Often, when considering nude models of bygone eras, there’s a handful of names that turn up, such as Josephine Baker and Betty Page.

Josephine Baker

Bettie Page

Back in the 1940s, when Betty Page was in her hey-day, it would have been a little more risqué to appear fully nude than it is now, but she certainly helped define an era and a style that still looks coolly sexy, never spilling over into tacky, tasteless porn -which appears to have been around back then in a more innocent era, as ‘hardcore’ as it is now, if some of the photos of the period are to be believed.

While we might define that late 40s and early 50s period as belonging to Bettie Page, I’m going to throw another name into the mix as a model of nude, natural classiness.

Dorothy Ellen Partington. I’ve found a small biography, but it’s in French.

While she appeared in films, she hasn’t had the same recognition for her work as Page (or Baker, in another era and different field of production).

Born in 1922, in Staten Island, Dorothy Ellen Partington oozes the same classy sexuality and confidence in her nudity as Bettie Page did, and it’s a shame he hasn’t been recognised more fully for her modelling work. These photos have it all, that sassy sexuality, high heels, gloves, stockings, a pearl necklace, even a colouring to the photo that seems time-locked yet timeless.

She died in 2011, but perhaps it’s time to recognise a terrific model who pushed forward the boundaries of what constituted 1950s nude modelling and photography.

In traditional SLN2 style, we asked our model Abbey, with the aid of Harry, to do a little ‘SL replicates RL’ photo session, and the results are below.

nb: there’s no evidence that Dorothy Partington was naturist, but at a time when naturist magazines were routinely airbrushing pubic hair and genitalia (even male naturists seemed to develop a little posing pouch in many photos), it would have been photos like these, the ‘porn’ of their day but now very much artistic and glamour shots, that might have pushed the naturist press forward. That’s why we’ve decided to adorn her with our ‘Heroes of Naturism’ accolade.

Ella

For those of us in the northern hemisphere the naturist ‘season’ is now over. I tend to find it’s really rather too short, effectively lasting from June to September, after which it’s a retreat to clothes or indoor naturism.

For some, ‘indoor naturism’ is a thing, and there’s certainly some web pages where it’s the main focus of attention. I understand that some people aren’t blessed with a nearby naturist beach or their own (secluded) garden, so being nude is something that has to be undertaken indoors.

I was asked recently if I was an ‘indoor naturist’ and I said that I wasn’t, but on reflection that’s not strictly true.

We’re in the wonderful position of living rurally, so during the summer months we use the garden as another room. We aren’t blessed with reliable hot, sunny weather though, so there are times, particularly at the beginning of the summer months, where the sun ducks behind a cloud and you can feel the temperature drop sharply.

I find that when this happens I’ve a tendency to go inside and maybe make a cup of tea, maybe vacuum a room, empty the washing machine, whatever, and not get dressed for that task, so yes, in that respect I’m an indoor naturist.

I don’t, though, tend to say to my family ‘hey, let’s all get naked for the evening’. We’d maybe have naturist friends round in the winter months but we don’t ask them to park their clothes at the door on arrival. In that respect we aren’t ‘indoor naturists’.

Of course nudity just happens at home. No one locks the bathroom door, and I can find myself soaking in the bath when one of the children turns up to get some help with homework, show me a painting they’ve done or some other reason. This, to me, is a perfectly natural state of affairs.

People will adapt their naturism to their surroundings. The important thing is that we, as people, embrace and are comfortable with our bodies. There are no rules. So wherever you can grab your naturism, just do it. It’s a door that leads to a happier existence, learning to love and accept the body with which you’re living.

Hanna and Harry are entirely comfortable with home naturism in their lounge.

Heather does her washing up in her underwear.

Helene has determined that even the most mundane tasks around the house are more fun when nude.

Ella