Over on Twitter an account I follow posted a vintage photos of “Miss Sausage Queen 1955” (seen below). It was such a fun photo and sparked a lot of conversation about how vintage beauty pageants, tended to have some very odd “titles” one could win. What do you think the criteria to be “Miss Sausage Queen” was (answer under the photo)?

For today’s post we are going to look at some “Fun & Wacky Vintage Beauty Pageants & Queen Titles from the 1920s-1960s”

Let the pageants begin!

Note: scroll to the end to see my other posts on this topic.

1950s 1950s vintage photo of a young woman in 1955 as the Sausage Queen dressed all up in Sausages. Sponsored by the Zion Meat Company during National Hot Dog Week.

About the photo: “Miss Sausage Queen” turned out to not be a contest at all. Actor Geene Courtney models a scarf, skirt, bracelets, and a crown made from hot dogs, frankfurters, and kielbasa in her role as Queen of National Hot Dog Week, as selected by the Zion Meat Products Company.

Fun & Wacky Vintage Beauty Pageants & Pageant Queen Titles

Vintage Images 1920s-1960s

Winner of the Miss Lemon beauty pageant, 1920.

“Miss Bobbed Hair”. In 1925 Coral Gables, Florida, held a contest for the most beautiful bobbed hair. Large number of ladies showed up with their bobbed hair and 1920’s dropped waist dresses and had some fun. Here is our winner.

1920s Vintage Photo: "Miss Bobbed Hair". In 1925 Coral Gables, Florida, held a contest for the most beautiful bobbed hair. Large number of ladies showed up with their bobbed hair and 1920's dropped waist dresses and had some fun.

Source: historydaily.org

“Miss Cigar Queen” contestants posing in a cigar box in 1930’s swimsuits in Tampa, Florida 1937.

1930s Vintage Photo of 1937 Beauty Pageant contestants for Miss Cigar Queen 1937. They are posing in a cigar box in 1930s swimsuits.

Source: Oldflorida

Clad in a skeleton costume, “Miss Unsafe Brakes” appeared at the 1939 Chicago Auto Show to drive home the importance of car owners keeping their brakes in good repair.

1930s Vintage Photo of Vintage beauty pageant winner, Miss Unsafe Brakes making an appearance at the 1939 Chicago Auto Show. She is wearing a skelton outfit.

Source: Pinterest

In 1951, the Muller Bros., an Oldsmobile-Firestone Tire- Car Wash-Café- Body Shop-Home Appliance- Auto Supply Dealer in Los Angeles, California held a competition in honor of their 3,000,000,000^th car wash. The field of beauties in the pageant represented each department of their mega-complex known as “The Landing”. Here’s a sampling of photos of the contest as documented by Life Magazine.

Please drop by “Along for the Ride” to see all the other contestant photos from this Beauty Pageant day (courtesy of Life Archives).

1950s vintage photo from 1951 of a beauty pageant contestants of a dealership representing various departments of the shop. In this photo they are all posing in a car in 1950s swimsuits.

“Miss Lube Rack”.

“Miss New Car Dept. (Oldmobile).

1950s vintage photo from 1951 of a beauty pageant featuring a woman in a 1950s swimsuit representing "Miss New Car" of the Muller bros dealership.

“Miss Steel Pier of 1963”, crowned by the Contest’s First Winner.

“Mousie” Green, Miss Steel Pier of 1917 — the first winner of the nation’s oldest beauty pageant — crowns “Cissie” Carson, the new Miss Steel Pier of 1963.

1960s vintage photo of MIss Steel Pier of 1963 in a 1960s swimsuit being crowned the winner.

Source: Harry Ransom Center

“Miss Smiling Ankles of 1962”.

Beti Seay, Miss Smiling Ankles, displays her award-winners to photographers in Manhattan.

1960s vintage photo of Beauty Pageant Winner of 1962 for "Miss Smiling Ankles". She is posing on a bed.

Source: Harry Ransom Center

Here is a 1930’s photo of another ankle pageant. “The prettiest ankle contest” in England 1933. Great examples of 1930’s shoes.

1930's vintage photo of women showing off their ankles for the prettiest ankle contest in England in 1933. Super 1930's shoes on display.

Source: allthatsinteresting.com

1950s Photo: Beauty contestant “Miss Golden Nugget” in a bathing suit takes the stage while other contestants and the audience look on.

I could not find any information, but this possibly could be the “battle of the Las Vegas casinos” pageant?

FURTHER READING: Vintage Vegas-Golden Nugget Casino Hotel

1950s Photo: Beauty contestant "Miss Golden Nugget", Las Vegas in a bathing suit takes the stage while other contestants and audience look on.

Source: Etsy – Inspirationsnapshots

1950s photo of the “Glamorous Grandmother” beauty pageant featuring 12 STUNNING “older” women in 1950s dresses posing with their numbers.

Fun observation….most of these women are probably in their 40s. ha!

Source: eBay

Linda Lawson is the winner of the “1955 Miss Atomic Pageant”, with a mushroom cloud crown for good measure.

Her victory coincided with the Operation Cue atomic tests, which were long delayed by high winds and weather, so she became known as “Miss-Cue”.

There were four winners, with the last crowned in 1957. They took place in Las Vegas to celebrate the city’s two main attractions: nuclear bombs and showgirls (Source).

