University of Wisconsin, Madison. Click to enlarge.
This photo documents a Thanksgiving dinner for 400 put on by the Pioneer Telephone Company in Milwaukee in 1960. Are the women (and a few men) all telephone workers, or do the guests include needy community members invited for a festive dinner?
Although it was taken in late 1960, the image shows few signs of the fashion revolution already underway. Most of these middle aged and older women wear their hair close to the head. Only the African American woman at the center looks like she might have been inspired by the bigger bouffant styles worn by Jackie Kennedy. The shirtwaist dress prevails or skirt and blouse combinations that have a similar silhouette. The beloved bedazzled cat eye glasses frames of the fifties are still on display.
But the real focus should be on the gesture at the center. Don’t we need this now?
Thank you Lynn. What a thoughtful post
its lovely, happy thanksgiving
Yes, it is exactly what we need. I love that what could have been a boring photo documenting the event is instead a thing of beauty.