The Petersburg High School Drum Corps, Petersburg, Pike County, Indiana, 1934. From left to right: Pearl Owings, Majorette; Name Unknown; Claribell Klipsch; Name Unknown; Name Unknown; Lucille Hendrix; Name Unknown; Virginia Hendrix; Name Unknown; Name Unknown; Name Unknown; Name Unknown; Emma Jane Carter; Jerome F., Instructor. Photo Source: Pike County Library.

The soft brown tint of this photo is called sepia tone, the result of a darkroom chemical process, which prolonged the life of photographs. We love the intensity and warmth it provides the subjects.

Society. Egads.

Speaking of warmth and intensity, I’m not sure how to say this, so I’ll just go ahead and say it. And, by the way, I bet we repeat this 10,000 more times on this blog. Society has become so informal. People conduct themselves in such unseemly ways. Etiquette has become old-fashioned and social graces have become passé. Pretty sad!

And, it’s not like this is anything new. Americans have been moving in this direction for decades.

This must be why the little team here at The Vintage Twirler is so taken with the past. Just look at that Drum Corps again. Everyone looks pulled together, dignified and classy. But, twirlers almost always look pulled together. Twirling is a rare subculture, and sometimes we forget how uncommon it is, even as we’re treasuring it all.