I Was A Sweet Child of the Fifties
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I came across this photo recently and it took me back to another time and place. Most people are aware the decade of the 1950's was the post war era which fostered sprawling suburbs and the baby boomers. But if I had to choose one word to describe childhood during the 1950's, it would have to be "innocence"! In case you haven't already noticed, I didn't have a top on in this photo. It was no big deal back then; there is no difference up there from the boys at that age. It's a perfect example of the influence of innocence I grew up with! Parents protected their children from the harsh realities of the grown up world, anyway mine did. I have lots of friends who will tell you the same thing.
When I first looked at this picture, I asked myself, who were these children? Who was I? The easiest way I knew how to remember, was to scour the history, culture and activities that occupied our lives, and it wasn't difficult. The internet has oodles (50's word) of informative sites and personal accounts! It helped me rediscover who we were then and how it led us to who we are today! If you grew up in the 50's, I hope the list I compiled of games, TV shows, children's books, styles and family habits of the time, reconnects you to the positive side of the era. It was a happy time filled with an air of heightened hopefulness. If you've grown up since then, I hope you enjoy the ride and culture that led the way to your own life and times!
The remainder of photos came from my husband's, Joseph Mirto, photo album. All my family's 50's photos were destroyed by water damage!
A-Z List of 1950's Culture
A - Airplane Cut-Out Kits
B - Box Car Children, Bobbie Socks, Baby Boomer, BB Guns, Boy Scouts,
Bozo, Bullwinkle, Baseball Cards, Barbie Doll, Bubble Gum Packs,
Bangs, Bicycle Spokes with Cards Clipped to them, Bottle Openers,
Black & White TV, Button Shirts, Bicycle Baskets, Baseball,
Barefoot All Summer
C - Crew Cuts, Cowboys, Christmas Morning, Cat's Eyes Marbles,
Captain Kangaroo, Can Cans, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Cat in the Hat,
Coloring Books, Cooties from the Opposite Sex, Comic Books, Cousins,
Clothes Lines, Coin Collecting, Card Games, Cool Man, Cherry Coke,
Clove Gum, Coming in from playing when street lights went out, Chores,
Cap Guns, Crochet, Christmas Caroling, Cat Eye Glasses, Chiffon Scarves
Camping overnight in neighbor friend's backyard
D - Davy Crockett Coon Skin Caps, Dress Codes, Dinner Bell or Whistle,
"Don't Be Cruel", Duck Tail, Drive In Movies, Dick & Jane, Dirty Knees,
Dr. Seuss, Discipline
E - Erector Set, Etcha Sketch, Ed Sullivan, Easter Eggs, Extended Family
F - The Little Fire Engine Book, Frisbee, Forty Fives, Frosty the Snowman,
Flat Top Hair, Fifty Seven Chevy, Fans (no AC), Five & Ten Cent Stores
G - GI Joe, Girl Scouts, Gay Meant Fancy Free, Green Coca Cola Bottles
H - Hula Hoops, Home Cooked Meals, Hide & Seek, Howdy Doody,
Hop Scotch, Hot Rods, Hang Man, Hometown Hamburger Stands
"How Much is that Doggy in the Window?", Hikes in the woods, Hobbies,
I - I Love Lucy, I Like Ike Button Pins, Instant Oatmeal
J - Jacks, Jump Rope, Jeans, Juke Boxes
K - Kickball, Knock Knock Game, Kool-Aid, Kick the Can,
Kukla Fran & Ollie, Knowing Your Neighbors
L - Lassie, Lace Collars, Lincoln Logs, Little Lulu Magic Tricks,
Little Golden Books, Lone Ranger, Little Red Hen
M - Micky Mouse, Match Box Cars, Mr. Potato Head, Musical Chairs,
Marbles, Malted Milk Shakes, Mother Goose, Micky Mouse Club,
Mighty Mouse, Mud Pies, Monogram Initials, Manners
N - Neighborhood Block Parties, Neighborhood Candy Story,
Night Before Christmas, Nancy Drew Books
O - One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four, Old Yeller
