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Category: vintage images

1950s & 1960s Vintage Vacation Photos

1950s & 1960s Vintage Vacation Photos: From sandy beaches to historic landmarks, each photograph tells a unique story and I am excited to share them with you today!

NOTE: This post is a part 4 of a series I started, which you can check out below.

Say Cheese! 1960s vintage photo of a couple taking pictures with their camera's while on vacation with dark skies behind them.

Source: Etsy-UncleDavesGarage

Liz Note: I’m off to Spain next week with the hubby to meetup with friends who are there for work and I cannot wait. Follow me on Instagram to see all the sunny fun!

1950s vintage vacation photo of a group of people posing in front of a large mountain covered in snow.

Source: Etsy-therescuedphoto


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1950s & 1960s Vintage Vacation Photos

1960s vintage photo: Visit to Bermuda must include everyone picking up the same souvenir purses – March 1960. How cute are these ladies?

1960s vintage vacation photo of 3 stylish Black Women holding Bermuda souvenir straw purses

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

The next two images are from Vogue France, featuring vintage vacation photos from Capri Italy (technically set in the 1940s, but close enough to the 1950s for this post).

1940s photo (Ralph Crane): Three people lounging in a stunning Capri garden complete with a beautiful floral wall and a cute Patio Furniture set in 1949.

1940s vintage photo of a 3 people sitting in a garden by a large patio umbrella in Capri Italy in 1949. Vintage Vacation Photo

The Streets of Capri, 1958. OMG the Clothes are stunning!

P.S. Do you spot the 1950s circle skirt? I JUST did a post on Juli Lynne Charlot-The Creator of the Poodle Skirt / Circle Skirt so it’s cool to see the trend in Italy.

1950s vintage vacation photo of a street seen in 1958 of Capri Italy featuring people walking around in 1950s fashions.

Pool time! 1950s vintage photo of a woman in an adorable 1950s swimsuit posing at the pool at her Florida hotel.

Further Reading: Vintage Images of Swimming Pool Life!

1950s vintage photo of a woman in a 1950s bathing suit posing at her Florida hotel pool -vintage vacation photo & 1950s fashion

Source: eBay

At one time souvenir photos were very popular, like this one from the 1960s for ‘Gold Coast Cruises’ (Miami Beach, Florida).

Further Reading: Vintage 1950s Travel Brochures & Pamphlets

1960s vintage souvenir photo for Gold Coast Cruises featuring an image of a Black Woman happily posing on the boat while on vacation. Fun vintage vacation photo.
1960s vintage souvenir photo for Gold Coast Cruises -Vintage Travel Brochure

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

1954 Guanajuato Mexico. A woman in an pretty 1950s dress, poses casually on a wall.

1950s Vacation Photo: 1954 Guanajuato Mexico. A woman in an pretty 1950s dress poses casually on a wall.

Source: eBay

1960s Photo: Were you really at ‘Mohave Point’ if you never took a picture at Mohave Point (Grand Canyon)? This 1960s couple did and even styled their outfits to match. Ha!

1960s vintage photo of a couple on vacation and posing at the Mohave point sign in 1960s fashions. -Vintage Vacation photo-

Source: Etsy-therescuedphoto

1950s photo: When your on vacation eating food you don’t typically eat at home is a big thing people do, like our 1950s family below. They are enjoying a wonderful buffet on their family vacation in a tropical location (cute Hawaiian shirt on our young man).

1950s vintage photo of a family on vacation eating at the buffet in 1950s fashions. Fun vintage vacation photo

Source: eBay

1950s / 1960s vintage photo of a family vacation to visit the USS Constellation Baltimore MD historic ship.

1950s / 1960s vintage photo of a family vacation to visit the USS Constellation Baltimore MD Historic Ship

Source: Etsy-AlaskaVintage

Fun vacation photo from August 1954 of a group of people posing in front of the Pan-Am Hotel & Motel Apts.

1950s photo: Fun vacation photo from August 1954 of a group of people posing in front of the Pan-Am Hotel & Motel Apts. Super 1950s fashions.

Source: eBay

Thanks for dropping by! Please share any thoughts on this topic in the comments section below. I love hearing from my readers.

