WHO IS THELMA?

After the sun goes down, look atop Lapper to find Thelma, the neon diver. She is actually inspired by a real person, Thelma Payne, a national diving champion and bronze medalist at the 1920 Olympic Games. Caught mid-dive and in perfect form, the Jantzen Swimwear Company was so enamored by her that they used an illustrated likeness of her in their 1950’s advertising campaigns. Adorned in a sleek, red Jantzen swimsuit, the image caught fire with the public and Thelma’s likeness could soon be found on car decals, hood ornaments and other merchandise everywhere. Sometime in the 1960s, she showed up as a neon sign on a roadside motel in Mississippi. That motel is long gone, but the neon diver remains and is now diving on the roof at Lapper. Inside Lapper, you can also find a collection of Jantzen advertisements - look closely and you’ll find Thelma in perfect form.