Nostalgia.. the 1950s in color

[ironglows]

.
  As the intro indicates, perhaps the most iconic nostalgia era of the 20th century.  Perhaps for most of us though, the most nostalgic decade would be the decade in which we graduated high school and grew into adulthood.

 Since I graduated in 1954, and went on to serve in the military before another year was out, it's the 1950s for me.

  Only one correction..at about the 7:20 mark there is a young lady in a rather brief bathing suit..not the 1950s I knew.  The swim suit shown in the opening shot, is far more typical of the 1950s.

        However if the video frames your recollections, please enjoy.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJ3Rd8YTL0

[oldandslow]

In my part of the world most of the 50's was not a booming economy. Dryland farming and drouth ruled with '53 being the worst year anyone could remember. By the last year of the decade Mother Nature had relented and the rains came again. My wife and I married in '59 and my parents said  the best cotton crop they ever made was that year and they bought a new car in '60. I have an old picture of my wife standing out in their field and the cotton reached well above her waist and she was 5'-6" tall at that time. She was walking in high cotton as the old saying goes.

[DEACONLLB]

I loved the fifties notice that every one was dressed up, but here is the fifties for me and I was not too young to go.    https://youtu.be/Fu_8M2L6kHY  Remember some of the car hops were on roller skates and short dresses.

Deaconllb

[Dee]

I loved the fifties notice that every one was dressed up, but here is the fifties for me and I was not too young to go.    https://youtu.be/Fu_8M2L6kHY  Remember some of the car hops were on roller skates and short dresses.

Deaconllb

"That's the Way It Was In 51" by Meryl Haggard, but David Freezel has a better version.

[DEACONLLB]

Yes I have heard his in fact David, his brother Lefty and Merle were great friends, along with Tommy Collins. Lefty's I got the money honey, I love you a thousand ways. were real popular in the fifties and Tommy Collins you better not do that was also a hit back then. When I was in Korea in 52 arm forces radio must have played Jonny Cash's song Ring of fire at least 3 times a day

Deaconllb

[ironglows]

In my part of the world most of the 50's was not a booming economy. Dryland farming and drouth ruled with '53 being the worst year anyone could remember. By the last year of the decade Mother Nature had relented and the rains came again. My wife and I married in '59 and my parents said  the best cotton crop they ever made was that year and they bought a new car in '60. I have an old picture of my wife standing out in their field and the cotton reached well above her waist and she was 5'-6" tall at that time. She was walking in high cotton as the old saying goes.

   Some places it was tough, and for some families it was tough.  My own family, due to one misfortune after another was also not "among the wealthy' at the time either.

  Was that weather you experienced a passing drouth, or was it a remainder of the great "dust bowl"?

[ironglows]

Yes I have heard his in fact David, his brother Lefty and Merle were great friends, along with Tommy Collins. Lefty's I got the money honey, I love you a thousand ways. were real popular in the fifties and Tommy Collins you better not do that was also a hit back then. When I was in Korea in 52 arm forces radio must have played Jonny Cash's song Ring of fire at least 3 times a day

Deaconllb

   In order to have made the Korea action, I would have had to quit school as a sophomore and lied about my age, neither of which my parents would have allowed, even though I was anxious to go.
   
   That delay did affect which branch of the military I ended up in, however. 

    Had I done the former and joined  earlier, I would have chosen the Marines.  However, 2 years later I had a sweetheart, and didn't necessarily relish the 4 year enlistment, so I chose to volunteer for the draft, which of course, meant Army.

  Since I was working a job and also working on Dad's farm, I suppose I could have avoided duty...but then, i would have always questioned myself.

[powderman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hikdnIXeQVIThe 60s. CHARLIE. 

[ironglows]

I loved the fifties notice that every one was dressed up, but here is the fifties for me and I was not too young to go.    https://youtu.be/Fu_8M2L6kHY  Remember some of the car hops were on roller skates and short dresses.

Deaconllb

"That's the Way It Was In 51" by Meryl Haggard, but David Freezel has a better version.

   I was apparently an "odd man out" as a teenager.  My car radio rarely was playing...probably because i had little or no interest in music.

  Today not much different..it just doesn't "grab" me....and I sure didn't appreciate the noisy, "rock" stuff.

   Curiously, I was at Ft Hood, when my girlfriend wrote, telling me Elvis had ben drafted.  I replied asking..  " is this Elvis, some guy from your high school, or somebody from a nearby town" ?

   Later, while I was still at Ft Hood, Elvis served there, but I never saw him among the 40,000 troops stationed there at the time.  Probably wouldn't have noticed him if I did.  Sheesh!  We all wore Ike jackets or fatigues.

[oldandslow]

In my part of the world most of the 50's was not a booming economy. Dryland farming and drouth ruled with '53 being the worst year anyone could remember. By the last year of the decade Mother Nature had relented and the rains came again. My wife and I married in '59 and my parents said  the best cotton crop they ever made was that year and they bought a new car in '60. I have an old picture of my wife standing out in their field and the cotton reached well above her waist and she was 5'-6" tall at that time. She was walking in high cotton as the old saying goes.

   Some places it was tough, and for some families it was tough.  My own family, due to one misfortune after another was also not "among the wealthy' at the time either.

  Was that weather you experienced a passing drouth, or was it a remainder of the great "dust bowl"?

The reminder of the dust bowl was in the mid forties. Ever ride a school bus home when you navigated by the high line poles because you could only catch sight of the road for a instant now and then. It was like the whole world was in the air around you. Then in '49 the rains came and everyone in the area made a bumper crop. There were lots of new cars sold that year. My dad traded our '41 Packard for a new '49 model. Then in'53 it just didn't rain until the middle of May when it rained enough to plaint milo as it was far to late for cotton to make. The milo had just started to head out when it froze. We fenced the entire farm and turned the stock out to graze the stalks as it was safe to eat after freezing. Then it rained enough the next few years to make get-by crops and then as I have already mentioned, '59 was a great year. Dryland farming on the south plains of Texas isn't exactly a get rich proposition.

 

[ironglows]

.
  From O&S;

              "The reminder of the dust bowl was in the mid forties. Ever ride a school bus home when you navigated by the high line poles because you could only catch sight of the road for a instant now and then. It was like the whole world was in the air around you. Then in '49 the rains came and everyone in the area made a bumper crop. There were lots of new cars sold that year. My dad traded our '41 Packard for a new '49 model. Then in'53 it just didn't rain until the middle of May when it rained enough to plaint milo as it was far to late for cotton to make. The milo had just started to head out when it froze. We fenced the entire farm and turned the stock out to graze the stalks as it was safe to eat after freezing. Then it rained enough the next few years to make get-by crops and then as I have already mentioned, '59 was a great year. Dryland farming on the south plains of Texas isn't exactly a get rich proposition."

   I only rode the bus with such blindness, because of snow..not sand !   

  Our farm was dairy and associated crops, hay, alfalfa, corn, oats & etc.  I speak here, of a few hard-scratch acres...gradually moving to a more productive farm..along with still working other day jobs.

   By time of my high school graduation, we had climbed to a more reasonable financial situation.