Further Reading:

Liz

Vintage Yearbook Superlatives from Black High Schools, Colleges & Universities 1950-1959

During Black History Month, discover the most iconic yearbook superlatives from Black high schools, colleges, and universities in the 1950s. From best dressed to most likely to succeed, these vintage snapshots capture the essence of a generation and reveal the unique experiences and achievements of Black students during a pivotal time in history.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

All images from North Carolina Vintage Yearbook Archives

1940s vintage yearbook photo from Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) of the 1948 "Most Humorous" students from the High school.
1948 Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) “Most Humorous” students.

Vintage Yearbook Superlatives from Black High Schools, College & Universities 1950-1959

1950s yearbook photo from Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] featuring a young Black Woman being voted as "Best Looking" for the Superlatives in her yearbook.
“Best Looking” Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] via digitalnc.org

SUPERLATIVE: The actual definition of a superlative is an object or person that has the most of a given quality. Within the context of high school, college & university, superlatives are reserved for the senior class as a rite of passage, with their peers voting in various categories. They are part of yearbook traditions.

Examples of Categories:

  • Best all-around
  • Biggest flirt
  • Class clown
  • Cutest couple
  • Life of the party

The Vintage Class Superlatives…

Most Dignified“, Pauline Leake & Kenneth Norton from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

Liz note: I’m obsessed with Pauline’s early 1950’s jacket.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring "Most Dignified" Black Man and Black Women from a HBCU. Fantastic early 1950s fashions!

“Most Carefree”. One more from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring the "Most Carefree" Students. The Image features 5 Black College students in early 1950s fashions.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1951 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook picks….

“Most Popular” was Alexander Morris. “Best Dressed Girl” went to Marilyn Lomax. “Best Dressed Boy”, Jason Randall and “Most Versatile” was Donald Ashman.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Saint Augustine's University, 1951 'Falcon' Yearbook picks. Featuring 4 Black students who won, Best Dressed Girl and Guy, Most Popular and Most Versatile at this HBCU.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1953 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook Superlatives…

“Most Cooperative”, “Most Musical” and “Friendliest”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: Saint Augustine's University, 1953 'Falcon' Yearbook Superlatives featuring "Most Cooperative", "Most Musical" and "Friendliest" Black students.

1955 Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The ‘Willistonian’ Yearbook featuring the “Most Intellectual”, “Best Dancers”, “Best Solo Dancer”, “The Most Studious” and “The Most Temperamental”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook photos: 1955 Williston Senior High School, (Black High School) North Carolina, The 'Willistonian' Yearbook featuring the "Most Intellectual", "Best Dancers", "Best Solo Dancer", "The Most Studious" and "The Most Temperamental".

1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), ‘The Pioneer’ Yearbook. The categories on this page were…

“Most Dependable”, “Most Studious”, “Most Versatile”, “Biggest Flirt”, “Most School-Spirited”, “Most Likely to Succeed”, “Best Dressed” and “Best Actor / Actress”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook from a historically Black High School-1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), 'The Pioneer' Yearbook. The categories on this page were...

"Most Dependable", "Most Studious", "Most Versatile", "Biggest Flirt", "Most School-Spirited", "Most Likely to Succeed", "Best Dressed" and "Best Actor / Actress".

1958 ‘Blue Flame’ Yearbook from Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the “Most Dramatic” & the “Most Talkative” Superlative.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Dramatic" & the "Most Talkative" superlative.

Another 4 from the same Central High School in 1958….“Most Athletic” & “Best Dancers”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Athletic" & "Best Dancers".

Some new one’s in the Senior Superlatives from Dunbar High School 1959 ‘The Bar’ Yearbook.

“Most All-Round”, “Most Helpful” & “Shortest”.

1950s vintage yearbook: 1959 Dunbar High School in North Carolina a Historically Black High School featuring the Superlatives students of 1959.

Shaw University, 1959 ‘The Bear” Yearbook featuring the chosen two for “Most Jovial”.

I hope our Richard was just having an off day when they took his photo.

1950s vintage yearbook from Shaw University, 1959 'The Bear" Yearbook featuring the chosen two from "Most Jovial". Shaw is a Historically Black University.

Thanks for reading my post!

I wonder how everyone made out in life? Did they continue to be the “best dressed” or the “most carefree”? I would like to think so.

Question time: Did your yearbook have as Superlative? If so, were YOU in it (I don’t think my school had this)? Share any fun insights or comments in the section below.

Further Reading: Vintage Yearbooks 1920s-1960s (archived blog posts)

Liz