One Piece Bathing Suits
P - Play Doh, Paper Dolls, Poodle Skirts, Paddling at School,
Peanuts Cartoon Strip, Plastic, Pin Curls, Penny Loafers, Potsy
Paper Airplanes, Pick Up Sticks, Pop Beads, Pony tails, Penpals
Party Phone Lines, Picnics, The Poky Little Puppy, Picnics
Playing Outside All Day, Pez, Pinball Sets, Pledge of Allegiance
Q - Quickdraw McGraw, Quarter for the movies
R - Roller Skating, Rock & Roll, Rootbeer Stands, Red Ryder,
Roy Rogers Show, Route 66, Red Rover
S - Suburbs, Sock Hops, Steelie Marbles, Saddle Shoes,
Silly Puddy, Slinky, Slumber Parties, Snow Forts,
It's a Bird.. It's a.. Plane.. It's Superman, Swing Sets,
Saturday Morning Toons, Sling Shot, Sunday School
T - Tomboys, Tree Huts, Transistor Radios, Tarzan Call,
Thick Dark Rim Glasses, Tether Ball, Tinker Toys, Train Sets,
Tin Cans Strung Together To Make Walkie Talkie, Tag,
Trading Cards, "That'll Be the Day...That I Die", Three Little Kittens,
This Little Piggy, Tiddly Winks
U - The Ugly Duckling
V - View Finder
W - Walt Disney, White T-Shirts, White Bread, Wax Coke Bottles,
Wring Washers
X -
Y - Yo Yo's, Yard Baseball & Kickball, Your It, Yogie Bear, YMCA
Z -
Add to the List.. Surely, I've only skimmed the surface, if there is a saying, quote, book, game, activity, song...something young children-like of the 50's that reflects the era, write it down in the comment box and I'll add it to the list!
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As a child of the 60s I remember protests and flower power,lol,though the 50's were also a part of my essence, the camping-out in the neighbor's back yard and playing outside instead of going to the mall and going to the Mom & Pop hamburger pit and stuffing your gut for a dollar with a dime left over for the juke box or pinball machine.;)
Hello Fiddleman, nice to see you, thank you for a great compliment...you're one of the great writers of nostalgia so I consider it an honor
Hi Acer...fond memories...I'll have to add these great reminders to my list...take care my friend
Thank you for this! I was born just after WWII began, and the fifties were my best-memory decade.
This is a bookmark.
Oh, how I love this! I was born in 1955 and it was indeed an innocent time. Thank you so much for this trip into a time of sweetness. And I had a great time looking at the photographs.
Great photographs. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Will, thanks for stopping by...I'm glad it brought back your best nostalgic decade...it seems so long ago
Hi Hyphenbird, I'm glad you enjoyed it...our 50's childhood was a special time indeed
Thanks for stopping by Helpful Hanna
Thanks so much for the walk down Memory Lane. I was born in '51- such a happy time!
Indeed, a great time, I have photos that are quite similar, who ever thought that they would mean so much. Hub treasure Fossillady!
Hi Cat, we share a unique past...thank you for your comment
Hi Kath...thank you for commenting...I treasure all my old photos...my parents lost so many from a water leak. Luckily I had some around and I'm even luckier to have my husband's which I cherish!
Kathi, thank you for taking the time to share your cherished memories. I know that looking at your husbands pictures as a child were touching, loving, and heartbreaking. I have an eye for detail, and I can hear the commotions in the background in some of the pictures. I can hear the laughter, sense the longing, and feel the tears of times long past. Thank you again for sharing.
My goodness this sounds and looks incredible. Children are made to grow up far too quickly in this day and age and gone is that sweet innocence. At a school disco recently six year olds were dressing up in high heels and hot pants and tops with padded bras. Great hub.
