The Reluctant Debutantes: 1956

I'm a bit surprised to see a few red eyes in there. In the olden days, flashes were usually off camera by a fair amount, and that prevented the direct reflection of the blood vessels in the eye back to the camera. Red eye became ubiquitous when smaller 35mm cameras had on-board flashes right above the lens. I suppose it was always there, just not as common and so not as noticeable as nowadays when you see it in just about every subject in just about every picture.

That says to me, "Not a Prom!" Even if you were a reluctant date you supplied the necessary wrist corsage.

Nice "hi fidelity" P.A. speaker on the stage - maybe for the piano player to sing out of?

..are "simply too chacha for words" to quote Miss Truvy.

Maybe a disgruntled teacher standing in the back along the wall. Seems to old for this crows and might be wearing a wedding ring.

Using clues from former Linda photos ... ie: Rancho Chevrolet license tag on her car, (Reseda, CA) ... The school colors (crepe paper) of Blue & Gold, almost has to be Birmingham High, in Van Nuys, CA.

[Different photos, different people. Dave picked these Linda Kodachromes up on eBay; the Bel Air Belle is a user-submitted photo. - tterrace]

Love the guy in the back, hugging the wall and trying to look cool.

I'm looking at all that crepe paper in what are probably school colors, and thinking that these girls seem to be dressed much more formally than the (admittedly few) others visible. Are these Homecoming candidates, forced to come early and wait and wait and wait for the dance to begin?

Is there Linda here?

[This photo is Lindaless. - Dave]

The two young ladies on the far right may be smiling, judging from the shapes of their cheeks, but their mouths made the mistake of not getting captured by the film.

The girl in the blue dress in the back could fit right in amongst the beauties if she'd ditch the horn-rimmed glasses and don a formal dress.

[Refreshment Committee couture? - Dave]

Who are they kidding, it's 1956, smoking is mandatory.

Is that Midge there in the background, waiting for Scottie perhaps?

Who invited Carrie to the prom?

didn't get the memo about matching shoes.

But they don't hold a disgruntled candle to that poor guy standing by the back wall!

Smiling or not, they are lovely young women.

The painting top right sure looks like Saint Isidore the Farmer. Wherever it is located, I guess this 1956 school wasn't as strict as the Chicago-area parochial high schools were a decade later. Strapless and spaghetti strap dresses were forbidden by the mid-1960s.

[The venue might be a parish hall. - Dave]

Perhaps this was a fashion show? They are much more formally attired than the people in the background.

"Darn those boys. Looks like they went out for a quick smoke again, instead of bringing us our punch. Anybody want to dance when the band plays another fast song?"

All dressed up and not a smile on anyone. Next time ask them to say CHEESE!