The 1950s shelf
1950s things worth remembering.
Chrome diners, drive-ins, and rock and roll.
31 catalogued finds
LEGO Bricks
“plastic building bricks”
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Yahtzee
“five dice cup game”
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Barbie Doll
“fashion doll with outfits”
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Frisbee
“flying disc toy”
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Silly Putty
“egg container putty”
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Hula Hoop
“hip spinning hoop”
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Magic 8 Ball
“black fortune ball”
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Play-Doh
“squishy modeling clay”
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Mr. Potato Head
“plastic potato face”
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Wiffle Ball
“The perforated plastic ball that made backyard baseball safe for windows — its wild curveballs turned every driveway into a stadium.”
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Sidewalk Chalk
“Fat sticks of colored chalk that turned every driveway into a canvas for hopscotch grids, masterpieces, and four-square courts.”
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Water Balloons
“Thin balloons filled at the garden hose, tied with wet fingers, and thrown at siblings — the definitive summer ambush weapon.”
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Risk
“world conquest board game”
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Pez Dispenser
“candy flip head dispenser”
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Gumby Bendable Toy
“gumby bendable toy”
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Tin Toy Submarine
“tin toy submarine”
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Corn Popper Toy
“corn popper toy”
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Model Train Set HO
“model train set ho”
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Classic Cap Pistol
“classic cap pistol”
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Water Pistol Toy
“water pistol toy”
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Hot Tamales
“cinnamon chewy candy box”
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Charleston Chew
“frozen candy bar smash trick”
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Vinyl Record Player
“turntable record player”
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Matchbox Cars
“small die-cast cars”
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Diamond Kite
“A paper-and-stick diamond on a string that taught every kid the physics of wind, patience, and untangling line from trees.”
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Cox Control-Line Airplane
“A real gas-engine airplane on control lines — you stood in the middle, spun until you were dizzy, and flew an actual screaming motor in circles.”
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Poodle skirt
“A wide felt circle skirt appliqued with a poodle design, synonymous with 1950s soda-shop style and sock hops.”
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Saddle shoes
“Two-tone lace-up shoes with a contrasting "saddle" panel across the middle, a preppy staple of 1950s school style.”
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Abacus
“A frame of sliding beads on rods used to teach basic arithmetic, one of the oldest counting tools still found in classrooms.”
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Magnifying glass
“A handheld lens used in science class for close-up observation, from inspecting leaves to catching sunlight in a very inadvisable way.”
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Ant Farm
“ants in glass case”
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