Woodward High School majorettes, Toledo, Ohio, practice formation for a half-time show, 1962. Source: Ohio Historical Society
Baton twirlers perform at a parade in the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, 1962. (Source: @glasshouseantiques1 on eBay)
Robert Olmstead was a band leader and early instructor in baton twirling in the United States. Born in California in 1915, he grew up performing in vaudeville shows. He played multiple instruments and became a highly skilled twirler who twirled batons on slackwire. In college, Olmstead...
In 1960, Warren Bass wowed the fans on Mizzou’s Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium as the drum major for Sumner High School, St. Louis, Missouri. The occasion was Mizzou’s High School Band Day. At the time, Bass had never had professional baton twirling lessons and actually started...
Vibrant photos of The Whirlwinds of Walla Walla are featured on Bygone Walla Walla’s website. The organization is a local non-profit with a mission to build and share the visual history of Walla Walla, Washington. Retired librarian Joe Drazan heads the project, which includes the Blogspot...