--- title: Thar He Blows! In a Classic Summer Photo, a Boy Spouts Water description: Like a human water fountain, three-year-old Duncan Richardson stands on a pool ladder, artfully spewing water, in this 1946 photograph. canonical: https://time.com/3879959/thar-he-blows-in-a-classic-photo-the-magic-of-a-summertime-pool/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-25T20:38:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:41.642Z og:title: Thar He Blows! In a Classic Summer Photo, a Boy Spouts Water og:description: Like a human water fountain, three-year-old Duncan Richardson stands on a pool ladder, artfully spewing water, in this 1946 photograph. og:url: https://time.com/3879959/thar-he-blows-in-a-classic-photo-the-magic-of-a-summertime-pool/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbdaea6e9f9a0e2b3/69884c025f570f924eb1b124/140616-duncan-richardson-swimmer-prodigy_crop1.jpg?branch=production&width=704&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 704 og:image:height: 396 og:image:alt: duncan-richardson-feature-crop og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Thar He Blows! In a Classic Summer Photo, a Boy Spouts Water twitter:description: Like a human water fountain, three-year-old Duncan Richardson stands on a pool ladder, artfully spewing water, in this 1946 photograph. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbdaea6e9f9a0e2b3/69884c025f570f924eb1b124/140616-duncan-richardson-swimmer-prodigy_crop1.jpg?branch=production&width=704&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Thar He Blows! In a Classic Photo, the Magic of a Summertime Pool > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove May 25, 2014 8:38 PM UTC  Duncan Richardson, three-year-old swimming prodigy, Los Angeles, 1946. Duncan Richardson, three-year-old swimming prodigy, Los Angeles, 1946. Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove May 25, 2014 8:38 PM UTC Like a human water fountain, three-year-old Duncan Richardson stands on a pool ladder — artfully spewing water — in this 1946 photograph. LIFE photographer Martha Holmes documented Duncan’s boyish frolic in a Los Angeles hotel pool, but the image’s timelessness lies in its celebration of a fleeting June moment. The photo captures the simple joy that comes from cooling off — the very essence of a carefree summer. Little Duncan was one of many young swim students of Crystal Scarborough, a swim instructor who emphasized making children feel confident and comfortable in the water, and developed an instructional method that’s still in use today. She appeared in LIFE several times through the years, teaching toddlers and infants — including a seven-month-old baby — to swim. According to Scarborough’s Los Angeles _Times_ obituary, she also taught swimming lessons to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan, Jane Fonda and Anthony Quinn. During that long-ago summer of 1946, Ted Williams was the American League MVP with a .342 average, 38 home runs and 123 RBIs. Frank Sinatra released his first studio album. The modern bikini made its debut. And, as they always have, and still do today, kids like Duncan splashed and spouted, reveling in the magic of a summertime pool. **Martha Groppo** is a doctoral student studying history at Princeton University  Duncan Richardson, three-year-old swimming prodigy, Los Angeles, 1946. Martha Holmes—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3879959/thar-he-blows-in-a-classic-photo-the-magic-of-a-summertime-pool/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3879959/thar-he-blows-in-a-classic-photo-the-magic-of-a-summertime-pool/"},"headline":"Thar He Blows! 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