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s beauty pageant: Linda Lawson is the winner of the 1955 Miss Atomic Pageant, with a mushroom cloud crown for good measure. She is surrounded by men in uniform putting the crown on her head.

Source: Onthisday

Gail Hooper, 18, from Memphis, Tennessee, selected as Miss National Catfish Queen, holds a 56-pound catfish at the Hotel New Yorker. 1954.

1950s vintage photo of 1950s beauty pageant winner Gail Hooper, 18, from Memphis, Tennessee, selected as Miss National Catfish Queen, holds a 56-pound catfish at the Hotel New Yorker. 1954.

Source: Allthatsinteresting.com

Photograph caption dated August 20, 1959 reads, “Compete for county fair queen title – Eleven contestants put their best foot forward as they begin competing for title of “Queen of Los Angeles County Fair”, opening Sept. 18th, 1959 in Pomona.”

I added this photo to the post but I always think of LA as being a massive city, not one having a county fair.

1950s Vintage Photo of 1950s Beauty Pageant Contestants in two piece suits competing for the "Queen of the county fair in Los Angeles 1959".

Source: TESSA

I will leave you with a video of the “Miss Sweater Queen 1940” Pageant (video link).

I hope you had enjoyed the photos I shares above. It was a blast to put together.

QUESTION: What was your favourite pageant/ title/ winner? Share in the comments section below.

Further Reading:

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

Over the years I have done several Easter blog posts but never one completely dedicated to Vintage Easter images. Since Easter is around just the corner and I have another themed post lined up for the week of, let’s do these Vintage Photos today!

Let’s take a look at our stylish & cute photos.

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s Window Display for Easter featuring Easter dresses for girls from Hess's Department Store, Allentown, PA

Source: Pinterest – 1950s vintage photo of a 1950s Window Display from Hess’s Department Store, Allentown, PA

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay,are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Easter Images

1920’s – 1960’s

A fashionable group in Atlantic City on Easter Sunday, April 17th, 1949. “Claire, Janet & Me”.

Animal print coats were clearly all the rage with these group of ladies (two of them at least). Stunning corsages as well.

Source: Etsy – LightSilverAndPaper

Here are the ladies again but they managed to find two men to walk them down the boardwalk for their own “Easter Parade”. “Janet, Moe, Claire, John & Me. April 17th, 1949”.

1940s Vintage Photo / 1940s Fashion: A fashionable group in Atlantic City on Easter Sunday, April 17th, 1949.

Source: Etsy – LightSilverAndPaper

Okay one more of this group! We found a third handsome man to join the gang! Our newest guy’s name is “Lloyd”.

1940s Vintage Photo / 1940s Fashion: A fashionable group of women and men in Atlantic City on Easter Sunday, April 17th, 1949.

Source: Etsy – LightSilverAndPaper

Incredibly stylish Church goers on Easter Sunday in Chicago in the 1940s. Look at those hats?!

1940s vintage photo of Churchgoers on Easter Sunday in Chicago dressed in 1940s fashions. Stylish group of Black Men & Black Women

Source: Etsy – OakwoodView

The next photo is from an Easter post I did on “1920’s Photos of Toronto’s Easter Parade“, but is so amazing that I wanted to make sure you did not miss it.

Take a look at these fantastically dressed 1920’s women in their version of a tuxedo complete with top hats. The details are incredible. From their bobbed hair, majorette boots and long scarfs coming from their hands (so many questions) it’s all outstanding!

1920s photo of the Sunnyside Easter Parade in Toronto featuring two women dressed in Tuxedos

1950s vintage photo of a young woman filling Easter baskets on her kitchen table.

Source: Etsy – iloveyoumorephotos

Parents and their need to scare their children at young ages for photos. HA! 1960s photo of a young boy posing for a photo with a pink stuffed easter bunny while his dad in a flannel jacket holds up the toy.

1960s photo of a young boy posing for a photo with a pink stuffed easter bunny while his dad ina flannel jacket holds up the toy

Source: Etsy – iloveyoumorephotos

Dressed in their Easter best…Mary Elizabeth and William Lewis holding Easter baskets in this Charles “Teenie” Harris 1940s photography. Aren’t they so cute??!

1940s vintage photo of a young Black boy and young Black girl in their Easter clothes holding easter baskets posing for a photo by Charles Teenie Harris 1940-1945.

Source: National Museum of African American History & Culture-Smithsonian

1940’s photo of a little girl holding a stuffed animal posing with mom and aunt maybe (or all sisters?)? I’m loving the 1940’s skirt suits on our ladies featured in the image.

1940s vintage photo of Easter 1945 featuring two women in 1940's skirt suits holding a giant easter bunny stuffed animal and a little girl holding a stuffed toy. Super 1940s Hairstyles.

Source: Etsy – AlaskaVintage

April 1954…Marlene & John celebrate Easter together with an Easter lily and a stuffed bunny. How adorable!

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s couple celebrating Easter with a easter lily and stuffed easter bunny in the photo.

Source: eBay

Easter Parade 1952.

Miss Jean Leonard, Air Force Sergeant Harry Logan, and Mrs. Harry Logan celebrate Easter in style as they celebrate in Harlem, New York. For the special occasion, the sergeant made sure to have his uniform pressed and to wear his medals (Source).