Oh Augustine, I'm filled with tears as I'm writing this...your comment touches the bottom of my soul...you are very perceptive and right on the money...thank you for your beautiful comment...Blessings to you, Kathi
Acaie, I know exactly what you mean, the kids today are forced to grow up so quickly...They have educational products now for infants that I find ridiculous...let them be kids...they'll have plenty education coming out their ears when the time comes...take care sweet lady
Hi Kathi ~ I voted up and said it was AWESOME. This memory hub really took me back, very much reminiscing of all the items listed. But, even more, as you said in the hub, it feels like a different planet, a different time zone, like I dropped into "THE TWILIGHT ZONE" of yester-year. The photos could have come from the family album of all those who lived during the 50's. The cowboy pictures, boy-scouts, neighborhood swings and playgrounds. Holiday line-ups of family members; and the edges on the black & white photographs. I truly loved this hub. (HUGS) Debby
Ah, yes...1953--the year I entered Kindergarten. As a rather over-protected only-child, I don't have very many memories of the 1950's--most of the nostalgia of those years seems to belong to the kids who were teenagers in that decade.
I was a teen in the 1960's--the era of free love, hippies, mini-skirts and all of that. However, I was SO sheltered by my parents that I knew nothing of any of it until I had married and had kids of my own, and the hippies had passed into history.
Thanks for the trip down (almost) memory lane. It is nostalic, despite my sheltered past. ;-)
Hi Debby, You reflected the sentiments of my 50's hub perfectly...touche'...I'm so glad you enjoyed the reminiscing...it's good for the soul to do that...Take Care
Hi Dzy...lol...That's so typical 50's...many of us lived in a cocoon. That's where our parents kept us and I have many friends who will tell you the same thing! Although, I was very aware of the 60's movement, even went without a bra for a whole summer...Whoo whoo...That was the extent of my liberation! Thanks for stopping by, good to see you!
The pictures brought back memories of good times. Life was so different back then. Our entire life revolved around church, school, friends, now we're all in a hurry. My Grand kids are so busy, no time for family meals. Thank's for showing that cute little girl with her brothers, and topless too. Hippy time !!
..well my dear Kathi - I still think you are a sweet child of the new millenium and you have been a big big part of my hub life and I will always be grateful for that - and yes I think every family must have 'these' kind of pictures - and it reminds me of that great song as sung by Barbara Steisand - The Way we were!!!!!!
I know what you mean Ruby, kids are barely allowed to be kids today...When I taught school a while back, there were kids who didn't know how to play cause they spent all their free time on computer games...I'm glad my boys didn't have any games until they were older...it didn't take them long to get addicted...had to monitor! Peace Baby!
Hi EpiColin...My dad put together a video with clips from old movies of us kids growing up and that song plays in the background. It's hard to watch cause the music makes me want to cry. I'm glad you reminded me of it cause I want to convert it to a dvd and keep forgetting...I hope you're doing well my friend
You know I wrote a true story here about going to my best friends house just through the woods to play all the time and one day her mother said I couldn't come back unless I wore a shirt, and as I said in the story my mom said that woman had a problem, I didn't know what it was but I knew girls that climbed trees could get killed hanging a sleeve on a branch. If you ripped your skin a little it would get better. lol Great little hub and fantastic pictures!
I was born in the same year as you, although I grew up in Britain. I can still relate to some of the items on your list, though. Your hub got me thinking of the A’s to Z’s that would remind me of my life in the fifties! I’m sorry that you lost so many of your family photos, but it’s wonderful that you have some showing your husband as a child. Thanks for sharing a lovely hub.
Oh Jackie, that is a great story...lol...I'll have to look it up and read it! I was such a tomb boy, climbing trees and whatnot...my knees were always scraped up! Thanks for going down memory lane with me! It was a special time when kids were kids!
