Today’s Vintage Photo Tuesday (collection of vintage image blog posts) is a look back at life at Wellesley College from the 1920s-1960s.

Why Wellesley? Well they had a wonderful online digital archive that I have recently been spending hours browsing and thought that my readers would enjoy some of the gems I stumbled across.

1940s vintage photo of the Grounds Committee at Wellesley College featuring a group of young woman in 1940s winter jackets and 1940s hairstyles posing together by signs.

1948 Ground Committee. Source: sscommons.org

I am also going to turn this into a a regular series since there are so many archives with content that is Vintage Inn approved!

So without further adieu, lets begin!

Student Life at Wellesley College

Vintage Photos 1920s-1950s

About Wellesley:

Wellesley College is a private women’s liberal arts college located west of Boston in the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges (Source).

The below image is from 1938 of a young woman modelling late 1930s fashions in front of the building pictured above.

1930s vintage photo at Wellesley College in1938 Fashionable young woman in front of school in 1930s fashion

Source: photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1938 via Vintag.es

1925 Hoop Rolling-Seniors at the starting line.

Source: sscommons.org

“Hoop Rolling”:

Hoop-rolling began as an activity once held on May Day. May Day was a day of frivolity and child’s play to escape from real-world worries. Students celebrated by dressing up in children’s clothing and playing games on Severance Green. One of the most popular was the hoop rolling race.

Hoop-rolling has become a Wellesley institution in itself and is now held independently in late April.

Traditional Schedule of Events:

Little Sisters (underclasswomen) camp out the night before the event to hold a spot for their Big Sisters (upperclasswomen) on Tupelo Lane.

Hoops are passed down to seniors or provided by Cafe Hoop—and then are decorated.

Come morning, the seniors arrive—dressed for success in their Commencement gowns and class colors.

At a signal, the seniors race down the lane, pushing their hoops with a wooden stick.

Back in the day, it was proclaimed that whoever won the Hoop Roll would be the first to get married. In the status-seeking 1980s, she was the first to be CEO. Now we just say that the winner will be the first to achieve happiness and success, whatever that means to her.

The winner is carried away by her Wellesley Sisters

……and has the honor of being thrown into Lake Waban
(Source)

1941 Hoop Rolling friends.

Love the Saddle Shoes!

Hoop Rolling 1941 at Wellesley College. 1940s Vintage Photo of 2 women with hoops in saddles shoes in graduation gowns

Source: sscommons.org

One more photo from this tradition, this time from 1945.

1945 Hoop Rolling Tradition at Wellesley College. 1940s Vintage Photo of 2 women in graduation gowns posing with a hoop.

Source: sscommons.org

1925 Golf Club. Stunning 1920’s Womens Sportswear fashions.

1925 Womens Golf Club and Golf Outfit at Wellesley College. A 1920s Vintage Photo

Source: sscommons.org

The Photo before the big dance. Circa 1950s. OMG THOSE EVENING DRESSES!!!!

1950s vintage photo of Wellesley Students in 1950s Evening Gown Dresses before a special event

Source: www.sscommons.org

Fun at the 1950s Dance.

1950s Dance with Wellesley College Students in 1950s dress and 1950s menswear for evening. Super 1950s vintage photo.

Source: www.sscommons.org

Painting Class at Wellesley College 1958.

Painting Class 1958 Wellesley College. 1950s Vintage Photo of women college students in class

Source: sscommons.org

1927-1928 New York State Presidents. Super 1920s hairstyles on display.

Wellesley College 1927 1928 New York Presidents. 1920s Vintage Photo of three 1920s college student with 1920s hairstyles and 1920s fashions.

Source: sscommons.org

Doris Miller being crowned Tree Day Mistress of 1928. What a fantastic photo!

Doris Miller in 1928 being crowned Tree Day Mistress at Wellesley College in this 1920s Vintage Photo

Source: sscommons.org

1958 Tree Day Mistress and her Court.

Tree Day Mistress and her Court 1958 Wellesley College. 1950s Vintage Photo of a school pageant.

Source: sscommons.org

Beauty Shop 1935.

1935 Beauty Shop at Wellesley College. 1930s Vintage Photo of a beauty salon featuring 1930s hairstyles.

Source: sscommons.org

Dorm Life-1942. So many wonderful things to look at in this photo. Love this insight into student life.

1942 Dorm Room at Wellesley College featuring young woman in 1940s fashions hanging out together. 1940s Vintage Photo of Student Life

Source: sscommons.org

1938 Fashion on campus. That is one outstanding 1930s hat!

1930s vintage photo of 1938 Women's fashion. Stunning 1930s hat, 1930s skirt and 1930s blouse plus 1930s hairstyle for hats.

Source: photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1938 via Vintag.es

Cool School Fact:

Wellesley founder Henry Durant believed in the importance of physical exercise for women, a radical notion in the late 19th century. He outfitted the College Hall gymnasium with dumbbells, chest weights, and flying rings (Source).

Hope you enjoyed the photos friends! What was your favourite? Please shre in the comment section below.

Further Reading:

Vintage School Posts (Archived Blog Posts)
Vintage Photos 1920s-1960s (Archived Blog Posts)

Liz

The History of Lindy Hop

It begins in the African American communities of Harlem, New York during the late 1920s in conjunction with swing jazz. Lindy Hop is closely related to earlier African American vernacular dances but quickly gained its own fame through dancers in films, performances, competitions, and professional dance troupes. It became especially popular in the 1930s with the upsurge of aerials. The popularity of Lindy Hop declined after World War II, and it converted to other forms of dancing, but it never disappeared during the decades between the 1940s and the 1980s until European and American dancers revived it starting from the beginning of the 1980s (Source).

NOTE: For a much more detailed and excellent read on this dance, please check out Yehoodi’s-Lindy Hop: Its Origins, Innovators, and Legacy