Fun on Deauville Beach

Sunny snapshots on the "Parisian Riviera"

Alex Q. Arbuckle

1900-1938

Swimmers pose for a picture by the official beach photographer. Credit: Imagno/Getty Images

The Normandy town of Deauville, with its fresh sea air and pristine beach, became a premier resort destination for the upper class following the construction of a railway from Paris in the 1860s. In addition to villas and mansions, the town boasted casinos, horse races, luxury boutiques, a beachside boardwalk and therapeutic baths. The main attraction, though, was the wide sandy beach, which offered opportunities for sunbathing, donkey rides, aerobics — and roving photographers to capture those moments.

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