The old "bathing machines"

[Phidippides]

I did not know these existed and still do not understand why the need to be on wheels, carted right up to the beach, but they must have been in demand in the early 20th/late 19th century...

http://thebigfoto.com/bathing-machines

[Aetheling]

I did not know these existed and still do not understand why the need to be on wheels, carted right up to the beach, but they must have been in demand in the early 20th/late 19th century...

On wheel for different reasons, first to remove it from the beach, second to allow women to jump in the sea without being seen in public wearing "a-not-decent-suit" (prudishness)

[Phidippides]

Yeah, but how would that be different from putting a changing room further up on the beach?  The thought crossed my mind that maybe the women who used the bathing machines went down through a trap door and simply played in the surf directly below it.  However, that seems overly ridiculous. 

[Aetheling]

O tempora o mores

[scout1067]

Gotta love those Victorians huh?

[Aetheling]

Remains of those bathing machines are still existing today but used as rented beach houses

http://blogs.voanews.com/photos/2011/08/16/august-16-2011/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_hut