During Black History Month, discover the most iconic yearbook superlatives from Black high schools, colleges, and universities in the 1950s. From best dressed to most likely to succeed, these vintage snapshots capture the essence of a generation and reveal the unique experiences and achievements of Black students during a pivotal time in history.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

All images from North Carolina Vintage Yearbook Archives

1940s vintage yearbook photo from Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) of the 1948 "Most Humorous" students from the High school. — 1948 Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) “Most Humorous” students.

Vintage Yearbook Superlatives from Black High Schools, College & Universities 1950-1959

1950s yearbook photo from Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] featuring a young Black Woman being voted as "Best Looking" for the Superlatives in her yearbook. — “Best Looking” Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] via digitalnc.org

SUPERLATIVE: The actual definition of a superlative is an object or person that has the most of a given quality. Within the context of high school, college & university, superlatives are reserved for the senior class as a rite of passage, with their peers voting in various categories. They are part of yearbook traditions.

Examples of Categories:

Best all-around
Biggest flirt
Class clown
Cutest couple
Life of the party

The Vintage Class Superlatives…

“Most Dignified“, Pauline Leake & Kenneth Norton from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

Liz note: I’m obsessed with Pauline’s early 1950’s jacket.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring "Most Dignified" Black Man and Black Women from a HBCU. Fantastic early 1950s fashions!

“Most Carefree”. One more from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring the "Most Carefree" Students. The Image features 5 Black College students in early 1950s fashions.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1951 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook picks….

“Most Popular” was Alexander Morris. “Best Dressed Girl” went to Marilyn Lomax. “Best Dressed Boy”, Jason Randall and “Most Versatile” was Donald Ashman.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1953 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook Superlatives…

“Most Cooperative”, “Most Musical” and “Friendliest”.

1955 Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The ‘Willistonian’ Yearbook featuring the “Most Intellectual”, “Best Dancers”, “Best Solo Dancer”, “The Most Studious” and “The Most Temperamental”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook photos: 1955 Williston Senior High School, (Black High School) North Carolina, The 'Willistonian' Yearbook featuring the "Most Intellectual", "Best Dancers", "Best Solo Dancer", "The Most Studious" and "The Most Temperamental".

1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), ‘The Pioneer’ Yearbook. The categories on this page were…

“Most Dependable”, “Most Studious”, “Most Versatile”, “Biggest Flirt”, “Most School-Spirited”, “Most Likely to Succeed”, “Best Dressed” and “Best Actor / Actress”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook from a historically Black High School-1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), 'The Pioneer' Yearbook. The categories on this page were...

"Most Dependable", "Most Studious", "Most Versatile", "Biggest Flirt", "Most School-Spirited", "Most Likely to Succeed", "Best Dressed" and "Best Actor / Actress".

1958 ‘Blue Flame’ Yearbook from Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the “Most Dramatic” & the “Most Talkative” Superlative.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Dramatic" & the "Most Talkative" superlative.

Another 4 from the same Central High School in 1958….“Most Athletic” & “Best Dancers”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Athletic" & "Best Dancers".

Some new one’s in the Senior Superlatives from Dunbar High School 1959 ‘The Bar’ Yearbook.

“Most All-Round”, “Most Helpful” & “Shortest”.

1950s vintage yearbook: 1959 Dunbar High School in North Carolina a Historically Black High School featuring the Superlatives students of 1959.

Shaw University, 1959 ‘The Bear” Yearbook featuring the chosen two for “Most Jovial”.

I hope our Richard was just having an off day when they took his photo.

1950s vintage yearbook from Shaw University, 1959 'The Bear" Yearbook featuring the chosen two from "Most Jovial". Shaw is a Historically Black University.

Thanks for reading my post!

I wonder how everyone made out in life? Did they continue to be the “best dressed” or the “most carefree”? I would like to think so.

Question time: Did your yearbook have as Superlative? If so, were YOU in it (I don’t think my school had this)? Share any fun insights or comments in the section below.

Further Reading: Vintage Yearbooks 1920s-1960s (archived blog posts)

Liz

Happy Valentine’s Day to all those who are celebrating!

Today’s blog post is a collection of vintage Valentine’s Day photos, images, magazine covers, greeting cards and vintage advertising.

Let the romance begin!

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s Valentines Day Dance featuring 2 couples sitting together in 1950s fashions with Valentine decorations on the wall.

Photo: Taking a break for a chat at the dance.

Further Reading: Vintage Valentines Day 1920s-1960s Archived blog posts

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Valentine’s Day Dances:

1950s photo of two couples posing in a giant heart with streamers all around at their Valentine’s Day Dance.

What fun decor! Great idea for your next 1950s party.

1950s vintage photo of a Valentines Day Dance decoration of a giant heart with streamers and 1950s couples posing in the heart

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

1947 Daddy, Daughter Valentine’s Dance featuring in the photo an adorable girl with a heart dress. Love it!

1940s vintage photo: 1947 Daddy, Daughter Valentine's Dance featuring in the photo an adorable girl with her heart dress.

