Glass Houses Magazine

Barely Legal by
James Bontemps

I had to check Lily’s ID twice to make sure she was really over 18.

In this pictorial, I shot her at the Fancy Loft studio on Queen Street West in Toronto as she posed by the window with the sunlight highlighting her tight fit body.

See more of Lily here…

This month our submission theme is Tan Lines. Popular in the 1970’s, tan lines are still a big thing in Brazil, and we love them.

Next month, our theme is ‘Natural Bushes’, so let us see your 70’s style pubic hair!

Submit by November 20th to be in the December issue!

SUBMIT YOUR AMATEUR PHOTOS HERE!

Shooting Kate by
Tom Fensterseifer

Photographer Tom Fensterseifer shot Czech based models Kate (Kacul Nepovim) and Michaela Novakova in Munich.

Kacul’s Instagram: @kaculnepovim
Michaela’s Instagram: @miska88
Tom’s YouPic: @tom_fensterseifer

This month we look back to the 1960’s and nudist icon Linda Shockley.

Linda was a California teen who helped start the Junior Western Sunbathing Association back in 1964, which provided nudist youth camps for young people.

Linda Shockley was the epitome of the California girl: with a fresh face, long blonde locks, golden tan, an athletic figure and squeaky-clean attitude, she helped define the West Coast teen scene for the American Sunbathing Association (ASA).

Using their home club of Oakleaf Ranch near Sacramento as their base, the Shockleys traveled up and down California as one of the most active families in the Western Sunbathing Association. Linda’s parents were very supportive of her many endeavors, whether it was posing for photographers, competing to succeed the reigns of Rosie Smith and Cécile Allain in the Royalty pageants or organizing activities and outings for the teenagers of the clubs.

When she was a high-school junior, she read an article about INF/FNI sponsored teen camps across Europe. Personally witnessing the disenfranchisement of many of her peers, Linda wrote a letter in 1963 to the WSA executives asking if they would support a similar program.

The Letter that Started It All
by Linda Shockley, 1963

It seems a lot of fuss is being made about teen-age dropouts from Nudism. But how many teenagers have been consulted on this problem? Yes, once in a while someone will ask us why the kids aren’t coming out, but after our trite “Gee, I don’t know,” we forget about it. So maybe it’s our fault. But anyway, I have been thinking and found an idea that would certainly keep me, and I hope many others, interested. Truthfully I didn’t think it up—it was in an article in the A.S.A. Bulletin as part of the l.N.F. Youth Program—but I like it.

Why couldn’t we have a Youth Camp? One of the things I like best about Nudism is meeting people, especially teenagers; I think it’s the same with some of the other kids, too. I think this camp could probably last a week. It could include all kinds of programs and discussions on things like Nudists’ place in the world and what our teen clubs could be doing, as well as plenty of time to goof around and make friends.

I have already met with some arguments against my idea. The main one is that Nudism is supposed to be a family affair and should not have something that would tend to reject part of the family. But, I wonder if “adults” realize how sick we can get of being with our families, even when they are the best of parents and sisters and brothers, and how much we yearn to be independent, even to a small degree, like not being told to brush our teeth or that we really don’t need to put on different nail polish.

Don’t you think that it would really be wiser for us to find this opportunity for escape or independence in something that so many of us love so much—Nudism? Is there anyone who could not agree that a controlled, supervised “escape” would not be best for us? Or do you think that a simple party turned into a drunken brawl would be better?

I’m not trying to say that a summer retreat would end the Juvenile Delinquency problem, but I think it would help more teenagers coming to camp —both in giving us something really neat to look forward to and also some ideas on things to do to make camp more “exciting.”

Excuse me, but with my opinion of today’s “adults” in general (although not really general, I got my opinion the same way as “adults” get their ideas about “teenagers”)—there are probably some who wouldn’t agree with me, and probably for the simple reason that I’m “only sixteen.” They could probably look at this all as a little girl’s way to let off steam. I don’t actually know if this idea would be of any value. I realize, also, that there are a lot of problems that would have to be worked out: who, when, where, and money. But this is what I—as an individual—a “Nudist who happens to be a teenager”—think is a good idea, one that deserves at least some careful consideration.

—

The writing/editing/photographing team of Keith and Iris Bancroft were enthusiastic supporters. They spearheaded Linda’s plan through committee and, along with the energetic Alice Apgar as senior director and Linda in the teen-leadership role, the Junior Western Sunbathing Association—or JWSA—came to fruition in Summer 1964.

Operated as a non-landed travel club, the JWSA directly focused on finding a remedy for the high dropout rate amongst nudist kids. Linda trekked from club to club attracting her fellow teenagers to participate in camping trips, dances and ice-cream socials, bowling, roller-skating, grounds-cleaning projects and even expeditions to interesting locals. She also helped organize annual cavalcades at different parks, each with their own themes: Nautical at the Lazy К Ranch in 1964, Greek Mythology at Oakleaf Ranch in 1965, Polynesian at Swallows Sun Island in 1966 and Psychedelic at 1967’s gathering back at Lazy К Ranch.

San Bernardino’s Lazy K Ranch was home to the first ever Junior Western Sunbathing Association (JWSA) Youth Camp for nudist children aged 13-19 who would prepare the host club for ASA festivals and meetings the following week-end, cook meals over an open fire and sleep under the stars.

The program managed to attract scores of young nudists to the camp which was unique to North America at the time. It’s been reported that up to 80-100 teens would attend the camp each year between its inception in 1964 and 1969 when the program was terminated. To help pay for the cost of the camp the Western Sunbathing Association (WSA), would allow the nudist magazines of the era to photograph the camp.

The Bancrofts—noted documentarians of the ASA—recognized the invaluable photographic opportunities with Linda and her friends. Such images of burgeoning teens made magnificent advertisements for the young American nudist scene of the 1960s.

The JWSA gatherings were well recorded on film and, with her parents’ blessings, Linda became the embodiment of nudist youth.

Linda appeared in a lot of those nudist and nude photography magazines in the 1960’s as well as posing for nude photos.

However, not all the participants had parents who shared such eagerness to have their kids photographed au natural. Linda had the answer. Everybody would have their colour-coded first names written on their upper arms at the time of registration: GREEN or BLACK indicated unrestricted photography with signed release on file; YELLOW meant “okay on a picture-by-picture basis and release had to be obtained;” and RED for absolutely no pictures allowed.

Linda also posed for photographer Ron Vogel for some artistic nude photos that are definitely more erotic than naturist:

She also posed for some nude photos at Sunshine Park in New Jersey by photographer Johnny Castano:

The JWSA in this incarnation lasted until 1969, about the time Linda stepped down as its teen leader. Youth camps have come and gone; and to-day they have become political lightning rods for the legislating social engineers and PC control freaks. Yet in the face of adversity, AANR has continuously sponsored these programs since 1993.

They all owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Linda Shockley—California girl, pageant princess, nudist activist—and ASA icon.