The above photo was taken in 1939, and features a male baton twirler / drum major holding a female twirler above his head. They are surrounded by a half circle of majorettes. The students were members of the Nogales High School marching band, Nogales, Arizona.

Nogales High School Drum and Bugle Corps

Gwen King founded the Nogales High School Drum and Bugle Corps in 1934. By 1937, the corps had brought home the award for the Most Colorful Marching Unit in the State at the Fiesta de los Vasqueros Parade, Tuscon. We can imagine this was a colorful corps. Note the Nogales branding evident in their costumes including tops with embroidery and poncho-type scarfs or sashes.

We are sharing this image for educational purposes. Two things make this photo unique. First of all, images of drum majors and majorettes from the 1930s are rare. Also, the quality of this 1939 image is exceptional. Moreover, it is rare to find images of Hispanic twirlers, drum majors or majorettes from the 1930s.

CITATION

Studio: Ben D. Gross Photography

Contributing Institution: Arizona State University Library

Collection: The Many Personas of Stephen Shadegg

Rights Statement: Contact Arizona State University Libraries archives@asu.edu