From a Fifties kid,

A poodle skirt was a must have in 1954 for girls, while for the proms of
1955, the guys had to have "a white sports coat and pink carnation."
Remember the pink and charcoal Chevy of 1955? Thanks to "Grease" people
tend to only think of that phenomenom of the mid-50s but there was more.

Then Elvis in 1956 hit the national market, so by 1958 The Platters with
"Deep Purple" and "Smoke Gets In your Eyes", Marty Robbins "El Paso", and
Elvis with his "Love Me Tender" album would be by the record player. Most
teenagers had small players with the 45 rpm spindle only, the parents had
the record player that did 45s, 33s and 78 rpm. I also cannot leave out
Johnny Mathis and "Chances Are" since he comes from Upshur County.

If you were a James Dean fan, as I was, then one wanted a red wind
breaker, zip up the front, as seen in Rebel Without a Cause.

Don't forget Pat Boone and his white buck shoes. Here in the South, white
was from Easter to Labor Day. At school we work black penny leather
loafers, and once a week for the pep rally we tended to get out of the
4-6 petticoats and full skirts and put on Daddy's white shirt, blue
jeans, white socks with no designer's label and those black loafers. Of
course you had to turn the collar of your shirt up. You also may have
worn and ID bracelet silvery colored and on your wrist.

Then, wonder of wonders, Christmas of 1958, I got the essential portable
typewriter to take to college the next year and beyond my wildest
expectations a white leather jacket, all the rage!!!

Also about this time the charm bracelet had come in. Every girl jingled
with ones. I had two, one silver, every day with charms from friends at
summer camp and a dressy one for Sundays of gold. Other charms were worn
from a chain around your neck which if you were lucky included your boy
friend's senior ring because you were "going steady".

Guys might get things like new shiney hub caps, fender skirts for their
souped up cars, or as in my brother's case a new metallic blue paint job
for his 1950 Mercury- now that car really had Zoom, Zoom with its V-8.
Ah, the memories! Thanks,

Mary Kirby
Historic Upshur Museum
[log in to unmask]

On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 10:07:39 -0400 "Campbell, Robin (PEB)"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
> a poodle skirt and a record player were "must have" items.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kimberly Kenney, Curator [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 9:25 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: 1950s Christmas gifts!
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am planning a 1950s exhibition for Christmastime
> this year (called "Jingle Bell Rock:  a 1950s
> Holiday"), and our theme is going to be things that
> would have been given or recieved as Christmas gifts.
>
> I am grouping them into categories by family member,
> like "Gifts for Dad," "Gifts for Teens," etc.
>
> So I want to pick your brains about CLASSIC 1950s
> objects that we absolutely MUST include.
>
> We will be soliciting museum members, the community,
> and other local museums for loan items to augment our
> collection.  I would like to provide a "wish list" of
> what we're looking for.
>
> Thank you!
> Kim Kenney
>
>
> =====
> Kimberly A. Kenney, Curator
> McKinley Museum
> 800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW
> Canton OH 44708 * 330-455-7043
> "Let us ever remember that our interests are in concord, not
> conflict; and that our real eminence rests in the victories of
> peace, not those of war."  --25th United States President William
> McKinley
>
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