Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
Publicly Sanctioned, Nude Recreation in America Started in St. Pete! Temple of the Sun St. Petersburg, Florida, 1930 MUNICIPAL 1929 - 1961It was the best of times. AMERICA IN 1930 It was the worst of times.rom the Jazz Age to Prohibition, the 1930s were an exciting time to be alive in America. Herbert Hoover was President. The Roaring 20s crashed into the Great Depression. Mickey Mouse leapt off the Silver Screen and into newspapers. Charles Lindbergh was an American hero, having made the first non-stop transatlantic flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The Empire State Building was nearing completion in New York City. Bonnie met Clyde and Babe Ruth became a household name. The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and, by the end of the decade, World War II began. Meanwhile, America’s rapid economic shift from agriculture to industry brought urban overcrowding, hazardous working conditions, pollution, and a rise in illnesses. People began searching for new ways to relax and restore their health. In 1929, Florida physician E. J. Melville drew inspiration from the German “Freikörperkultur” (FKK), or “free body culture”, and opened a solarium in St. Petersburg. It was America’s first publicly sanctioned facility for Heliotherapy, that is, open-air nude sunbathing. Read on for the story of that successful joint venture. Fany people are surprised to learn that for three decades, the number one tourist industry in St. Petersburg, Florida, was nude sunbathing. In 1929, St. Pete became home to America’s first publicly sanctioned facility for Heliotherapy. The City itself supported and promoted nude sunbathing, successfully bolstering the area’s tourism appeal. The concept of open-air nude sunbathing was researched and legitimized by St. Petersburg physician E.J. Melville in 1922. Dr. Melville wrote an essay entitled “The Curative Value of Florida Sunshine,” later published in the International Journal of Surgery. He called his cure “Heliotherapy.” It was inexpensive and easy to do. The only requirement was for patients to spend most of the day lying naked in the sun with their eyes shaded from the sun’s glare. Vitamin D, provided by sunshine, would cure many illnesses. Florida sunshine was considered the best quality, of course. After St. Petersburg built the Million Dollar Pier in 1926 and developed Spa Beach in 1928, it proceeded to construct a $1,400 walled solarium spearheaded by Henry Landsman, who had come to Florida looking for a way to heal his rheumatism. The public’s response to the Municipal Solarium was overwhelming and positive. The installation was almost instantly overcrowded. As a result, Landsman helped form The Solarium Society. Solarium Entrance Sign, 1931 MAfter the city fathers conducted a nationwide marketing study, the City spent $11,500 (approximately $220,000 today) constructing the “Temple of the Sun” complex behind the old Spa Pool on the approach to The Pier in December 1929. Then, on February 4, 1930, in front of 30,000 spectators, the City opened the Municipal Solarium to great fanfare. Separate men’s and women’s courtyards were available, accommodating up to 500 patrons. The Egyptian-themed building was dedicated to the Egyptian sun god “Ra” and decorated with the traditional motif of a sun disk flanked by falcon’s wings. It was considered the largest and best-equipped open-air sunbathing facility in North America. There was no dress code. Neither Landsman, The Solarium Society, nor manager E. H. McCrahon gave “two hoots” about what, if anything, was worn inside. Eventually , th e solarium’s entrance sign freely promoted the facility as being for nude use, and almost everyone gladly stripped off to get a “full body tan.” The initial daily entrance fee was 35 cents and included a towel, soap, and the use of a chair. Patrons could play cards, volleyball, and horseshoes. Drinks and dinner could be ordered and delivered from the spa next door as well. The Municipal Solarium had 100,000 visitors for at least three years during the early 1930s. Averaging 300 patrons per day more than covered operating costs. A wooden fence separated the twin men’s and women’s sections, each measuring 1930, Sunbathing & outdoor volleyball with the Renaissance Vinoy in the background.724 x 248 feet. The floor was pure white sand. Sometimes, the fence wall would collapse, or more adventurous people would attempt to climb it. Even when planes flew overhead, most guests were unbothered. Some stood naked, waving at the fly-overs. Allowing the Solarium Society to enter floats in local parades was the only controversy. The Temple of the Sun was as much a religious and health club as it was anything. However, it was also a popular tourist destination. The City owned it, and it became a means to attract tourists to St. Petersburg. Eventually, solariums appeared throughout Pinellas County, including one on Boca Ciega Island. Local hotels, such as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort, also jumped on the concept. They offered similar rooftop retreats, actively marketing naked sunbathing for those suffering from the many ills that only tanning could cure. These were extremely popular, and tourism in St. Petersburg soared despite the Great Depression Era economy. When burlesque starlet Sally Rand visited St. Petersburg in 1938, she disrobed on the street and walked naked into the Temple of the Sun as a publicity stunt. One regular to the Municipal Solarium was interviewed and stated that she was unimpressed by Rand. “We have beautiful naked women walking around here all the time. She is nothing special.” Even after the end of World War II, St. Petersburg’s solariums continued to provide locals and visitors with the healthy benefits of nude sunbathing and socializing. The post-war economic boom eventually led to a surge in consumerism, a shift toward suburban living, and a focus on raising families. The aging of the Guest Sally Rand – 1929initial Municipal Solarium enthusiasts and changing attitudes about nudity caused attendance at the Temple of the Sun to decline. Henry Landsman died in 1957, and despite dropping the entrance fee to 25 cents, the Temple of the Sun closed in 1961. The following year, demolition of the facility brought St. Petersburg’s 33-year, publicly sanctioned support of nude sunbathing to an end. Today, Florida promotes four legal nude beaches on the Atlantic coast. Nearby Pasco County boasts several nudist resorts. Like St. Pete’s Municipal Solarium, all of these are popular and economically valuable to their communities. Could Pinellas County’s historical support of nude sunbathing hold a key to potential growth in the future? Women’s Side of the Solarium, 1955 Entrance to the Ladies Section, 1929A 501 ( c )( 3 ) Nonprofit www.NNEAR.org info@NNEAR.org 352-409-5783 Copyright © 2025 NNEAR, Inc. All rights reserved. The content of this brochure is used with permission and is primarily based on an article by Olaf Danielson published in The Pages of History Newsletter, June 2025 by The Naturist Education Foundation. This brochure may not be reproduced whole or in part without written consent from NNEAR, Inc. Front Cover • Temple of the Sun Entrance: Wikipedia Commons, Public Domain Pages 2–3 • Mickey Mouse Comic Strip: January 13, 1930, Various Newspapers, Public Domain • Great Depression Soup Kitchen, 1931, USA National Archives, Public Domain Pages 4–5 • Solarium Entrance Sign Detail: Wikipedia Commons, Public Domain • Sunbathing & Volleyball: “On Going Naked” by Jan Gay, Sunshine Book Company, Mays • Landing, NJ, Public Domain, sourced at American Nudist Research Library, Poinciana, FL Pages 6–7 • Sarah Grant, 1927, by Asahel Curtis, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain • Ladies Section of Solarium, 1955: St. Petersburg Museum of History, Used With Permission Back Cover • Ladies Solarium Entrance, Clifton R. Adams, National Geography Archives, Public Domain Temple of the Sun Entrance, 1930Next >