Square Dance History Project
The rich story of North American square dance finally has a home in the digital age.

Browse Items (228 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Transitional/Western 1950s"
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Frank Messina

Frank Messina and the Mavericks recorded hundreds of titles for the Mac Gregor label, providing music for Fenton "Jonesy" Jones, Bob Van Antwerp, Arnie Kronenberger, Jerry Helt, and more. View item
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Square Dance collection at University of Denver

The archives at the University of Denver (DU) hold a vast collection of square dance material. DU is the repository for two vast archives, those of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation and the personal… View item
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National Square Dance Convention - 1959 Who's Who

This excerpt from the program of the 1959 National Square Dance Convention lists the better-known presenters at the event. As such, it's a useful snapshot of who was respected enough at that time… View item
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Silver Spurs publicity poster

The poster is from a 1962 performance of the Silver Spurs (Spokane, WA) in Victoria, British Columbia. It illustrates the many varieties of dance presented by the youth group, dances that are still… View item
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Santa Monica 1950 - official program

This is the official program for the 1950 Diamond Jubilee square dance in Santa Monica. Our website has many other items related to this important event in square dance history. View item
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Jimmy Clossin - photos

This selection of photographs comes from the Jimmy Clossin Papers, held in the Archives of the University of Denver. View item
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1953 Texas Inaugural Ball square dance program

The custom of having a square dance as part of the Inaugural Ball for the Texas Governor started in 1947; this is the program for the 1953 Inaugural, scheduled for 6:30 PM until midnight. The second… View item
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Jim Munyon

This album sent us searching to learn more about the two individuals. We've determined that "Munyan" refers to Jim Munyon, who was a southern California dance caller who appears in numerous newspaper… View item
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St. Louis square dancers, early 1950s

These photos are from the early St. Louis square dance scene, organized in part by George Greene and his wife, Betty. George Greene played an active role bringing to the St. Louis area some of the… View item
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Lloyd Shaw's summer class - photos

This collection of photos comes from the family of George and Betty Greene, dancers and organizers from the St. Louis area, and were contibuted to SDHP by Ellen Hocker, their daughter. 1. Lloyd… View item
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Beatnik square dance

All forms of social dance reflect changes in the broader society in which they take place. This call, found in an unidentified caller's notebook, dates from the 1950s and shows a common set of… View item
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Cal Golden calling at the 1958 World's Fair

Caller Cal Golden performing at the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels, Belgium. He was featured 18 times during that event. The other photos are publicity photos of Cal Golden, taken later than… View item