festivities. George launched into his usual tirade about what he suspected were "acts of perversion so profound and disgusting" occurring over near the base of Cajon Pass when he started taking questions from his hand picked audience of rosy-cheeked pure-of-heart Orange County teenagers and college students, the base of his program's appeal. Eddie Haskel arose and asked the young beauty queen, "what on Earth do your parents think of you taking-off your clothes for this horribly degrading peagent?" She thought for a moment before pointing out into the audience. "Well mom won too (in the senior division) last year." As the camera panned out to a waving well-toned blond of around forty, Wally turned to Bill Flesher and flashed him a fleeting man-to-man look as if to say you are one lucky guy, mister nudist resort owner.
Both Bill Flesher and Wally George have passed on but their colorful television encounters are still on VHS-and Betamax- somewhere in the garage.
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NaturistDoc
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Posted - 03/13/2007 : 8:44:43 PM
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"Rosy-cheeked pure-of-heart Orange County teenagers"?!? ARE there such creatures? If you watch TV these days ("The O.C."), you'd think that sighting such a specimen would be like noticing a stegosaurus parked in your neighbor's driveway.
Tom, you ought to dig out those old tapes and splice together a "Best of Bill & Wally" highlight reel. It sounds ideal for YouTube.
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laktor
New Member
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Posted - 03/17/2007 : 7:22:08 PM
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Wally George? Oh my god, I hadn't thought of him for decades! But I certainly remember his tv show. Didn't he have American flags everywhere around his set? He was one crazy guy and he sure put a lot of his "guests" down when they came on his show! But it sure was fun to watch!
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widowerman
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Posted - 07/15/2007 : 9:53:13 PM
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If it hasn’t already been done, I’d like to nominate Adam & Eve, two nudists from way back when. That was until the Man said “NO!”
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tgg
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Posted - 09/16/2007 : 06:45:14 AM
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Here are a few more I can think of:
Conrad Schmidt
Vincent Bethell
Stephen Gough
Daniel Johnson
Terri Webb
Dr. Les Rootsey
'Fear wraps our bodies in clothing, love allows us to stand naked' - Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations With God 1)
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oxybelis
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 4:56:21 PM
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I enjoyed reading this "who's who" of nudism, thanks, Veal. I have frequented Lake Como, though, and I was told it was the oldest nudist resort in the U.S. so I was wondering if its founder deserves recognition. Does it pre-date Sky Farm, which I guess would be the oldest nudist non-landed club?
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Cheri
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 5:20:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by oxybelis
I enjoyed reading this "who's who" of nudism, thanks, Veal. I have frequented Lake Como, though, and I was told it was the oldest nudist resort in the U.S. so I was wondering if its founder deserves recognition. Does it pre-date Sky Farm, which I guess would be the oldest nudist non-landed club?
Skyfarm is a landed club. The nudist colony (yes, it was a true colony) at Cat Island, near Beaufort, SC predates the northeastern park by a couple of months.
Cheri
Doing what I can to positively promote nudism
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vealj
Forum Member
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Posted - 10/05/2007 : 10:27:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by oxybelis
I enjoyed reading this "who's who" of nudism, thanks, Veal. I have frequented Lake Como, though, and I was told it was the oldest nudist resort in the U.S. so I was wondering if its founder deserves recognition. Does it pre-date Sky Farm, which I guess would be the oldest nudist non-landed club?
Like many historical events there is always debate on which was the "first". I believe the community of Home, Washington was the first nudist "colony" in the U.S. Although it wasn't strictly for nudists; anarchists, food faddists and other refugees from mainstream society also called it (pardon the pun) home. It was founded in 1895 by George H. Allen, Oliver A. Verity, and B. F. O'Dell on Key Peninsula near Puget Sound. The nudists arrived circa 1901.
To read more about it, check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home,_Washington
Take care and ...
Keep it Bare !!!
- veal
Web:http://www.vealj.com/naturist.html
Nudist Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/vealj
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vealj
Forum Member
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Posted - 10/05/2007 : 10:33:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by - -Tom
The late Bill Flesher certainly belongs on the notable nudist list.
You are so right Tom. I met Bill and Fran years ago and was really impressed at his ability to garner positive press coverage for nudism.
I also remember he was a lot of fun. I remember several of us from the Midwest "stealing" and hiding his ATV at the ASA convention from right behind him as Alan McCombe and Bob Page kept him busy in conversation. He was a good sport about the whole thing and laughed along with the rest of us.
Take care and ...
Keep it Bare !!!
- veal
Web:http://www.vealj.com/naturist.html
Nudist Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/vealj
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Scipio
New Member
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Posted - 11/28/2007 : 4:37:54 PM
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I am curious, is Ray Connett or/and Mildrd still living?
Scipio@cox.net
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Cheri
Forum Member
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Posted - 11/29/2007 : 09:47:21 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Scipio
I am curious, is Ray Connett or/and Mildrd still living?
Scipio@cox.net
Ray and Mildred passed away a number of years ago.
Cheri
Doing what I can to positively promote nudism
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zackflesher
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Posted - 01/25/2008 : 04:15:47 AM
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i just wanted to say thank you to all those who have said some very nice things about my family especially about my grandfather bill flesher. my family is very political and we like to push issues pretty far. please email me on some of the issues or problems that have been going on and i will try to help where i can.
thanks again
zachary flesher
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A short list of notable nudists.
