Vintage 1950s Photos That Echo An Era Of Possibility
When people are nostalgic for an era, it’s usually because a given decade marked the most memorable part of their childhoods. That’s how younger people today can be nostalgic for the 2000s, while those who were older are likely to remember the decade as a time of stress and uncertainty.
So, it’s true that nostalgia for the ’50s tends to ignore the problems that the classic beat poets would write about at the time. At the same time, some eras were more optimistic even at the time than others. Since the world was no longer at total war, it was hard for that optimism not to shine through the ’50s.
It Didn’t Take Take Much To Interest Us
Here we see a three-year-old girl in Switzerland sitting on a gravel walkway and taking in the sensations of some nice, lush greenery.
While bygone ages can often seem more innocent in photos, that’s especially true when they’re seen through the eyes of a very young child. To them, even the plants that we see every day are interesting because there’s so much of the world they have yet to discover, which gives everything novelty.
Oh, Did The Ladies Ever Love Him
While their steadies found it hard to look away from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, so many young women in the 1950s were utterly taken by the charismatic wiles and good looks of actor Tony Curtis.
Between his turn playing Harry Houdini and Sidney Falco in The Sweet Smell Of Success, Curtis was definitely a rising star throughout the decade. Yet, while the ’60s would be good to him as well, it was hard to reach greater heights than his Oscar-nominated performance in 1958’s The Defiant Ones and his role in the all-time classic comedy, 1959’s Some Like It Hot.
They Don’t Make Them Like This Anymore
Modern cars emphasize practicality and fuel efficiency but no car looks quite as stunningly beautiful as the classics that used to wow drivers and gearheads in the ’50s.
For instance, this 1951 Bugatti Type 101 would have been the envy of anyone sharing the road with its driver at the time. Even now, it would attract some frantic buyers willing to risk everything to put it in their garages.
The Eye-Catching Scene Of Circus Atlas
Those capturing the spirit of optimism in the ’50s could generally find better places to go than Berlin, which was both reeling from the aftermath of World War II and facing an uncertain future as the German capital — like the nation itself — was increasingly split into two.
However, even in these tough times, there were moments that made everything a little brighter. Here we see children take in the impressive acrobatic stunts featured in Circus Atlas, which mixed the physical spectacle of modern circuses with the animal acts of the old days.
A New Age Was Dawning
Although the space race particularly ramped up by the 1960s, the ’50s were an era when technological developments were starting to turn science fiction into science fact.
There may not have been little green men from Mars, but men and women in the United States and the Soviet Union were starting to train for the days when they might reach out an explore the cosmos themselves. Here, American pilot Jerrie Cobb was in the process of passing every test required to be an astronaut, making her the first woman in the U.S. to make that achievement.
Italian Style Was Paramount Even During Leisure
While it’s true that the improvements of the 1950s brought families more leisure time than they would have otherwise enjoyed, not everyone was necessarily dressed to match that level of comfort.
That was particularly true in Italy, where the sharp styles that the nation was world-famous for were clearly a matter of national pride. This family was relaxing in their yard but they were dressed like they were headed for a night out.
This Wasn’t Your Average Cafeteria
Although this decorative style was not unusual for a major corporation’s lunch rooms during the ’50s, the people eating here would be doing work that would be hard for most people at the time to imagine when they were back on the clock.
That’s because these people were employees of NACA, which was the closest precursor to NASA there was. Specifically, they were working at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory, which was the most state-of-the-art engine altitude testing facility in America.
She Was Desired By Men The World Over
Although the 1960s would also be incredibly busy for Brigitte Bardot, the French actress broke through in her native France soon after the ’50s began.
This meant that it took a while for her work to attract much attention stateside, but her beauty was unforgettable once people in any nation laid eyes on her. She clearly had the sensuality to match, as well.
A Classic Time For Motorcycles
For many Americans, the motorcycle as a symbol of powerful, rugged American individualism came from watching Marlon Brando cut his cool, confident lone wolf figure on one with his trademark cap and leather jacket in the 1953 film The Wild One.
