Text by Patrick Bell.
Everyday scenes from the past is our feature today, and we have some good ones to view. So take a look and see what all has changed in the past fifty to seventy years.
Our lead image was three girls showing off their goodies after a little shopping spree. I see buckets from Shultz, which is all I can make out. Everyone appeared to be having a good time.
It was a Chevrolet house with a 1968 Caprice Sedan that was equipped with a vinyl roof, air conditioning, rear mounted antenna, and was parked on the left. To the right was a 1969 Impala.
This couple looked like they were playing in the dirt, or at least the man was. His pants and shoes were quite dirty. The lady may have been snoozing. It looked like an early spring day.
Their ride was a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan with snow tires on the rear, and aftermarket wheel covers and fender skirts.
Here was someone smoking a cigar with his eyes on something behind the camera. The setting looked like a large yard with chairs, a clothes line, and people milling about.
Parked on the left was a white over green 1956 Oldsmobile 88, and just to the right behind the people may have been a 1955 or 1956 Pontiac. On the other side was a light color 1956 Plymouth, and on the end a green 1949 Buick.
Grandpa had a helper while washing a 1956 Mercury Monterey 4 door Sport Sedan. It appeared like all that was left was scrubbing the white walls.
For 1956 Mercury offered three different 4 door body styles, or four if you include the wagon. The standard sedan, and the Sport Sedan, which was a hardtop style with a B pillar. It was 2 inches shorter than the standard sedan. And about mid year a 4 door hardtop was introduced, which replaced the Sport Sedan.
A young girl was playing with a Hula Hoop, and looked like she was doing very well with it.
In the garage was a 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon or Country Sedan with the optional back up lamps, and an Ohio license plate, perhaps from 1961.
A happy cowboy was taking the wheel of a 1954 Buick Super 2 door Riviera hardtop. Western TV shows were extremely popular in the late 1950’s, and every kid had to dress like his or her TV hero.
The 2 door Riviera’s were the most popular body style in every series except the Roadmaster during 1954 and 1955. And then in 1956 the 4 door Riviera hardtop began to be the best sellers.
The fishing was good that day, and the lady on the left edge looked like she was thinking “I’m not cleaning those”.
In the background was a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door sedan, with an Aristocrat Land-Liner travel trailer on the other side of it. The Bel Air was the best selling series that year, but lost the title forever to the Impala in 1960.
We are now in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, across the street from the Attleboro Falls Station of the U.S. Post Office. A priest was pictured in the center, so some sort of ceremony likely happened on that chilly day.
On the left edge was the back half of a 1953 Studebaker sedan, with a 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban 4 door wagon behind it. Closer up was a blue 1961 Dodge Dart Seneca, and in the right lower corner was a 1953 Chevrolet.
A man was relaxing on a chaise lounge while reading the daily news. Behind him was a two tone 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon.
A lady and a man were having a discussion in the driveway, while another person was on the porch, and a small child was in the background looking for a way to escape.
To the right was a 1962 Plymouth Belvedere wagon with a power rear window. And to the left was a 1961 Mercury Monterey.
In this 1966 photo three youngsters were in a back seat with the two younger ones in car seats of the day. They were built to keep a mostly compliant child seated at a higher level so they could see outside the car. They were not much for crash protection, but they were better than a loose child.
The car was a 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix, and seen through the back glass was a white 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass or Cutlass Supreme 2 door.
Here was a girl showing off the cast on her right arm while leaning on a iron pipe railing. Behind her was likely her dad, who was smiling for the occasion.
And behind them was a 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood 3 seat wagon. The Kingswood was the Impala trim, and was the most popular Chevrolet wagon that year.
And two different views of two young women who were talking to some guys in an Audi 100 LS from the early 1970’s. It had an Alabama license plate used in 1974 and 1975 and issued in Sumter County, where the seat is Livingston.
In the upper image right side was a 1969 Pontiac LeMans Hardtop Coupe open door view, while the pickup ahead was a 1973 and up Chevrolet C series Fleetside. Passing by on the upper right was a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere.
A couple of free roaming burros were looking for a hand out from some travelers who were taking a break.
They were traveling in a 1975-1978 Mercury Bobcat Villager wagon with a Michigan license plate that was used from 1976-1978. The Bobcat was Mercury’s version of the Ford Pinto, which gave Mercury dealer’s a subcompact to sell.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
It looks like a woman smoking the cigar .
-Nate
Could be…..the watch on the left arm seems to be small.
It looks like he had stubble is why I went with a man.
As always, you touch my heart when you give us pictures of Americana. We lived it and, thank God, I am still living it. Thanks – Tom
“Always fishing! When will you get around to installing the picture window?”
Lovely photos as always. The ones of the two girls talking to the guys in the Audi…it stirred parts of me that had been forgotten. It reminds me of two songs by Maurice Chevalier; one of which is “Ah yes, I remember it well”
Life has changed so much since these photos were taken. Your mention of Maurice Chevalier hit me for a couple of reasons. First, how many even remember him? Second and even more profound, is the Franco-American accent that was once so commonly heard in my neck of the woods. I’m only about 100 miles from the Quebec border and in my childhood that accent was common though not so polished. Thanks for the memory!
Last photo, looks like she’s gonna get bit on the — by a —!
Cars changed, but people are still people.