Wonderful write-up of Cec's life, passion for the Nudist Idea, and his impact on its history. I never met Cec myself but I feel like I did given how much time I spent inventorying, researching, and writing about AINS after the WNRL received it in 2022. That archive is so rich, much more will be revealed in the years to come.
A very well researched and written obituary. Ninety eight is an incredible lifespan; he certainly took advantage of that...but sadly, not enough. We need him and those who think like him more than ever.
He would always be sitting at a table at Olive Dell Ranch when I was visiting there and we had extended conversations. Sadly, he insisted that his NUDIST IDEA book needed a full overhaul before translation, when I as a professional translator approached him in the early 2000s to offer to work with him to translate his magna opus into German for a wider German-speaking audience at the time, after Karl DreĂŸen had published his major work, Naturismus. He never got around to it. No second edition. He will always be remembered in southern California.
I am saddened to hear of Cec's death. I spent the last four days at WNRL and kept finding books that had come from his AINS. As I was reviewing one of the books, that had CEC written on it, not only was I using the index to find pertinent facts, but I was paying particular attention to his underlined sections and comments in the margins. He had added to the book with great insight. I also looked at a book that supported a footnote from "The Nudist Idea" about the Battle-axes of the Lord. From what Cec provided through his research, other materials could be tracked down for expansion of information on this mid-1800's religious group in Pennsylvania who worshipped in the nude. I cannot count the number of times I have gone back to his research to find the gems that open new doors. When I received my copy of his translation of "Nakedness" he inscribed it "From one scholar to another,...bridging a century of naturism." I was honored to have such a notable researcher make such a comment and have treasured it and will continue to do so, as I miss him. He was a wonderful person who enriched the nudist, naturist, and free beach endeavors.
I read the whole thing, cover to cover in 1998. It's truly an awesome work. However, it covers naturist history only through the "free beach movement" (in which Cinder was heavily involved) in the 1970s. Lee Baxandall is mentioned only a few times, and TNS only twice (since Baxandall had scarcely begun it). It's no wonder Cinder, who was about 50 in 1976, didn't feel up to going further.
It should also be mentioned that Cec not only made the first English translation of Richard Ungewitter's 1905 book Die Nacktheit - really the first book on naturism ever. He also wrote a 54-page (!) introduction to that translation. Ungewitter is considered the "Father of Social Nudism". Appropriately enough, the translation was published on the 100th anniversary of Ungewitter's book. The publisher of Cinder's translation was his own company. There's much more about this in a Planet Nude post on Jan 4, 2024.
Excellent obituary
Wonderful write-up of Cec's life, passion for the Nudist Idea, and his impact on its history. I never met Cec myself but I feel like I did given how much time I spent inventorying, researching, and writing about AINS after the WNRL received it in 2022. That archive is so rich, much more will be revealed in the years to come.
This is such an inspiring profile. I may have found a new role model!
Here's hoping for more agitators and non-conformists like Cec to speak up in modern naturist spaces. RIP
A very well researched and written obituary. Ninety eight is an incredible lifespan; he certainly took advantage of that...but sadly, not enough. We need him and those who think like him more than ever.
Cec Cinder's legal name was Cecil Snyder. Here is a pretty thorough writeup of his life and non-naturist career. https://www.huntingdondailynews.com/daily_herald/obituaries/cecil-k-snyder-jr/article_cdbad8c4-5aab-42be-9374-d956c14801c9.html
He would always be sitting at a table at Olive Dell Ranch when I was visiting there and we had extended conversations. Sadly, he insisted that his NUDIST IDEA book needed a full overhaul before translation, when I as a professional translator approached him in the early 2000s to offer to work with him to translate his magna opus into German for a wider German-speaking audience at the time, after Karl DreĂŸen had published his major work, Naturismus. He never got around to it. No second edition. He will always be remembered in southern California.
I am saddened to hear of Cec's death. I spent the last four days at WNRL and kept finding books that had come from his AINS. As I was reviewing one of the books, that had CEC written on it, not only was I using the index to find pertinent facts, but I was paying particular attention to his underlined sections and comments in the margins. He had added to the book with great insight. I also looked at a book that supported a footnote from "The Nudist Idea" about the Battle-axes of the Lord. From what Cec provided through his research, other materials could be tracked down for expansion of information on this mid-1800's religious group in Pennsylvania who worshipped in the nude. I cannot count the number of times I have gone back to his research to find the gems that open new doors. When I received my copy of his translation of "Nakedness" he inscribed it "From one scholar to another,...bridging a century of naturism." I was honored to have such a notable researcher make such a comment and have treasured it and will continue to do so, as I miss him. He was a wonderful person who enriched the nudist, naturist, and free beach endeavors.
I read the whole thing, cover to cover in 1998. It's truly an awesome work. However, it covers naturist history only through the "free beach movement" (in which Cinder was heavily involved) in the 1970s. Lee Baxandall is mentioned only a few times, and TNS only twice (since Baxandall had scarcely begun it). It's no wonder Cinder, who was about 50 in 1976, didn't feel up to going further.
1998 was the year the book was published, by the way, so Cec was about 72 then.
It should also be mentioned that Cec not only made the first English translation of Richard Ungewitter's 1905 book Die Nacktheit - really the first book on naturism ever. He also wrote a 54-page (!) introduction to that translation. Ungewitter is considered the "Father of Social Nudism". Appropriately enough, the translation was published on the 100th anniversary of Ungewitter's book. The publisher of Cinder's translation was his own company. There's much more about this in a Planet Nude post on Jan 4, 2024.