Text by Patrick Bell.
Travel season is fast approaching, and today we’ll take a look at some vintage roadside moments. Just a reminder before we part, these images come from a time before interstates blurred our journeys into something we rush through, and the roadside itself was often part of the travel experience. In these vintage photos, you’ll find families and couples pulling over not just out of necessity but curiosity; stretching their legs, taking in a view, and savoring where the road had taken them. It’s a glimpse of a slower kind of travel, when the scenery wasn’t something you just passed by.
Let’s get going. We begin with an image of a lady taking a picture of something out in the ocean. The location looks tropical, so she and her companion were traveling from Pennsylvania. Their mode of transport was a 1955 Rambler Custom 4 door sedan with a Continental kit and a 1958 Pennsylvania license plate.
We are now at Portage Glacier (now called Portage Lake since the glacier can’t be seen from the road), about an hour south of downtown Anchorage, Alaska. This family was traveling in a 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Tudor Sedan with some mild customization. The deck lid had been shaved and apparently had some sort of inside release, plus the Alaska license plate had been moved to the bumper. It was most likely a 1954 issue plate. The dual exhaust indicates V8 power, and of course it had snow tires.
The leaves were changing along this wooded country lane where a two tone 1950 Pontiac Chieftain De Luxe 4 door sedan had stopped for a look. It was equipped with the optional bumper wings and backup lamps, and had Texas license plates that could have been issued in 1950, 1952, or 1954.
Here we see a bighorn sheep that was hopefully used to human interaction; it certainly had attracted a few in this image. Stopped in the background was a 1952 Studebaker Champion DeLuxe 2 door Sedan or Starlight Coupe with a California license plate first issued in 1956.
A pair of ladies were comparing greens on a dirt road in the hills somewhere. They apparently were riding in the 1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 4 door sedan with a sun visor, parked in the background.
This 1956 DeSoto was equipped for trailer towing with mirrors and a hitch, so it possibly had left the trailer at a park and was out sightseeing. The angle of the image does not allow a positive ID, as it could have been any of the three series, and any of the body styles except the convertible and wagon. The license plate is likewise hard to ID with unreadable information.
It was a busy day at Yellowstone National Park, where Old Faithful was spouting off; all the different license plates showed it was a tourist attraction. From the left, a two tone 1955 Plymouth Savoy 4 door sedan with a V8 and Powerflite Drive. Next was a two tone 1954 Oldsmobile 88 Holiday Coupe. Following were two black cars; a 1953 Ford Customline Club Coupe with a 1960 Nebraska plate, and a 1958-1961 Volkswagen Type 1 with maybe a 1960 Arizona plate. Then came a two tone 1957 Plymouth Plaza Club Sedan with possibly a 1960 Texas plate, and the partially visible white car on the end was a 1959 or 1960 Studebaker Lark Regal 4 door sedan. A nice variety of makes had gathered that day.
A 1957 Dodge Coronet or Royal was taking a rest stop on a roadside pull off. This was the first year of the “Swept -Wing” styling, and this one had a California license plate used from 1956-1962.
Possibly a son and father were shown here stretching their legs on a coastal highway scenic overlook with lots of oil stains. Another person was still in the back seat, and the photographer likely completed the party that was traveling in the 1959 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan. It had a loaded rooftop luggage carrier, a coffee cup on the dash, and Michigan license plates used from 1959–1961 and issued in Oakland County, where the seat is Pontiac.
We are now viewing Steamboat Rock in the Garden of the Gods park in Colorado, on what appeared to be a Ford Motor Company day. In the foreground was a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, all the way from New York. Further back was a 1963 Mercury Monterey Custom 4 door Breezeway Sedan with perhaps an Ohio license plate, and partially visible in the background was a 1962 or 1963 Ford Falcon that may have been a native Coloradoan.
A nice and clean 1960-1963 Volkswagen Type 1 was taking in the mountain views on a crushed gravel road. I am sure the Beetle was quite at home in an environment such as this one.
And another scenic overlook that attracted some visitors; it looks like there’s a river in the darkness to the left. In the foreground was a 1961 Ford Galaxie Club Victoria with a bug screen and a 1962 Ohio license plate. Behind it was a 1957-1960 Ford F-series Styleside with a cabover camper, and further down a 1962 or 1963 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova wagon.
