This iconic 1957 photograph was taken in Rimini, one of Italy’s most popular coastal cities, and captures a moment that today seems almost unbelievable: a police officer issuing a fine to a woman for wearing a bikini on a public beach.

In the 1950s, although the bikini had been officially introduced in 1946 by French designer Louis Réard, wearing one was often considered scandalous or inappropriate by authorities, especially in places where social norms were still rooted in more conservative values.

1950s Italy was still a society in transition after World War II, where the influence of the Catholic Church and traditional moral standards remained strong.

The bikini was seen as a threat to public order, and in some seaside towns, there were regulations prohibiting excessive exposure of the body.

In such cases, police officers were authorized to issue warnings or even fines for attire deemed “indecent.”

Incidents like this also occurred in other European countries, and even in the United States, until the late 1950s.