Text by Patrick Bell.
Family photos are always fun to view as the people and their apparel really show how time changes our world. And when you have their cars in sight that makes it even better. So sit back and view some families and their cars.
Everybody seemed to be having a good time while apparently discussing their travel routes. Their ride was a new looking two tone 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 4 door Town Sedan. The man seemed quite outnumbered by the females, but there could have been some more males hiding in the bushes.
Most everyone looked happy in this one, except for the boy with the cap, who looked bored. To the right was a 1951 Oldsmobile 88 with a 1954 Newfoundland license plate. The mobile home had a lean-to/room added to the side with tar paper on the sides. And a new Allied Van Lines trailer toy was on the porch.
Here were perhaps three generations of a family that were gathered by a two tone 1954 Buick Special or Century 2 door Riviera hardtop from California. The license plate had a 1954 tab, so the car was close to new.
In the background left side was a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe 4 door sedan, and to the right a 1953 Ford F-100 pickup with perhaps an animal cage in the bed.
And another fine family with twin boys were gathered for a photo with a 1955 Oldsmobile 88 or Super 88 4 door Holiday Sedan. The image notes say it was September 1958 in Denver.
1955 was the first year for the four door hardtop, and only Buick and Oldsmobile offered them that year.
Mom was attempting to get Junior to smile for the photographer, while the others were biding their time. Also in the image was a two tone 1956 Buick Special 2 door Riviera, the most popular single body style that year.
There were several squinters in this crowd, so it must have been an bright sunny day. Behind them was a 1957 Lincoln hardtop, with the series and number of doors undetermined.
They offered two series that year; the Capri and the Premier, along with three body styles; a 4 door sedan, and 2 and 4 door hardtops. The windshield sticker may have been a New Jersey issue from 1958.
This one may have been four generations, and they were standing beside a V8 powered 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible with a 1959 Michigan license plate issued in Kalamazoo County, where the seat is a city by the same name. Ahead looks like a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 1959 Massachusetts license plate. Judging from the backdrop, this location could have been in either state, or somewhere in between.
Here was a fine looking young family with a large brood underway, as was typical in that era. They were posing between the trash bins and a 1959 Buick LeSabre 4 door sedan. The red car on the right edge may have been a 1956 Chevrolet. The location looks like a parking area for an apartment complex, or some sort of housing as seen in the background.
This location was Portland, Oregon, per the image notes, and it looked like a warm late spring or early summer day with the green grass and flowers blooming. A family of possibly three generations was posing by a brightly colored 1960 Ford Country Sedan, the favorite Ford wagon of the year. The front white wall was scuffed from those tall curbs, and parked across the street on the right edge was a 1952 Ford Customline or Crestline.
Western New York was the location here per image notes. It looked like Easter Sunday with the ladies in their finery. Question: Are the two girls and the lady on the right the same ones plus three or four years as two images back with the 1959 Buick? If not, it was a strong resemblance.
They were standing by a two tone 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne 4 door sedan, and three cars down was a red 1960 Ford Country Sedan, a near twin to the one in the previous image. To the left and heading away was a V8 powered, two tone 1957 Chevrolet wagon, and to its left and heading this way was a dark blue 1963 Plymouth.
And another special family occasion with three generations if you include the lady hiding on the right. They were posing on a nice fall day out in the yard.
Parked in the driveway was a Volvo PV544. It had the ventilated wheels which one source said came out in 1964 along with a disc brake option, so we will go with a 1964 or 1965 model, the last two years of the series.
In this shot was a fashionably dressed up couple surrounded by a pair that were a little less than dressed up. They were likely all from the same generation.
A 1966 Chrysler Newport 4 door sedan was behind them, and it had a snow brush/ice scraper on the package shelf. They were in a well kept middle class neighborhood. Peeking in from the right was a 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang.
Per image notes this was in the parking lot of Colonial Williamsburg, an educational institution and history museum located in Williamsburg, Virginia. A likely mother and her children were ready to start the day’s adventures while dad took a photo.
She was leaning on a 1969 Pontiac Catalina 4 door sedan with a 1971 issue Virginia license plate. It had a vinyl roof, tinted windshield, and a number on the front side of the rear view mirror, leading me to believe this was a rent car.
On each side of it was a Rambler; on the left a 1964 Classic or Ambassador, and to the right a 1963 or 1964 Classic 770 Cross Country wagon. There were also two Ford Country Squire wagon’s; a 1971 or 1972 model showing it’s right fender was directly behind the Catalina. And across the aisle from it was a 1970 model.
Our closer today was what appeared to be Grandma enjoying some time with her grandson and his parents. The flowers were in full bloom on an overcast looking late spring or early summer day.
Behind them was a new looking 1967 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop. This was the first year of the Glamour Bird generation, and this was the entry level model. It was the lowest priced ($4603 base list) and least popular of the three models available, which included the new four door sedan.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
Nice stuff. That young family better watch out for the 1959 Buick lurking behind them. It might eat them for lunch!
Excellent.
Thanks again, Patrick & rich !
The three generations pictured with the Volvo would have to have been from 1968 on, as I spy a Chevy Nova in the background 🙂
The young people definitely are wearing late 60’s fashion.
At as quick glance, the “grandmother”, figure in the red,”Volvo”, pic looks a fair deal like mine did in the late “60’s”. Perhaps a small, bit, leaner.
Question: Are the two girls and the lady on the right the same ones plus three or four years as two images back with the 1959 Buick?
I’d say yes. The mother and the youngest daughter both have the same pointy chins.
The McMansion-y gable-within-another-gable in the Newport shot is a total stylistic fail – it looks like the inner gable is trying to kick the outer one off the roof. Or maybe the other way around. The house on the left is the same but without the two gables and looks so much better.
Dad bought a new ’59 Galaxie 2-door and considered it along with many the “Most Beautifully Proportioned Car” that year but I thought the ’57 and ’58 Fords were better looking. Then the ’60 Galaxie made the ’59 look boxy. Anyway that ’59 took our family on many road trips until Dad gave it to my brother and got a new ’67 Bonneville. I wanted him to get the new 4-door Thunderbird but he said it was ugly. Go figure.
Cue the ‘Newfie’ jokes =8-) .
I remember the dowdy clothes in the 50’s & 60’s, glad they’re all gone but very sad all these fine average cars are gone too =8-( .
-Nate
Notice in the neighborhood shots, how these very respectable people were living in such small houses. That was the norm then. Compare to the giant overgrown houses people of similar social class would live in today. (Or, they’d be in apartments or condos because they are unable to afford the giant overgrown houses.)