Bicentennial Baton Twirlers & Spirit of ’76 Majorettes
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna work out fine
If you only will(James Taylor, 1976)
Alcorn State University Majorettes, 1977
ASU Majorette, 1977
Alcorn State University Majorettes, 1977
ASU Majorette, 1977
Cyndi Perkins | Brooklyn, Michigan Bicentennial Parade, 1976
Cyndi Perkins 1976
Cyndi Perkins, 1976
Kristy Taylor Emma Sansom HS, 1976
Liberty Bell Majorette
Liberty Belle Majorettes Howard County Maryland
Liberty Belle Majorettes, 1976
Americettes, 1976
Bonnie Bruckner, 1976
Billie Littleton & Margaret Hoyle, 1976 (Oklahoma)
Emma Samson HS Twirler & Drill Team Member, 1975
Emma Samson HS Twirler, 1976 (Alabama)
Emma Samson HS Twirlers, 1976 (Alabama)
Red, White & Blue Majorette, 1977
Red, White & Blue Majorette, 1977
Emma Samson HS, 1975
Majorettes, Washington D.C., July 3, 1976
Pamela Joy Smith, Gatorette, University of Florida, 1976.
1976 De Soto Grand Parade
Julia Emerson, 1976
Allison Saunders, Prettiest Majorette Bicentennial, St. Croix, 1976
Inaugural Twirler of the Month
This sticker was inspired by vintage twirler Nancy Rollings Stewart, Emma Sansom Class of 1976, Gadsen, Alabama. When you join the Baton Twirling Preservation Society for $5 a month or $50 a year, you get a collectible sticker every month.
Please Note: The stickers are at least 4 inches tall. (Not as large as pictured here.) This sticker is 4 x 1.90 inches. Resolution may vary.
Posts from the Bicentennial Era
The Liberty Belle Majorettes and Drum Corps of Howard County
For more than two decades, the Liberty Belles Majorette and Drum Corps of Howard County, Maryland, introduced hundreds of young people to baton twirling, marching, music and performance. The organization became a familiar sight at parades, community celebrations and...
July Vintage Twirler of the Month
As America begins celebrating its 250th anniversary, the Baton Twirling Preservation Society is proud to announce Nancy Rollings Stewart of Gadsden, Alabama, as the inaugural Vintage Twirler of the Month for July 2026. The selection could not be more fitting. A member...
The Twirler on the Cover of Newsweek, July 4, 1976
I finally discovered the name of the twirler on the cover of the July 4, 1976 issue of Newsweek. Her name is Darlene Toth and she was a featured twirler at Toms River North High School in New Jersey. Based on my research, the band performed in Washington D.C. as part...
The 1976 Kodak Summer Girl
This 1976 Kodak Summer Girl sign is a metal display sign, 10 inches wide and 26 inches tall. As of June 2026, it was for sale on eBay for approximately $102. This is a very rare sign. It is even difficult to find pictures of it online. This is the only one we've come...
Icon: Bonnie Bruckner the Bicentennial Baton Twirler
Bonnie Bruckner is originally from Wisconsin and was a twirler with the National World Champion Daley Debutantes parade corps and twirling teams. She was also the feature twirler for Wisconsin’s bicentennial band, performing at Independence Square as well as on the...
Billie Littleton and Margaret Hoyle, 1976 (Bicentennial)
Billie Littleton, a baton twirler for Western Heights High School, Oklahoma City, wears a majorette costume in the Spirit of '76 and America's Bicentennial. Kneeling in front of her is Drum Majorette Margaret Hoyle. Violette, Ken. Schools / City / Western Heights High...
Bicentennial-Era Majorette
These 1977 photos of a Bicentennial-Era majorette are reminiscent of 200th Birthday of the United States. As anyone who lived during that time knows, everything was red, white and blue. Even the fire hydrants across America were painted to look like Minutemen. If you...
1970s Street Photography Pictures of Majorettes (Photographer: Gary Krueger)
Gary Krueger (b. 1945) is a celebrated American photographer whose street photograpy includes majorettes in Los Angeles between 1971 and 1980. The vintage gelatin silver prints along with several others were part of a 2021 exhibit, City of Angels, 1971-1980, at the...
1976 Kodak Summer Girl
In 1976, as the United States marked its Bicentennial, Kodak leaned fully into the national celebration with a summer retail campaign that paired photography with patriotic imagery. Among the most striking pieces from that year was the “Kodak Summer Girl,” presented not in beachwear or casual vacation style, but as a drum majorette.
Dressed in a red, white, and blue uniform, complete with tall boots and baton, the majorette reflected the visual language of parades, marching bands, and small-town celebrations that defined Bicentennial America. This was not accidental. Kodak designed its in-store displays to mirror the energy of July 4th festivities, encouraging customers to “capture the spirit” of the moment on film.
This 1976 Kodak Summer Girl sign is a metal display sign, 10 inches wide and 26 inches tall. As of June 2026, it was for sale on eBay for approximately $102. This is a very rare sign. It is even difficult to find pictures of it online. This is the only one we’ve come across.
Bonnie Bruckner, 1976
Vintage Ephemera
Baton twirling ephemera refers to things like programs, posters, patches, stickers, magazines, newsletters, and other things typically written or printed that were used for a specific period of time.
A rare find: Bicentennial majorette medal.
Majorette Memories
We welcome high-quality scans of your vintage baton twirling ephemera. You can also receive items through the mail. We’ll digitally preserve your memories in high-quality scans. Thank you so much for supporting this project.
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