1907 North Carolina Surfing Postcard Discovery!
East coast USA surfing history has been changed…again! Joseph “Skipper” Funderburg, author of Surfing on the Cape Fear Coast, has been conducting further research on older images in his book (www.carolinabeach.net). The December 25, 2009 discovery of the 1907 Wrightsville Beach vintage picture postcard is really going to help change the way early surfing history is written about on the American East Coast…it is Ginormous News for North Carolina. The postcard is a photographic view of a large crowd of people surf bathing on the ocean side of the Sea Shore Hotel. The 1907 postcard clearly shows a surfer on a Hawaiian styled body board!
“Courtesy, New Hanover Public Library, Robert M. Fales Collection”
The postcard illustrates the earliest image of a surfer & surfboard on Wrightsville Beach. Note surfer above the word Wrightsville. The newly discovered 1907 postcard reads, “The Sea Shore Hotel, Wrightsville Beach, NC.” The author wrote “How about a swimming lesson?” The postcard is hand dated March 24, 1907.” Based on the date, it’s pretty obvious the photo was taken during the summer of 1906 or before.
According to Steve Massengill, author of A North Carolina Postcard Album, “I am delighted to be able to support Funderburg in his effort to add to, and alter the history of surfing in the United States.” Steve Massengill continues, “Regarding the 1907 postcard, it was not uncommon for postcard manufacturers to use the same negative when printing new postcards.” “One will see the same scene on various postcards with different dates and used on different style cards – undivided back and divided back, ect.” “The companies would use different coloring and sometimes add small details and crop out others.” “The transcription of the message on the front of the postcard was published in 1907, but the photograph could date a year or more earlier.” “Funderburg’s research and statements upholds the accuracy and authenticity of the postcard.” Steve Massengill is an expert on the history of picture postcards, having worked in the field of non-textual materials as a public historian and having published several works in the field.
Prior to the days of automobile access, the location is on the old railroad line at Station Three. The Sea Shore Hotel had a magnificent view out to sea and a gently sloping beach leading to the roaring surf. The hard packed sandy beach between the island & the sea, provided the opportunity for guests to bath in the surf. Without question, the hoopla in the surf invariably crystallized around the nucleus of the oceanfront of the grand hotels, clubs and bathing establishments. We do not know exactly when surf bathers began to clutch wooden planks to their bodies and hold them before a breaking wave to hitch a ride to shore. We do know surfing in its earliest form was obviously occurring at this location. The wooden planks in the image confirm surfing was occurring on Wrightsville Beach in 1907, but more likely 1906 or before.
The importance of the site of the Sea Shore Hotel, Wrightsville Beach is indicated by the number of structures that have occupied the space. The structures on the location have been impacted by civilization, commerce, fires and hurricanes. An approximate history follows.
Undocumented shanties, shelters, tents or camps, Pre 1850 – Circa 1888
The Browns Bath House, Circa 1888
The Sea Shore Hotel built in 1892, with the addition of a steel pier built in 1910
The Ocean Terrace Hotel was built in Circa 1934
Town of Wrightsville Beach acquired the property in Circa 1954 – Circa 1962
The Blockade Runner Motor Lodge was built in 1962
The Blockade Runner Resort, 275 Waynick Boulevard, Wrightsville Beach
Picture postcards are interesting, both as art and as historic photography. An antique postcard can be a snapshot of history. A photo of surfing at the turn of the century is not only a pretty picture, but also a relic of a time past and of the scenery that has since changed greatly. Diligent surf historians, like Skipper Funderburg are among the lucky historic researchers that discover photographs of early wave riding activity on a regular basis. Celebrate and enjoy the new historic 1907 Wrightsville Beach surfing image.
For additional information surf to www.carolinabeach.net
AUTHENTICATION AND VALIDATION
According to Funderburg, Wrightsville Beach postcards have always been popular among collectors and usually command decent prices. Postcard companies would hire photographers, either local or itinerant, to take pictures of tourist spots. Then the companies would produce multiple printed cards of photos in hopes of cashing in on tourists and vacationers mailing cards back to loved ones. North Carolina postcards were not prevalent until after 1906, and postcards prior to 1912 were printed in Germany. After 1912, postcards were
printed in England and the USA, because of broken ties with Germany.