Four Corners Monument, where if you have four limbs, you can be in four states at the same time. These youngsters didn’t look too impressed. In the background, left side was a 1968 Buick LeSabre Sport Coupe, and to the right a 1969 Dodge Dart Custom Hardtop with a vinyl roof.
Our final stop was in White Sands Monument in New Mexico, where a lone 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan sat waiting for its people to return.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
I’m pretty sure the photo with the ‘61 Galaxie from Ohio is on California State Hwy 120, aka the Tioga Pass Rd in Yosemite National Park. On the west side of the pass, looking west. The road is still under snow at this time; it goes up to over 9000’ and isn’t plowed in winter.
My family traveled coast to coast many times in our 1955 Olds ’98’. Perhaps this picture was dated 1955 or 1956.
Older brother, Mom with our young cat Smoky, little me.
I also believe that it’s important to enjoy the drive, so I prefer back roads and rural highways. I enjoy the slower speeds, varied topography, and scenery. There isn’t a worse highway in California than Interstate Five in the Central Valley. Lots of aggressive traffic from cars as well as trucks and the most boring scenery until you reach the Grapevine. I know that it’s just my nostalgia for an earlier period of motoring, but older vehicles on older roads without a/c and cruise control necessitated regular breaks to stretch your legs and cool off in the shade and enjoy a cool drink. Since we are also empty nesters we don’t have to deal with kids constantly asking “are we there yet?” and are not in a rush to arrive at our destination. Modern cars are great at laying down the miles at high speeds, but a lot gets lost when you do that. It takes constant attention to slow down, relax and enjoy the drive when you’ve got 300 h.p. or more under the hood!
That gunmetal gray paint on the 56 DeSoto cannot have been all that common. We always remember the flamboyant colors of that time and have to be occasionally reminded that there were colors meant to appeal to the most style-backwards of buyers too.
As usual, the people in these pictures are thin. No obese in any picture. Amazing that this was once what Americans looked like.
There were obese Americans back then, just fewer in number.
The “Ford” convertible and breezeway, “Merc” make a nice couple..
Interesting seeing the 1950 Olds 88 here, because I just saw one on the road yesterday. The one I saw had an interesting two-tone paint combination, and between the paint job and the fact that I haven’t seen one of these cars in a long time, I didn’t recognize it until I was almost right on top of it. Didn’t notice the license plate until afterwards!
Talk about stunning!
Nice piece Rich. Brings back memories of the 17 times I’ve driven across the country, 1967-1989. At age 78 I’m not likely to do so again, so reading about traveling is the next best thing. Thanks.
The photo with the 1956 DeSoto appears to have been taken in Zion National Park, Utah.
Here’s one of my pictures from there in early 2007; the terrain looks similar:
Looks like Miss Hathaway with the Nash there at the beginning.
Garden of the Gods at that spot is much different now. Not allowed up on Steamboat Rock and they are putting up fences to prevent folks from going where they shouldn’t at balance rock. The large rocks on the pavement are all gone as well.
Regarding the Michigan license plate on the ’59 Ford, the yellow metal tab in the upper left corner makes it 1960. In ’59 there was no tab needed and in ’61 the tab was silver/gray.
I would imagine that automobile access to a lot of these attractions today is limited (i.e. parking right at the edge of Old Faithful), due to the sheer number of visitors. 🙂
You’re right. Old faithful has a large border with seating around it and a giant lodge building with parking out front.
I’m surprised how close the parking is in this picture.
The Four Corners monument is now surrounded by four small buildings, one in each state, that have stores for Native goods.
My mother mentioned being able to drive up so close. She my sister, aunt, aunts co worker drove across the country “circa, 1950”.
I’ve got Old Faithful without the cars in June 1966. Actually few people around is my recollection as I wandered.
These are great, that Rambler Custom sure looks sharp with the two tone paint, almost makes me want to get one .
Four corners looked like that into the 1990’s, I recently saw a photograph and it’s all jammed with tacky touristy crap booths now =8-( .
These pictures take me right back to the late 50’s and early 60’s when I traveled up and down the East Cost, I wish I still had any of the photos taken then hidden away .
Indeed for me, the open road is always the best part of Auto Travel .
Sadly every one of these snap shots is better framed than any I have taken,there’s some sort of gift a few have that shows in their pictures .
-Nate