Hi Alicia, The 50's in the U.S. was coming off of WWII, same thing in Britain. Life got back to normal and there was the birth of suburbs and of course the Baby boomers! I imagine England was still rebuilding after the devastation from war! Glad you could relate to some of the items...It's good for the soul to go back and remember once upon a time! Take Care
Omg Lady I love all these images!! My daughter if she could she wouldnt wear a shirt!! She is a total tom boy!! Times have changed and yes I find it a bit wrong for my daughter to not wear a shirt but I get what you are saying that times do change!! this was a fascinating.
smiles :)
bella
How old is your daughther, Bella? You're right, today it wouldn't be a wise choice to let her go without a top..lol! I hope she doesn't grow up too fast though. When kids are allowed to be kids they become happier adults! Glad you stopped by
My daughter is 6. But I have two boys one is 9 and one is 4 and they wrestle and take their shirts off so she wants to do the same. It cracks me up because she is my middle and a girl she has two half sisters who are 15 and 13 so they are out of her age range but I feel hopeless and let her roam with her brothers lol!! I hate how perverse this world has got, no room for one to be who they want to be everything is stereo typed to the third degree....
I don't have it here anymore, I have cleared out many, seems my stories didn't go over that much although they were true, but my poems do that people think are true, but not! My biggest painful memory was stumped toes, did you get any of those? Some could be really bad but all better in a day or two! I forgot to mention I had 5 brothers!
Jackie and Bella, I had two older brothers that I always tried to keep up with...they had a good time teasing me cause I could never keep up! After years of scraped elbows and knees around the 6th grade, I consciously decided to act like a girl...lol! It took a while to get the hang of it!
Kathi, I looked at those pictures as tho' they were my family photos. That Joe had a very special childhood is proof in these pictures. The grandma one really got me,
mine looked like the lady on the far left. All my grandparents were gone by the time I was 9. I seem to remember stories about you and your siblings....the unique nicknames, (Bean wasn't it?)and the love between you was clear. I remember walking to Lion's beach, sandy p&j sandwiches, the scary bridge to Kiwanas, not wearing a shirt too and climbing trees. We had to be home when the street lights came on, and home for dinner on time or go without. Not too many other rules. It was "the best of times".
My best to you in your journey.
We who were lucky enough to live in these times are so very blessed. You have shared a lovely gift with us. As a matter of fact - you, Fossillady, are a lovely gift.
I too was a child in the 50's. What simple times they were... we played outside or down at the school. Had bikes, and skates and played "Potsy"...and saw Movies for a quarter. And we wore saddle shoes and laughed alot. Thanks for such a fun Hub and Pictures, Fossillady.
This is great! I love it! No one has done a hub like this, as far as I know. The photos are personal and draw me in. The words are magnetic. I laughed at some of the words and phrases you've found and others made me feel very nostalgic. Thank you for a good time.
A beautiful stroll down memory lane. I was born in 1957 so only caught the tail of the 50s, but the 60s sure followed on. One of my favourite games was jacks, I can still see myself sitting on the curb with jacks and little rubber ball in hand. Wow.
Hi Nancy, Wow, good to hear from you! You've given me some wonderful memories yourself, Lions & Kiwanas! I was Bean and Ken Damaske was Beans...tee hee, what a pair we were! My family is still guilty of calling me that, I just can't seem to shake it from them! My best to you and I hope to see you this summer!
Hi Vocal Coach, you are such a dear lady! We were lucky and still are! Seeing you always reminds me to count my blessings!
Hello B, yeah, you're back! I'm going to add Potsy to the list and movies for a quarter even though I don't remember Potsy! They certainly were simpler times!
Hi Pamela, Aah...making you laugh and feel nostalgic makes my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed being reminded of the good times in the 50's. Take care of yourself!
Hi Bluestar, you were just a youngy of the 50's...lol! I can just picture you playing jacks on the curb. We used to make mud balls and line them on the curb and got in lots of trouble throwing them at cars! It's ironic how the 50's and 60's are so completely different!
Wow! That was a trip down memory lane! I grew up in the late fifties (1957), but I think it was with the same kids,cars and houses, only on the west coast :)! The alphabetizing was great. Thanks for flogging my memory like that!
Del
What a beautiful story and the photos are just amazing, brilliant and so well done, it seems photography is a time honored gift in your family. This is so sweet, I adore the story of you as a child in the fifties, what a cool time. I loved the alphabet trivia, very neat! Thanks so much for sharing. :) Katie :)
My pleasure Del, it's good for the soul to take a trip back in time once in a while, but to remember the good stuff! Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Katie, I'm so glad I published this hub cause it's been fun for others to come along on the trip! Also, it's been therapeutic to remember the best of those times...I've done enough analyzing the negative! Stay cool!
Thanks for share your childhood story. I really enjoy all the pictures above. Wow... you still keep the pictures as good memories. We had never forgotten those memories, right! Rated up up up. Have a nice weekend...
Love and peace,
Hi Sweetest Pras, These are precious memories, I hope you have photos of your childhood! If you don't, make up for it with photos of your own children! They are treasures!
I think it would be a good idea to visit my NEW hub Las Vegas, Hee
Cheers
Thanks for a great hub. I grew up in the 60's but you still brought me back. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Sorry yours got damaged by water. Too bad there was no internet back then to scan in the pictures. Wonderful hub and wonderful knowing you through hubpages. P.S. you were a very cute little girl.
Hey Ruby, Oh yeah, it was a good idea, alright! Another fun story from a dear hubfriend!
Thank you TK, my 60's friend, I remember the 60's more than the 50's. Had to dig deep for the childhood memories. It is a shame about the photos, my parents are especially sick about it. Luckily, I had confiscated a few things and that turned out to be a blessing. Take Care
What a marvelous stroll down memory lane. I'm more familiar with the sixties, but most of this was still around. I tried this sort of reminiscing in a hub I called "Remember When". It's fun to look back.
voted up and awesome
It certainly is fun Fay, I hadn't done that in a long time! Such a long time ago! Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful Fossillady! Thank you dear.
Good to see you here Micky, I had a bike when I was a kid that had to be shared with my siblings. It was handed down from my aunt Kay. I named it "Babe". You should always name your bikes don't you think? lol
What a wonderful hub! That could have been my family in Baltimore too I'm sure! Thank you so much for sharing your family photos and all the wonderful words. I remember all those still being used when I was growing up of course during the 70's as a small child because our parents were trying to recreate for us their own experiences. Voted up and pressed all your buttons!!
Hi Erin, How's one of my favorite hippy girlfriends these days? I'm glad this reminded you of your family in Baltimore and it's cool how they tried to instill the values and customs from this sweet era! Take Care Sweetie
Wow,that was an awesome walk down memory lane! What a beautiful hub, full of such wonderful memories.My first visit, but won't be the last! Thanks so much for that delightful write!Voted up and awesome!
~Peace~
M.O.
Thank you kindly Mysterious One, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!!!!
Hi, Kathi this was fantastic! I wasn't born until 59' but there are so many things that overlapped into the sixties, one potato two potato! I remember it well, and I loved the photos, those were the days!
Isn't it the truth Nell, seems like another lifetime! I would go back in a New York minute! Take care, Kathi
I very much enjoyed this journey down memory lane with you. The family pictures are neat. I think the Fifties were the peak of American life. No, not for everybody and it wasn't perfect. But compared to all other decades, I think it was the best. Thank you.
Hi James, good to see you, I totally agree about the 50's being the peak decade of American Life! Hey, guess what...we have a mutual friend, Susan Mattson. She is married to my brother Matt Zerbel! I happened to see your photo on her FB wall and asked her how she knew you. So you two went to school together. It's a small world indeed! I hope life is treating you well, take care, Kathi
As a child of parents married in the fifties, my family's resident historian, and a child who grew up watching "Happy Days" every tuesday night....I salute you! This is a great hub, full of nostaliga, and lots of 50's pop culture information! Great job! I look forward to reading more hubs by you!
Hi K. Thank you for your great comment! I'm glad it brought back memories. I think I must have watched every episode of Happy Days...lol, Take Care
Susan has always been a lovely lass, inside and out. It is a small world after all! :-)
I didn't grow up in the fifties but I'm fascinated at how much the world has changed. I love the pictures. They make me wish we lived in a simpler world. Voted up. :)
It's always nice to go back and visit what I consider the good old days even though at the time we didn't know it. Who knows, maybe the current decade will fit the bill one day! I do like the simpler life and try to keep it that way even though it's not always easy! Good to see you Amy
Great Hub --- as for the topless picture - you could do that in my back yard now :-)
Simple world would be one without judgements. I'm for that.
the hippies were way more correct than people today may realize.
Hi Neil, ha ha, very funny comment and you're so right about the hippies too! Thank you so much for stopping by
Hello Fossillady. This is a great Hub. Brings me right back to my youth. I have been writing a series set in this place in our history. Thank you, this is a treasure.
Hi mckbird...Isn't good for the soul to reminisce the good memories from time to time? The 50's was such a unique era! Thanks for stopping by my friend! Cheers
Really stirred up some memories, Kath......once I got rolling.....WOW!
Alka-seltzer(Grandmother's), anklets, Aqua-net hairspray
A&W root beer
badminton, Barbasol shave cream, 'Barrel of monkeys', 'Bazooka' bubblegum,
bermuda shorts, 'Bingo' (song), Bit-o-honey, bobbing for apples
Bryl-creem 'a little dab'll do ya' (Dad's), 'buzzcuts
Chutes & Ladders, Crackerjack, croquet, Easter hats, Farmer in dell
girdles(Mom's), Go to head of the class, go-karts, Good&Plenty candy
hankie(Dad's), iceskating, Keds, kites
Lick-a-maid, Little Engine that could, Looney Tunes
Michael rowed boat ashore, 'Mister Machine,' Mousetrap game
Old MacDonald, Old Spice aftershave(Dad's)
pageboy haircut, patent leather shoes(black), patty-cake, pedal-pusher pants,
Pepsodent, Peter Pan, PF Flyers, ping-pong, pixie(haircut), pixie straws,
$.04 cent postage stamps
Radio Flyer (red wagon), Red light/green light game, Ring-around-the-rosey
roller skates with skate keys, Romper Room
Sea-hunt, Shirley Temple doll, Sky King show, Slo-pokes, snowsuit,
Sorry(board game), 'spoolies' hair curlers, string of pearls, sunsuit
teeter-totters, 'The Twist' (Chubby Checker), 'This little light of mine,
Tom & Jerry cartoons, Tootsie rolls, 'Twister,' game
Woody Woodpecker, Wading (barefoot )in the creek, (no) zip-codes
7 digit phone numbers with 'word' prefixes: GA(rden) 99912; WA(lnut)33234.
Thanks, Kathi, for the opportunity to lose myself in quite possibly the most idyllic times of my life and bask in the memories of days gone by, as was so often repeated by others: a time of truly simple and uncomplicated innocence.
The post-WWII years were definitely an era of renewal and prosperity for the country, as our grandparents' generation possessed a genuine thankfulness to be leaving the 'war to end all wars' behind them, and our parents' generation, with the assurances and lessons of their forefathers as a foundation, looked forward to building a bright future, full of optimism and hope for their own children; their faith and confidence in the strength and security of our country evidenced in no small way, by the surge in population referred to as the 'baby boomer' generation. It was a glorious time to grow up; we owe our parents' and our grandparents' a debt that can never be repaid for such a gift.
Oh Vicki, your response to my fifties article is near and dear to me! Thank you so very much for adding more nostalgic symbolism to our treasured era and your beautiful tribute to our parents before us! I haven't been on hubpages lately as time hasn't allowed and I miss it a great deal. Hopefully, I can return on a regular basis some day soon! I'm so glad I stopped by to check out your comment! Take care dear friend!
What more amazing than to be ables to appreciate the past as you look towards the future...Childhood is a sweet thing and you can never bring it back if you cant look back and thank GOD. Great Hub
Fiddleman Level 5 Commenter 13 months ago
Fossilady, Thank you for this hub. It brings back so many memories and you guys look a lot like the mill village brats of Tuxedo. What a great time to grow up.