Although Italian actress and model Gina Lollobrigida clearly had an appreciation for them as well, there was something about the motorcycles of this era that made them look as powerful as the people riding them.
A Classic Way To Share With Your Best Girl
These are actors Marthe Mercadier and Raymond Bussieres sharing a drink with two straws but one didn’t have to go all the way to France to see something like this.
Back in the 1950s, one could count on seeing a young couple stare into each other’s eyes and doing the same thing with a soda or a milkshake at any malt shop in the country. After all, it’s not like they were going to worry about germs when they got to Makeout Point.
A Fun New Activity But A Tricky One
Although water skiing was invented when Ralph Samuelson was daring enough to try it in 1922, it took about 20 years for the activity to catch on as a pastime. It started to gain ground in the ’40s, but it was a lot easier to get into after Americans no longer had to spend all their time supporting the war effort.
Indeed, that’s exactly what this young lady was hoping to get the hang of when she attended this water skiing lesson in 1957.
Polio Was Finally On Its Way Out
For decades, poliomyelitis had been such a horrific blight on American life that even one of America’s most revered presidents wasn’t spared from it. By the 1950s, however, hope was on the horizon.
As this photo makes clear, a polio vaccine started to become publicly available by the mid-1950s, which means demand or it was intense all over the world. Since they had to be kept in the right conditions, those “rush” stickers were no joke.
An Encouraging Moment In A Long Cold War
September 1959 marked a historic moment in U.S.-U.S.S.R relations. Although the Cold War was in full swing and neither President Dwight Eisenhower nor Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev trusted each other, the latter’s difference in policies from Stalin allowed Eisenhower to make a landmark invitation.
According to The White House Historical Association, this marked the first time a Soviet leader was invited to the White House and from the looks of things, the meeting was far less intense than it could have been. The discussion was fairly informal but still concerned matters of military de-escalation, the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons, and trade.
This Was Not An Ordinary Sight Back Then
For decades, finding a range of different washing machines in a big department store wasn’t something most people had the opportunity to do.
However, once the same beefed up manufacturing sector that had built America’s war machine found more civilian applications during the ’50s, this sight became more common all the time. The range of choices were certainly welcome.
A Cozy Time Together
While people of the ’50s loved the finer things in life just as much as anyone, a date was more likely to be about how romantic the setting was than how much people could impress each other’s partners.
This young couple is dressed casually and barefoot, as they only needed each other and an excuse to be in an enclosed space to make their time in this canoe magical.
The Best Way To Beat The Heat
Although electric air conditioning units existed by the mid-1950s, the idea of fitting an entire suburb’s homes with air conditioners was still in its experimental stage.
This meant that when things got too hot in America, the best solution for families was to gather at a public pool like this one. Considering how popular it was that day, it must have been a scorcher.
The Bikini Trend Was Catching On
Although it would be a decade before The Beach Boys sang about their approval for bikinis in the song “California Girls,” the daring French swimwear that once scandalized America was nonetheless starting to catch on in the ’50s.
Here, we can see a model named Rae Stratton showing hers off at the beach. Although the palm trees suggest she’s trying it out in California or Miami, there are multiple states below the Mason-Dixon line that could have hosted this photoshoot.
He’s Got The Horse Right Here?
Computers have been used to calculate and process data for as long as they’ve existed but in the ’50s, they used to be a lot more unwieldy and featured reels like the one this man is adjusting.
Still, even back then, they weren’t strictly used for military or research applications. Instead, this man is using a Univac system to try and predict the winning horse in a race.
This Fellow Wasn’t A Common Sight But He Was Tapped In
Although watching a chimpanzee playing baseball wasn’t something people could expect in the ’50s, it’s nonetheless true that he matched the zeitgeist of the time, as it was a banner decade for America’s national pastime.
After all, future hall of famers like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Aaron were all rising young stars throughout the decade, while Yogi Berra, Duke Snider, and Whitey Ford all made legendary strides of their own.
An Optimistic Vision Of The Future
Given the prevailing mood of the ’50s, it stood to reason that it became a popular consideration to look forward and imagine what life will be like in the future.
