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 baton twirlers in...
Madden’s Majorettes and Drum Major Ann Dinwiddie Madden is a photographer and mixed media artist whose work gives new life to vintage photographs. Using collage, paint, and found materials, she creates one-of-a-kind pieces that honor the people and stories captured in old images. Her work...
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 ambassador for the...
It’s been nearly 25 years since Charles Fréger photographed 60 Majorette Clubs in France. When French photographer Charles Fréger began his Majorettes series in 2000, he expected to photograph a handful of clubs. Instead, the project grew into a two-year survey of majorette organizations...
Mary Jean Petersen, 17, Dwight, Illinois, was named Miss Majorette of America 1948 by Drum Major Magazine. She was the second twirler ever bestowed with the honor.
When the National Baton Twirling Association crowned its first Miss Majorette of America in 1947, the title went to a 17-year-old from Menasha, Wisconsin, named Rosemary Schwebs. Nearly eight decades later, her victory remains one of the most significant milestones in baton twirling history. Long...
Twirling Photo of the Day Petronila Madrona Geronimo Petronila Madrona Geronimo was among the first majorettes in her province in the Philippines. According to family accounts, she served as the band’s only majorette during her first three years of high school. In her fourth year, she...
Twirling Photo of the Day Dimmitt HS Majorettes in Plaid and Tams Dimmitt High School Majorettes, Dimmitt, Texas, 1980. The Dimmitt High School majorette line posed for this formal studio portrait during the 1980 school year. The photograph captures several design trends common to the era,...
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 performances in cold weather. The...
The Vintage Twirler is seeking to purchase a small number of high-quality vintage majorette costumes manufactured by Taffy’s for an exhibit we are curating. We’re especially interested in well-preserved uniforms with original labels, hats, boots, accessories, or documentation of their...
At the height of America’s majorette craze, a wide variety of baton twirling dolls and toys were available to children including this yarn craft kit, Margie the Majorette. Produced in the early 1960s by Lisbeth Whiting Co., Inc., Jamaica, New York, it was one of a series of six kits. Others...
The history of the hoop baton stretches back to the early twentieth century, when performers blended baton manipulation, hoop rolling, and juggling into crowd-please acts. All across the United States, they entertained audiences at carnivals, circuses and vaudeville shows. Eventually, the...
