The transition of mermaids and their expressions

Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

How do you become a mermaid? And how did it get to be so popular? Today in pulp I look back at a surprisingly regular craze - mermaid mania - to see what it can tell us about ourselves... #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/DSyCoKn3eR

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Mermaids were first sighted in 1000BC and have been part of folklore ever since. But they weren't always creatures to marvel at: many were teryfiying! From Norway to Persia, Cameroon to Japan their legend spread amongst seafarers. Beware, beware... pic.twitter.com/nbkQBhSxSr

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Hans Christian Anderson is often credited with popularising the mermaid myth in his tale "The Little Mermaid" (1836). It certainly coincided closely with a Pre-Raphaelite fascination for them; and from Wagner to Oscar Wilde the 19th Century was captivated by the idea. pic.twitter.com/ZBKoQJEpxk

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

But the mermaid was still seen as a folk creature, a symbol of older meanings and myths. She was also a passive beauty - living her life waiting for a man to swim by. Where's the fun in that? pic.twitter.com/PPf6B7jIgL

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

It was in the pages of La Vie Parisienne that the Modern Mermaid came into focus. Artists Chéri Hérouard and Georges Léonnec showed her as a woman of La Belle Époch, with her own desires, her own society, and her own joie de vivre. pic.twitter.com/aHCQpBEuuj

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Soon the Modern Mermaid became the aquatic version of the 1920s Flapper, fashionable and fun-loving with a strong streak of independence. Perhaps she couldn't dance the Charleston, but she could still live the Flapper life beneath the waves... pic.twitter.com/8BJWtDkYnD

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

The 1950s saw the next big resurgence in mermaids. Hollywood glamour and va-va-voom was the signature look; the bikini model and the post-war leisure boom were coming together in one iconic figure. pic.twitter.com/gI9JQZq2CF

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

The Weeki Wachee resort in Florida was one of the first to put on 'Live Mermaid Shows' in 1947 to wow visitors. Initially the mermaids performed ballet and had tea parties underwater. Even Elvis paid a visit to see them. pic.twitter.com/IKcvvHygle

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Mermaids shows began to spread to other resorts, and by the late 1950s it was not unusual to see experienced swimmers - sometimes in fins and blue satin fishscales - performing underwater tricks at resorts like Aquarena Springs, Texas. pic.twitter.com/s132PdQ2mq

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

But it was perhaps Disneyland that truly brought mermaids to life in the 50s, with starfish bikini tops and neoprine tails. In 1959, at the re-opening of Tomorrowland, Disney's mermaids did dolphin kicks for amazed spectators. They would reappear throughout the 1960s. pic.twitter.com/0OSjTIgham

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

View Master brought out a popular 3D version of The Little Mermaid in the 1950s, but it wouldn't be until much later that Ariel would become a true superstar... pic.twitter.com/DYwuR3GyrF

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

The Little Mermaid was released in 1989 - a return to form for Disney after a few commercial duds in the 80s. With a best-selling soundtrack followed later by novels, magazines, a TV cartoon and a Broadway musical Ariel soon became the enduring face of the Modern Mermaid. pic.twitter.com/qZEQOwGpQ2

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Nowadays you can take a mermaid exercise class or go to a mermaid bar. You can hook up with mermaiders online, throw a mermaid party or bring mermaid influences into your everyday wardrobe. It's gone mainstream. pic.twitter.com/ZBkVG3HpTI

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

Mermaid lifestyle magazines and celebrity mermaids have also helped spread the word of the joys of the life aquatic. pic.twitter.com/5AHNzfohQn

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Pulp Librarian @PulpLibrarian

When will the mermaid bubble burst? Who knows. But mermaids have a cycle, they come and go as we need them in our lives. So enjoy the Modern Mermaid Mania while it lasts! More tales another time... pic.twitter.com/7gzpAH8BTZ

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