As this photo shows, that also included concepts for domestic life, such as RCA Whirlpool’s Miracle Kitchen from 1959. Featured here was a concept for a walking kitchen table.
Some Ideas Likely Made More Sense At The Time
This woman is modeling the lingerie she’s wearing at this professional event and she’s clearly posing with an oversized chain, but that’s about all that’s evident from this photo.
There’s likely some reason that was clearer at the time as to what this massive chain had to do with the lingerie the model was wearing but that appears lost to history. Perhaps it was going to be sold in national chain stores?
This Level Of Detail Would Have Been A Selling Point
While model trains like the one this man was carefully adjusting are still prized by niche hobbyists today, items like these would have been a popular choice to ask Santa for during the ’50s.
In particular, this one was said to be the prize of the toy train industry at the time, as its nine-inch frame was a detail-perfect representation of the genuine article.
Not All Vintage Fashions Find New Life Later
Even 70 years later, there are a lot of people out there who prize vintage fashion styles. That said, not all of the style of the ’50s stood the test of time, as the bands around the midriff never seemed to have a comeback.
Still, there were a couple of features that would make this dress attractive even to modern sensibilities. It not only washed easily but it also had hidden seam pockets. Even now, getting a dress with pockets can be tough.
An Approaching Age Of Robotics
Although it’s not unheard of for factories to have automatic, robotic parts of their assembly lines similar to these large, metallic limbs, it was a much more revolutionary concept back in the ’50s.
This woman’s amazement is likely genuine, as robotic limbs like these were rare enough to have only the most specialized applications. For instance, this mobile robot was designed to work in dangerous radiation labs that would likely pose a fatal risk to any human who went inside while it was operational.
Back In The Heyday Of A Famous Neighborhood
Although it encompasses a much smaller and often tourist-focused neighborhood nowadays, New York City’s Little Italy district used to be a bustling zone where Italian immigrants lived and worked to find their place in a growing America.
Naturally, many would bring their sensibilities that prioritized fresh, quality food from the old country, which meant that street markets like this would have been worth a visit for New Yorkers whether they were Italian or not.
This Isn’t Black Friday But It’s About As Chaotic
It’s easy to see what a stressful day it was for this Midtown Manhattan department store employee but the owners likely couldn’t be happier with what they saw.
This was the scene of a Washington’s Birthday sale that must have had an unbeatable price on these purses, as the women pictured here were utterly mobbing the store for them.
When People Knew The Meaning Of “Haberdashery”
While it’s easy enough to get hats at most clothing stores nowadays, it wasn’t so long ago that a person could make a viable business out of making and selling hats specifically for men.
Although tastes and social conventions changed throughout the 1960s, there were many decades when men were considered improperly dressed if they went out in public without a hat like this. The ’50s were essentially the last of those years.
The ’50s Had Their Own Brand Of Countercultural Cool
While it’s reasonably fair to say that society in the ’50s ran with a sense of conformity that was broken wide open by the rise of the hippie movement of the ’60s, it’s a little easy to exaggerate the dominance of social conventions.
Rebellious motorcycle gangs had their own mystique at the time, but this young couple wore the markers of a different countercultural movement while they danced. They were part of the “Beat Generation” and treasured the eye-opening words of beat poets like Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and the enduring William S. Burroughs.
IBM Wasn’t Always Known For Computers
Although the venerable IBM company’s general name turned out to be adaptable to consumer computer models, that’s not initially what the company manufactured and sold.
The name “International Business Machines” referred to a wide range of products but there were several decades when a business was far more likely to make a bulk order of typewriters from the company than computers.
The Circus Would Do Anything To Get People Interested
Although all five Ringling brothers, P.T. Barnum, and James Anthony Bailey were all deceased by the ’50s, both their circus and its carny nature were still alive and well by then. The idea of staging a “freak show” became distasteful by the end of the 20th Century, but the Greatest Show On Earth had no shortage of idea for attracting eyeballs that decade.
For instance, here we can see a clown with dwarfism — medically known as skeletal dysplasia — posing with a massive lightbulb to create a confusing yet fascinating spectacle for attendees.
