The gymnasium at the Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport (west Plymouth in Devon, England) shown on a postcard dating from about 1906 when the gymnasium was completed, with a space for correspondence marked "This space may be used for communication for Inland Postage only, NOT Foreign".
The men are standing in a most peculiar position. I don't know what sort of exercise it was, possibly for flexibility, but I feel sure the gymnasium will look very different these days.
A post for Sepia Saturday. A click on the button will take you to the blog.
I have a friend, Diane Croad that lives in Devon. I have sent her a link to this blog. Have an awesome weekend.
ReplyDeleteThat does seem an awkward position for a work-out, unless they are rehearsing for a musical show. Then it all makes sense.
ReplyDeleteJust popped over here at Odie's suggestion! Hi there. It's a small world, isn't it, as I was born in Plymouth, Devon, and live just 10 miles away now. I was wondering how you came across the postcard. Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you, too. :) I came across it in a collection I bought at auction. the cards seem to have been collected by someone in the navy, first based in Portsmouth then moving around the UK with a few from Gibraltar. All early 20th century. I'd love to know who they belonged to originally.
DeleteWhat a nice twist on the theme - working out.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting photo. Ouch that position makes my back ache.
Nancy
Absolutely a great place to work out, then and now!
ReplyDeleteSince everyone is dressed alike, I wonder if they're rehearsing a dance number for some show.
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether they called it "working out" back then.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they would. :) I used it to give me a tie in.
DeletePerhaps they were practicing for being twisted and thrown from one end of a ship at sea to the other. Whether working out or drilling, it looks like hard work to me.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that it was harder than it looked. Is that another squad against the wall waiting their turn?
ReplyDeleteThey're just limbering up for climbing up the rigging!
ReplyDeleteO.K., that does it - I'm off to the gym. Can I expect to find a group of young men there stretching like this? Unlikely.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thanks for noticing my disappearing blog yesterday. My blog was indeed deleted (but not by me!) I found out at the help forums that it's not such a rare occurrence. They don't always come back. Once my blog returned (whew!) I quickly backed it up and put up a post today on how to back up a blog.
This reminds me of an old book I have from the early 60s when military exercise was being sold to everyone as the way to go. I remember we had to do them in school. As I recall the book I have is for some odd reason Air Force exercises which considering we were a Navy family....
ReplyDeleteIt sure does look like a dance routine. But I can't imagine those "he men" doing it. Just imagining the next step makes me laugh!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
That place is huge! What a great action shot, really. Thanks for sharing this one with us Sheila.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Maybe they were rehearsing for some outdoor performance?
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
"Y" MCA! :-) Jo
ReplyDelete