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The Jersey Shore circa 1905. "Ponies on the beach -- Atlantic City." In the distance, the Steeplechase and Steel piers. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
Is it morning or afternoon?? In summertime, the sun sets such that shadows grow long toward the ocean. As autumn nears, the setting sun seems to almost set in the south on certain beaches in New Jersey, turning the shadows north toward Brigantine. If I had to guess, and judging by the heavier coats worn by four of the boys, the picture was taken on a late afternoon in October. Not a tourist in sight.
As if the beaches are not clean enough, you need to have horses walking around on them all day. It must have been like a minefield out there. This was not a case of the good old days.
My guess isn't that these kids are out for a fun morning. It's more likely that they hired the ponies out, taking paying passengers for rides on the beach. This would have been taken at the start of their business day, early in the morning before the tourists came down to the sand.
The kids with little traps would drive and the passengers would sit behind. The mounted kids probably led their ponies around, with the paying passengers riding. That's why the kid on the pinto has his stirrups so long.
I guess this was the 1905 equivalent of having your Jet Ski or Dirt Bike at the Shore.
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