Monthly Archives: January 2023

The Lavish World of High Society Debutantes by Slim Aarons (1950s)

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Five Debutantes by Slim Aarons, November 1951. Five members of the Debutante Cotillion rehearse for the Christmas Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Clockwise from the bottom: Ann Firestone, Venetia Arlen, Mary Audrey Weicker, Sarane Hickox and Peggy Hitchcock via

New York Debutante by Slim Aarons. American model Jean Patchett wearing an outfit by Saks Fifth Avenue, circa 1955 via

‘Last-minute Adjustments’ by Slim Aarons, circa 1955. A young woman has last-minute adjustments made to her dress at a debutante ball via

Debutante Cotillion by Slim Aarons, 1958. In the main ballroom of the Copley Plaza, Boston debutantes in floor length white gowns and long white gloves are accompanied by their fathers as they present themselves to the awaiting patronesses. The fathers bow and the daughters curtsey and so the debutantes are accepted into society. Image provided by Getty Images via

Debs On Parade by Slim Aarons, 1958. A debutante ball held at the Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts. Image provided by Getty Images via

Debutante Ball by Slim Aarons, 1958. A debutante ball held at the Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts via

Debutante Cotillion by Slim Aarons, 1958. Debutantes and their escorts on the dance floor at the Debutante Cotillion at the Copley Plaza hotel, Boston, Massachusetts. Image provided by Getty Images via

Hysterical Elvis Fans (1956)

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‘Elvis Hysteria’. Fans Reacting to Elvis Presley Performing at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse, May 27th, 1956. (Photo by Phillip Harrington) via

Elvis With Fans, May 27th 1956. Fans Reacting to Elvis Presley Performing at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse. (Photo by Phillip Harrington) via

Touching The King May 27th, 1956. Elvis Presley mobbed by adoring fans backstage after a performance at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse. (Photo by Phillip Harrington) via

Elvis Adoration, May 27th 1956. Elvis Presley hugging a group of fans backstage after a performance at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse. (Photo by Phillip Harrington) via

James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

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Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American coming-of-age drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. The film was a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations. The title was adopted from psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner’s 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath.

The film stars James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood. Warner Bros. released the film on October 27th, 1955, nearly a month after Dean’s death in a car accident on September 30th, 1955.

Over the years the film has achieved landmark status for the performance of Dean. In 1990, Rebel Without a Cause was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant”.

James Dean on the set of Rebel Without A Cause, 1955 via

James Dean, Rebel Without A Cause, 1955 via

James Dean, Rebel Without A Cause, 1955 via

James Dean, Rebel Without A Cause, 1955 via

James Dean and Natalie Wood, Rebel Without A Cause, 1955 via

Working American Teenagers by Nina Leen (1954)

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In June 1954, LIFE magazine published an article titled “The Luckiest Generation”:

Young people 16 to 20 are the beneficiaries of the very economic collapse that brought chaos almost a generation ago. The Depression tumbled the nation’s birth rate to an all-time low in 1933, and today’s teenage group is proportionately a smaller part of the total population than in more than 70 years. Since there are fewer of them, each in the most prosperous time in U.S. history gets a bigger piece of the nation’s economic pie than any previous generation ever got. This means they can almost have their pick of the jobs that are around. . . . To them working has a double attraction: the pay is good and, since their parents are earning more too, they are often able to keep the money for themselves.

‘The Luckiest Generation’: Teenagers in the ’50s

Jere Reid Jr., 17, who bred chinchillas, held one valued at $3,000. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

A young sales girl holding up a blouse to a store customer. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

A young investor, David Lenske, 17, having bought four shares of A.T.&T., talked with a banker. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

Pay in trade was taken by Margaret High, 17, who worked in a music store and spent her salary on records. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

The Luckiest Generation Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

Rada Alexander, 19, a bookkeeper, earned $200 a month in a job she got with an auto firm after graduation. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

An electrician, Jack Harris, 16, still in school, picked up good pay doing part-time repair jobs. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via

The prosperous pay-off of after-school jobs brought Mike Sweeney and Harold Riley (right) with Pat Marsh (left) and Nita Wheeler, all 17, to Carlsbad’s Red Barn restaurant, a favorite party spot. Nina Leen The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock via