All 1950s Blog Posts
One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock rock,
Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock rock.
Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock rock,
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight.
Rock Around The Clock, 1954 | Bill Haley
All 1950s Blog Posts
One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock rock,
Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock rock.
Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock rock,
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight.
Sonie (Sandra) Rogers Sloan Fisher (Miss Majorette of America 1953)
SOURCE: North Berrien Historical Museum on Facebook Sonie Rogers is pictured far left. In addition to twirling, she was a football cheerleader at Watervliet HIgh School. Sandra "Sonie" Swaim (nee Rogers) of Watervliet, Michigan, emerged as one of the nation’s leading...
Hilda-Gay Mayberry Crowned Miss Majorette of America in 1952
When Hilda-Gay Mayberry won the title of Miss Majorette of America in 1952, baton twirling was emerging as one of the nation's fastest-growing youth activities. The annual competition brought together some of the country's finest majorettes, and the winner became an...
The Heated Baton by Carter M. Hanna (1961)
In 1961, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent for one of the more unusual inventions in baton twirling history: a heated baton. The invention, patented by Carter M. Hanna of Burbank, Ohio, was designed to help majorettes maintain finger dexterity during outdoor...
Twirlers Help Publicize Lions Club Broom Sale (1951)
Today's Vintage Baton Twirling Photo is of a Glendale Lions Club broom sale promotion, 1951. Joann Cave and Pollyann Basford, baton twirlers wearing tap shoes, pose with brooms to help publicize an upcoming Glendale Lions Club fundraiser. Lions Clubs across the...
Purdue Twirling at the Indianapolis 500
Today is the Indianapolis 500, and Purdue Twirling will be performing on the race track. Here are some wonderful historic images (negatives) of this long-standing tradition, which we discovered on an Indianapolis 500 Archive. Members of the Purdue University Marching...
Old Forge’s First Miss Devilette Has Passed Away
Maryann Beseda Brigido, the original "Miss Devilette" of Old Forge High School, Pennsylvani, has passed away at the age of 87. Her death marks the loss of the first performer to hold a title that has come to define Friday night halftime shows in the small Lackawanna...
Gloria Ellexson: National Champion Majorette of Tacoma
Gloria Ellexson emerged from Tacoma, Washington, as one of the Pacific Northwest’s standout majorettes in the 1940s, with newspaper and archival references placing her in public performances from at least 1940 through the early 1950s. One early notice in The Tacoma...
Kathleen the Majorette, 1951
Larry Cervi (1936-2026)
Larry Cervi, Pittsburgh State University Drum Major, 1955-57. He earned a full scholarship to the university. He was quoted saying he "started out as a twirler and became the drum major for the next three seasons."Larry Cervi (1936-2026) Larry Cervi died on January...
Alice Williams and the Fight to Integrate the Rams’ Majorettes
Black History Month Feature February marks the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month. Thi is a perfect time to visit the story about Alice Williams, the would-be NFL majorette shunned due to race. In June 1959, the influential Black newspaper Pittsburgh Courier...
1950s Gallery
This page was designed to feature all 1950s blog posts. For quick viewing of all 1950s baton twirling photographs, click the button below.
1950s Collection
Visit the 1950s collection page to view baton twirling photos from the 1950s, year by year. For example, with one click, you can pick a year, such as 1953, and view all the photographs we have published from that year.
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Photo Epigraph
Barbara Haddock, left, a baton twirler, and Janet McEntire, acrobat, 1953.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS | 1953
Barbara Haddock, left, a baton twirler, and Janet McEntire, an acrobat, were in the recreation department cast which presented a variety show at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium. Seventy-one city employees with more than 25 years of service were honored. [Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)]
Stories from the 1950s
Do you know any baton twirling stories from the 1950s? Email us at info@vintage-baton-twirler.org.
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