Nudism in the 30's.

In their book ‘The Long Week End’ by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge published in 1940; talk amusingly of how the English climate was not beneficial to nudism and how boring it eventually became.

'Nudism was not so popular in Britain as in Germany or the United States: it was not suited to the climate. At first nudists gathered in muddy and midge ridden corners of solitary woods, but later built luxurious nature camps and in the winter held indoor meetings with sunray lamps. They adopted the Hellenistic Greek name "Gym­no sophists" , and brought their children along with them. After a time most members found the routine of these camps monotonous, despite the earnest psychological and valetudinarian talk that went on in them. Women especially grew bored sitting about with no clothes, while attracting no erotic interest in the opposite sex, and being made wonderfully healthy by compulsory drill and by lettuce and tinned-salmon teas.

Far better to wear a bathing dress on a beach and be conscious of its daringness, than to sit about with no clothes on and with everyone politely unconscious of it. At the superior nudist camps, a nice class distinction was made: the butlers and maids who brought along the refreshments were forced to admit their lower social status by wearing loin cloths and aprons respectively.'