Vintage Baton Blog
The Vintage Baton Blog is the comprehensive collection of all posts on this site. A team manages the site. Consequently, we publish posts quite frequently. These include photo essays and single, iconic images; original interviews; memoirs; testimonials; tributes; memorials; obituaries and more. In addition, all posts have an overarching category, the link for which appears in the dateline of each post. At the end of each post are tags. These are much more specific to the post. For example, “1940s” is a category while “World War II” is a tag. Basically, users can explore content by clicking on various categories and tags. Have fun exploring!
Tulsa Christmas Parade and a Troupe of 35 Sapulpa Baton Twirlers (1949)
A long time ago, a troupe of 35 baton twirlers from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, marched in the Tulsa Christmas parade. A popular local photographer, Howard Hopkins, took their picture and it ended up on a postcard. Click here to see a watermark image of the University of Tulsa...
Tarboro Majorettes at Christmastime
Milton Steele Brown (1884-1967) moved to Edgecombe County, North Carolina in 1912, to build a Coca-Cola bottling plant. An avid photographer, he photographed many subjects throughout the county between 1912 and the late 1950s. Many of his pictures feature Tarboro...
Tudy Smith
This post is a work in progress and will be continually updated as research is completed. In 2017, Tudy Smith, a former majorette and beloved baton twirling coach, was celebrated by 70 former students during a tribute held in her honor. The Herald Tribune covered the...
Marching Redcoats Twirlers | 1960 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
The Marching Redcoats from Leon High School, Tallahassee, Florida, marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, November 1960. The band was led by head majorette Linda Ohmes followed by favorite majorettes.
1954 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Pauline West Grissom (1937-1994)
In celebration of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we will share vintage pictures of twirlers and majorettes marching and performing in past Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades. The following post was published by the Freeport Memorial Library, Freeport, New York. Many...
Peggy Jo Dodson (1930-2023): RIP Baylor Golden Wave Twirler
Peggy Jo Smith Dodson, 92, passed away October 22, 2023, at Ridgecrest Retirement and Nursing facility. She was born in Amarillo, Texas, on December 16, 1930, to George Garland Smith and Orpah Alice Cayton Smith. She grew up in Plainview, Texas, where she attended the...
Granddaughter Seeking Information About Grandfather Who Twirled Baton in the 1950s
We received an email from the granddaughter of the late James "Jim" White, the 1950 New England Baton Twirling Champion. She sent us this picture. She is hoping someone out there may have more information about him or possibly some photos of him they'd be willing to...
Elaine Jones, Longtime Leader in the Sport of Baton Twirling
Photo Restored with AI Software Elaine Jones is a longtime leader and living legend in the sport of baton twirling. A coach for nearly 50 years, she has taught more than 1,000 students, many of whom went on to twirl and dance in high school and college. Hailing from...
Actress Conni Marie Brazelton, Waukegan H.S. Majorette (1970s)
The talented actress Ms. Conni Marie Brazelton (Tiny Beautiful Things - 2023, ER - 1994, This Is Us - 2016) was a majorette for Waukegan High School during the 1970s. She's looking gorgeous here with a classic 1970s hoop baton and afro. 💕🔥
Elkhorn Hillbilly Twirlers, 1979
Elkhorn Hillbilly Twirlers In 1979, the Elkhorn Twirling Stars dressed up like hillbillies and marched in the Pikeville, Kentucky. The baton twirling corps was presumably based out of Elkhorn City, Kentucky, which today has a population of 982. Elkhorn City is nestled...
Keely Elledge, 1990
Keely Elledge, York Comprehensive High School, Class of 1990 or 1991. Elledge began twirling at the age of five. Photo by Layne Baily for the York Sunday. We haven't featured many twirling photos from the 1990s. We like this eBay find for its clarity. And, hey, no...
1970s Polaroid
A young Black girl sporting a blue western-style pantsuit twirls a store-bought baton in her kitchen. We know it's the kitchen because you can see Maxwell House coffee in the lower lefthand corner. 😉 All in all, a very cute vintage Polaroid. Those store-bought batons...
Future Drum Major, 1950s
Check out the future drum major. He's ready to lead the band in his rolled up cuffed blue jeans and plaid shirt. This photo was likely taken in the early 1950s. It features a young boy who appears to be around 8-years-old. Sitting in the big floral chair is presumably...
Woonsocket, Rhode Island Majorettes (1940s)
What a time to be alive, right? Look at all the men in their trench coats and hats and women with their heads covered with scarves. I can feel the cold rain and hear the tuba making its way down the winding avenue. I am 100 percent sure these photos were taken in...
Dale White
Recently, we received an email recently asking if we'd ever come across any photos of Dale White, a much-beloved living legend in the sport of baton twirling and "the most decorated baton twirling coach" in the sports history. We appreciated the email and so we did...
Tammy, Tammy, Tammy’s in Kansas
Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's somewhere in Kansas, twirling her baton. Tammy was a drum majorette at a high school on the Kansas Prairie, 1976. Click here to revisit Debbie Reynolds and Tammy
Yvonne LePhiew, 17, and her daughter, Bunnie LePhiew, 16-Months
Yvonne LePhiew (1933-1970), 17, appears in a photograph alongside her daughter Terrie Lynn "Bunnie" LePhiew (1949-2008) 16 months, at a football game at Farrington Field, Fort Worth, on September 27, 1950. When we first became captivated by this photo, we didn't know...
University of Tennessee Majorettes (1950)
Two majorettes from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1950. Conditions for Use Statement The University of Tennessee Libraries allows the reproduction of materials from its digital collections, in compliance with United States copyright law. The Library does not...