Vitagraph Studio made silent films in neighboring Bay Shore in 1915, and famous film stars such as Marie Dressler, Fatty Arbuckle and Norma Talmadge were seen on Brightwaters streets. Then Vitagraph moved to Hollywood. The bathing pavilion continued to serve residents in one form or another until it burned down more than 30 years ago. It remains the centerpiece of hundreds of glass plate images in the backroom of Ackerson's office. There were no thongs or bikinis on the bathing pavilion at Brightwaters in the early 1900s.
Contestants prepare to climb into large ice tubs for the popular races on the Great South Bay.