Antique or penny postcards, evoke memories of the past and provide an interesting glimpse into social, cultural and material history of the time. Historians use real photo postcards and their postmarks, to document local historical events. Vintage waterfront postcards, in particular, are prized by seaside historians. Postcard collecting is surpassed in popularity, only by coin and stamp collecting. The Golden Age of postcards is 1898 – 1913.
Funderburg’s research & postcard work is validated and authenticated by North Carolina Division of History & Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.
POSTCARD IMAGE CITATION
“Courtesy, New Hanover Public Library, Robert M. Fales Collection”
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Impact on the Surf World
American East Coast surfing history has been changed. Huge news for North Carolina and the United States Atlantic Seaboard! Funderburg has proved what many global surf historians have only conjectured…that surfing on the American East Coast was taking place in isolated pockets prior to Duke Kahanamoku’s surfing demonstrations in 1912 & 1916. On May 8, 2009, professional surf historian, Malcolm Gault–Williams, author of Legendary Surfers Volume Two published, “Impacts On The Surf World – In his research for his book, Surfing on the Cape Fear Coast, longtime North Carolina surfer Skipper Funderburg came across several historic postcards from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina’s beach scene in the first two decades of the Twentieth Century…In the postcards young boys can be seen with Hawaiian style bodyboards. That is, the plan shapes are almost identical to the ones seen in photographs of boards in Hawaii at the turn of the millennium. For surfing, this is quite a historical find, because for many decades it was assumed that Duke Kahanamoku was the first surfer on the east coast, essentially bringing board surfing to the Right Coast from California and Hawaii. The unearthed postcards definitely document surfing (albeit prone surfing or body boarding) on the East Coast prior to Duke’s bodyboarding before the 1912 Summer Olympics (Stockholm, Sweden, late June to late July), on Long Island, New York, and his board surfing at Atlantic City, New Jersey, after the 1912 Olympics.”
According to an endorsement by one of surfing’s foremost scholars, Matt Warshaw, San Francisco, California, “Funderburg’s achievements, surf book and image discoveries are going to be very useful in my encyclopedia’s new entries on North Carolina…I am currently editing the new edition of The Encyclopedia of Surfing.” Matt Warshaw is the former editor of Surfer Magazine and author of several books on surfing. Another avid supporter, Joel T. Smith, Film and Television, San Clemente, California quoted, “Global surf historians are surprised and refreshed by Funderburg’s validated research, they had conjectured the pre Duke finds would come somewhere between Marblehead, Massachusetts and Virginia Beach, Virginia.” “Funderburg’s untiring devotion to surfing has illuminated North Carolina’s earliest surfing days and proudly elevated it to the world stage.” It is cool we have been able to find an image showing North Carolina surfing that early!
Courtesy: Peter Fritzler, Cape Fear Surfing Archive, UNCW Randall Library
According to Kim Cumber, Non-Textual Archivist, North Carolina Division of History and Archives, “The discovery is significant to the surfing community and the fact that the Wrightsville Beach postcards can be dated, and definitely pre-1909 & pre 1912 does mean that American East Coast surfing took place on the North Carolina coast prior to the advent of the sport in New York, New Jersey and Sweden.” “Quite a discovery and verifiable reasoning!” “He has done an honorable job and for that he should be commended.” Funderburg’s research & postcard work was validated and authenticated by the North Carolina Division of History & Archives, Raleigh, NC.
Funderburg continues to spotlight a variety of gems and personalities from the Carolina coast’s earliest days. A few topics of interest are - Wrightsville Beach history and culture; The art of lifeguard protection and surfing, during the first half of the 20th century; Impacts in the surf world by Carolina surf mastermind, Alexander Hume Ford (1868 – 1945); The search for the illusive 19th century Carolina image of a surfboard or record of surfing pre -1880…
The Dog can hunt!
May 12, 2009
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