What An American Summer Looked Like In The '50s, '60s And '70s
Sunbathing at beautiful beaches, having rowdy backyard barbecues and hanging with friends defined the quintessential American summer during the '50s, '60s and '70s.
1950
A senior cadet instructs a younger camper on how to use a bow — one of the many non-naval activities for the campers — at the Admiral Farragut Academy summer camp.
1950
Two children jump through a water hydrant's shower on a New York street.
1950
Teenagers at the Admiral Farragut Naval camp in New Jersey on a butterfly hunt, nets at the ready.
1950
Crowds of people relax on the beach during an amazing summer vacation.
1950
A group of children play in a swimming pool.
1950
These deck-swabbing teenagers are under the discipline of a summer camp at the Admiral Farragut Academy in Toms River, New Jersey.
1950
A woman protects her skin by applying suntan lotion on a boat during summer.
1950
A couple plays on the beach.
1950
Two boys write in a notebook at an American children's summer camp.
1950
A woman poses at the beach.
1950
Sunbathers greet a trio of surfers pulled along the beach by an all-terrain vehicle near Southampton in Long Island, New York. Maybe they'll spot a celebrity.
1950
A couple on a lake in a paddleboat.
1951
Two tourists in matching Hawaiian shirts pose with their cameras at the ready as they await the arrival of Hula dancers in Hawaii, which is home to some of the prettiest waters in the world.
1951
American actress and dancer Cyd Charisse poses on the beach.
1952
Carol Randolph and Jan Tidwell taste some of the delicious ice cream cones for sale from vending machines in Washington, home to some of the most beautiful scenes in America.
1953
Hula dancers on Honolulu's Waikiki Beach form the word Hawaii with large letters.
1954
A man holds on to a tree by the seashore against severe winds during Hurricane Carol in Brooklyn, New York, which now has some of the most impressive murals across the world.
1955
Bert and Ellie Lang, a young American couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii, play leapfrog on Honolulu's Waikiki beach. The extinct volcanic crater of Diamond Head can be seen in the background.
1955
Cheerleaders are ready to catch a beautiful sunset while they practice on a beach in California.
1955
A couple in summer clothes talk on Mackinac Island, Michigan — a town that looks like it's stuck in time.
1955
A couple ride a tandem bike along an American street on a summer's day.
1955
Young women balance on young men's shoulders while playing in the water at West Beach in Michigan City, Indiana.
1955
A group of surfers from the Hermosa Beach Surf Club in California practice for a competition.
1955
Three artists at work on a beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts — the most beautiful photo spot in the entire state.
1955
A group of teenagers drink Coca-Cola together on West Beach in Michigan City, Indiana.
1955
A young couple jumps over a sand dune together on West Beach in Michigan, Indiana. The sand dunes in Indiana are the top natural wonder in the state.
1955
A group of students dressed for the beach lounge in a music room and laugh among themselves.
1955
Cheerleaders enjoy the warm weather while they practice their stunts on the beach.
1955
Children play on a beach at Heckscher State Park in Long Island, New York.
1955
Teenagers sit on West Beach in Michigan, Indiana.
1956
Two girls take a break from their summer jobs at the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey to bask in the noontime sun.
1957
New York children splash about in a flooded street after the police opened the fire hydrants to beat the unbearable summer heat.
1957
Florida's Watermelon Festival queen, Frances Layton, bites into a slice of melon while she kneels in the Atlantic surf.
1958
Women of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith community await their baptism in Orchard Beach in New York City.
1958
Members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community settle on the lawn of Yankee Stadium in New York City.
1958
An ice-cream soda store in small-town Indiana has a television screen which brings in the kids, a feature of nearly every drugstore in America.
1958
New members of the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation begin baptism at Orchard Beach in New York City.
1958
The new members of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith community arrive by bus at Orchard Beach in New York City.
1959
Cindy Robbins wears a two-piece bathing suit as she sits on a jetty with her feet in the water in Napa Valley, California — a place you should visit before you turn 50.
1959
Amish children talk to a visitor outside their home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in June of 1959.
1960
A little girl with a bugle leads another girl on a tricycle decorated with balloons and American flags.
1960
A boy and girl race along a suburban street on bicycles.
1960
Music enthusiasts sit in the sun listening to a concert at Tanglewood near Lenox, Massachusetts.
1960
The chief of police opens up a fire hydrant, spraying water over children playing on a designated "play street" closed to traffic during the hot New York summer.
1960
People listen to a concert near Lenox, Massachusetts.
1960
Music enthusiasts arrive at the Tanglewood estate near Lenox, Massachusetts.
1960
A family of five in bathing suits walks toward the beach carrying a parasol and picnic basket.
1960
Two young girls in a boat admire an artist on the shore of Central Park Lake in New York.
1960
A street scene in Harlem, New York.
1960
Women in bathing suits enjoy iced drinks at a bar in Las Vegas.
1960
A lifeguard directs two cyclists in Daytona Beach, Florida.