Source: eBay

1956 Valentine Dance with teenagers and a young man dancing with a broom made to look like his date. ha!

Further Reading: Vintage Photos Of The Social Dance

1950s vintage photo of a Valentine's Day Dance featuring young teenagers and a young man dancing with a broom made to look like his date.

Source: Flickr-The Library of Virginia

Vintage Valentine’s Day Photos

1930s photo of two smiling teenagers sharing a special Valentine’s Day moment with a box of chocolates.

1930s vintage photo of two teenagers sitting on a couch together on Valentines Day. The young man is giving a box of chocolates to the young woman with the 1930s hairstyle

Source: Time.com

1943-Even during WWII, US soldiers overseas were able to send Valentine’s cards to sweethearts back home.

1940s vintage photo of US soldiers looking at valentines day cards to send back home in 1943

Source: Taste of Home

Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) Valentine’s Day 1944 -Young military couple chalking hearts onto a tree during WW2.

Source: Flickr

1950s photo: Giving a Valentine’s Day heart.

LOVE the 1950s dress on our beaming 1950s University student.

1950s vintage photo of a young woman university student in a 1950s dress receiving a box of heart chocolates on Valentines Day at the door from her date.

Source: Kenneth Spencer Research Library University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 71/0 1950s

1957 photo of a young woman serving punch in the cutest punch bowl with fun & kitschy Valentine decorations.

Source: Redbook

Valentine’s Day Cards

Further Reading: Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards (archived blog post)

1950s / 1960s “Valentine Greetings…Just ‘Cause I kinda Likes Ya!”

1950s 1960s vintage Valentine's Day Card featuring an adorable little Black girl illustration playing on the grass.

Source: Pinterest

“My Valentine..I’ll never you , ‘The Gate’. 1940s card.

1940s vintage valentines day card featuring an illustration of a girl in a 1940s dress at a gate

Source: Etsy-Russellsvintage

“I couldn’t BEAR to lose you dear Valentine”. Ahhh! 1930’s card.

"I couldn't BEAR to lose you dear Valentine". Ahhh! 1930's Valentines Day card featuring two cute Black Bears hugging. Fun vintage valentines day.

Source: Etsy-Adawegamig

The Valentine’s Day Magazine Covers

Further Reading: Vintage Valentines Day Magazine Covers (archived post)

1928’s NeedleCraft, February Issue featuring a girl holding Valentine’s while putting on her coat.

1920s vintage magazine cover for Needlecraft magazine on valentines day featuring ani llustration of a girl holding a heart

Source: Alamy

1939 issue of Woman’s World with a colorful Valentines Day cover with Cupid, flowers, hearts and doves.

1930s Vintage Magazine: 1939 issue of Woman’s World has a colorful Valentines Day cover with Cupid, flowers, hearts and doves

Source: Etsy-paintedpony99

Jeanne Crain, on the Modern Screen magazine cover, February 1944.

1940s vintage magazine cover for Valentines Day featuring Jeanne Crain, Modern Screen magazine cover, February 1944

Source: Alamy

February 7th, 1943-“First Kiss” as seen in ‘The Detroit Free Press Parade’ weekly picture newspaper.

The image according to Parade, said that the little kids were unaware that they had an audience when the little girl laid a kiss on the cheek of her little crush. Adorable.

Source: Parade Magazine

Now not really Magazine Covers but I love a good Romance Comic book (I own a few, mostly to drool over the 1950s & 1960s fashions) and thought I would slide in ones you can purchase right now (in PDF format).

Then when you have time, take a look at my archived post, Romance Comics of the 1950s and 1960s.

Source: Etsy-VintageComicBoutique

Vintage Valentine’s Day Advertising

1940s ad for a ‘Lane Cedar Hope Chest’. “Step into her heart forever. Give her a LANE this Valentine’s Day.”

1940s vintage ad for a Lane hope chest for Valentines Day featuring a man helping a woman in 1940s dress and 1940s hairstyle threw a heart with cupids all around.

Source: Pinterest

“It’s “Remembering Day”…Remember?” Whitman’s Chocolates ad from the 1950s reminding all those who need remembering about Valentine’s Day on February 14th.

Source: Pinterest

1959 ad for Coca-Cola…”Be Really Refreshed….Love That Coke!” as seen in the February National Geographic.

1950s vintage ad for Coca-Cola., Valentines Day featuring a couple sharing a coke inside a giant heart, as seen in February 1959 National Geographic Magazoine

Source: Etsy-The Ad Agency

1954 advertisement…”to my candy kid, Milky Way Chocolate bars”. YUM!

1950s vintage ad for Milky Way Chocolate bars on Valentine's Day. 1954 advertisement..."to my candy kid, Milky Way Chocolate bars".

Source: Redbook

“1950s underwear advertisement with a Valentine theme. “Mother-Daughter favorites with the famous Lollipop Cuffing-Cotton Brief.”1950s underwear advertisement with a Valentine theme. “Mother-Daughter favorites with the famous Lollipop Cuffing-Cotton Brief.