Splash Day

Duration: 0:33

Year Published: 1950s

Sound: silent

Description: This short film provides a snapshot of the Splash Day festivities in Galveston, most likely in the 1950s. Based on the appearance of a Miss Detroit, it is possible that the film takes place in 1952, when runner up for the Miss Splash Day contest was Hazel Nilson as Miss Detroit. From 1920 to 1965, Splash Day signaled the beginning of the summer tourist season in Galveston. One of its main attractions was a beauty contest. This contest was previously known as the Galveston Bathing Girl Revue and the International Pageant of Pulchritude. At its height, the pageant attracted so many spectators that it tripled the island’s population during the weekend when it ran. After World War II, the event became known as Miss Splash Day. While Galveston no longer celebrates Splash Day, many of the same events are celebrated during the Galveston Island Beach Revue.