1960
Surfers perform stunts in Hawaii.
1960
A group of women water ski in formation at Florida's Cypress Gardens.
1960
A concert near Lenox, Massachusetts.
1960
Young people enjoy themselves at a beach party on the white sands of the Miracle Strip, a stretch from Pensacola to Panama City, Florida.
1960
Classical music fans sit in the sun at Tanglewood to listen to a concert near Lenox, Massachusetts.
1961
A female lifeguard at Steeplechase Park in Brooklyn, New York, points at a transgressor in the pool below.
1962
A group of children play basketball in the street.
1962
A group of children play in a street that has been closed to traffic by the police.
1962
Two young girls play with balls in the street.
1962
A group of children play in the street on a hot summer's day.
1963
Demonstrators listen to a civil rights rally near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1964
Youngsters wear headdresses around the lake in New York City's Central Park.
1964
The contestants in the Miss Universe pageant pose in swimsuits, sashes and high heels on the roof of the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York.
1965
American soul singer Shirley Ellis dances in the street to "The Clapping Song" with a group of children in Harlem, New York.
1965
British actor, singer and songwriter Anthony Newley plays with his daughter, Tara, in Central Park in New York City.
1965
A visiting nun plays a skipping game with children in New York City.
1966
People relax on the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
1966
Anne Buydens, wife of American actor Kirk Douglas, with their son Eric.
1966
A lifeguard on lookout duty at Coney Island beach in Brooklyn, New York.
1966
Children keep cool in the spray from a fire hydrant in Harlem, New York.
1966
People relax on the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
1966
Friar Capistran Ferrito plays basketball with boys from Harlem, New York.
1967
A couple on the streets of Greenville, Mississippi.
1967
Four musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra play their instruments in Daytona Beach, Florida.
1968
A mother and daughter make a sandcastle together on the beach in St. Petersburg, Florida. Fashion has always been an important part of American culture throughout the years. Take a look at some of the 1960s fashion that defined the decade.
1970
In 1970 New York City, a boy playing stickball poses in the batting position.
1970
People walk by a carwash in New York City, circa 1970.
1970
Young girls prepare to compete for the title of Miss Pears 1970.
1970
A jazz band plays on the back of a truck as it drives through the streets of Harlem, entertaining children during a hot New York summer in 1970.
1970
A boy is photographed in the garden of his New York home with a bird feeder made by his father from a repurposed car hubcap, September 1970.
1970
Two young women read in a park in 1970.
1970
In 1970, teenagers dance at a free rock concert in Honolulu's Kapiolani Park.
1970
Three girls are photographed in 1970 at a Native American reserve in northeastern Arizona.
1971
Protesters against the United States' participation in the Vietnam War block the offices and employees of the American conscription headquarters in May 1971.
1971
The Beach Boys perform in New York City at Fillmore East in June 1971 before the venue closed.
1971
Decorations seen on Canal Street in New Orleans, June 1971.
1972
American musician Chuck Berry performs at Madison Square Garden for the concert movie "Let the Good Times Roll" in May 1972.
1972
In July 1972, a group of young people spray paint graffiti on a New York City wall.
1972
American Rod Milburn crosses the line to win the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles final event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
1972
American television host Ed McMahon and comedian Bob Newhart fish from a rowboat in Cypress Gardens, Florida, in 1972.
1972
Competitors surf during a competition held at Miami Beach in September 1972.
1973
In 1973, a woman walks her dog and buys ice cream from a graffitied ice cream truck in New York.
1974
A converted floating museum, hotel and shopping center in Long Beach, California, is seen on July 4, 1974.
1974
In September 1974, a teenage girl wears a metallic dress as she dances at a disco.
1975
People march in the annual gay rights parade in New York City on June 29, 1975.
1975
A tram reaches the top of Hyde Street Hill in San Francisco, with Alcatraz Island in the background, 1975.
1975
Four boys play basketball on an outdoor court in New York City, 1975.
1976
The New Hope Singers international marching band wears 18th-century costumes as they play the flute, guitar and drums during the Spirit of '76 American Bicentennial celebrations in Central Park.
1976
In 1976, actress Jane Fonda relaxes by the sea.
1977
Workers adjust the sign outside a restaurant with only liquor left during the July 1977 New York blackout.
1977
Shoppers look for bargains at a flea market on Avenue of the Americas in New York City in August, 1977.
1978
A parade of hot air balloons takes to the sky at a ballooning event, 1978.
1979
During the June 1979 fuel shortage, motorists in New York City queue up outside the petrol station on 42nd Street and 11th Avenue.
1979
Brazilian soccer star Pele works with a young fan attending his soccer school in New York City, August 1979.
1979
In 1979, street vendors sell an array of umbrellas, leather bags, watches and sunglasses on an NYC street.
1979
Women walk down the sidewalk of Chinatown in the Lower East Side of New York City. Chinatown is one of the most photogenic neighborhoods in New York City, which is why you'll find it pictured among among these 101 jaw-droppingly beautiful photos of America.