Advertisements

By: Jantzen, Inc.

Date: 1924, 1928

Source: Jantzen. "The Nation's Swimming Suit" and "Blonde or Brunette" advertisements. 1924; 1928.
About the Organization: Jantzen, Inc., is one of the oldest swimsuit makers in the United States. Incorporated in 1910 in Portland, Oregon, it began as the Portland Knitting Company, manufacturing sweaters. By the 1920s, the company had renamed itself Jantzen, Inc., and was focused on manufacturing swimwear.

Introduction

In 1913, Portland Knitting received an order for a custom pair of wool trunks for a rower to wear while working out in the Pacific Northwest's chilly waters. The company's two owners, John Zehntbauer and Carl Jantzen, devised a knitted garment, ribbed like a sweater cuff. The rower was extremely pleased, and Zehntbauer and Jantzen decided to produce swimsuits of the same material. These suits...