Friends! Let’s take a stroll down malt shop lane and check out some cool images from the 1930’s-1950’s of vintage soda/malt shops and the customers who are enjoying them.

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.

Lana Turner in”Slightly Dangerous”, 1943 serving up a ice cream float.

Vintage Malt Shops

Vintage Images 1930’s – 1950’s

HISTORY OF THE MALT SHOP

A Soda shop, also often known as a Malt shop (after malt, a sweet milkshake flavoring), is a business akin to an ice cream parlor and a drugstore soda fountain. Interiors were often furnished with a large mirror behind amarble counter with gooseneck soda spouts, plus spinning stools, round marble-topped tables and wireframe sweetheart chairs.

The counter-service soda fountain was introduced in 1903, and around that same time, drugstores began to attract noontime customers by adding sandwiches and light lunches. The beverage menu at a soda shop usually included ice cream sodas, chocolate malts, fountain colas and milkshakes. A 1915 issue of Soda Fountain magazine stated: “The soda fountain of today is an ally of temperance… Ice cream soda is a greater medium for the cause of temperance than all the sermon ever preached on that subject (source).”

Now, what can we get you?

1950s vintage photo of a soda jerk in a malt shop making a milkshake.

Source: Wikimedia

1950s vintage photo of teens at the malt shop counter enjoying treats.

1950s Malt Shop Soda Shop 1950s Teenagers

Source: Flickr- UNCG Digital Projects

Late 1940s / early 1950s photo of a busy malt shop. All those treats look yummy!

Malt Shops are for hanging out, catching up and also reading as these girls are demonstrating in 1952.

1952 malt shop image featuring teenage girls in 1950s fashiosn hanging out at the counter.

Source: Flickr- File Photo Digital Archive

When grabbing a drink at the counter it’s mandatory that one looks their best, like these very stylish teenagers. Their hats are the BEST! -1940s Photo-

Late 1940s / Early 1950s teenagers at the soda shop

And looking their best for these boys means it’s all about the Plaid. 1950s photo.

1950 teenage boys hanging at the soda shop

After a fun day at the beach a nice refreshing drink will do the trick. And now on a side note, what an amazing photo! The girl swimsuits are stunning as well as the girl’s hair on the right. WOW! -1940s Photo-

1940 girls in swimsuits at the soda counter

1942 Nifty Nook Diner / Malt Shop. Phoenix, Arizona. Super 1940s “teenager” fashions on display in this image.

Source: Etsy

There is that fantastic “counter” style we keep seeing. Another great hat!

1940s woman at a soda counter in 1940s hait and 1940s dress

Even movie stars stopped by for a milkshake or two as seen here in the picture below with Joan Crawford and her editor Alice in 1939. P.S. HAT!

Joan Crawford at Soda Fountain with Editor Alice Thompson, 1939.

Image by © CondÈ Nast Archive/Corbis

Malt Shops are not just for teenagers and movie stars, they are for all ages.

Source: We had faces then

1953 – Mavis sipping a strawberry milkshake in a white milk bar.

1950s little girl at the malt shop counter

Photo by Terrence Spencer//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

1930s photo of a couple out on date night at the malt shop.

1950s photo of two teenagers enjoying a drink together and some fun conversation. Wonder what they are chatting about?

Shall we have a dance or listen to some music before we leave? -1950s photo-

1950s Teenagers dancing in a soda malt shop

Image by © Michael Ochs

So much to take in here! Saddle shoes, jukebox, plaid skirt, 1940s hairstyles and young men and women enjoying their time at their local malt shop.

1940s teenagers listening to music at the soda shop

Source: Pinterest

Lastly when I was in Memphis the hubby and I stopped in at A.Schwab and had REAL soda’s from their vintage soda counter. Here are a couple of images of that super cool experience.

Read about my trip to Memphis & Nashville HERE.

Mmmmmm real soda pop. Which one to try first?

Now Question Time: Do you have a favorite place to go for vintage sodas? Milkshakes? Maybe you hung out at a Malt shop back in the day? Share anything you want in the comments section below.

FURTHER READING:

Vintage Photo Tuesday-Collection of archived vintage blog posts showing vintage images from the 1920s-1960s

Liz

Do you join me in being equally addicted to Pinterest or do I stand alone? I don’t think I do since I find myself liking many of the images and boards that my lovely readers post (I see you! hehehe).

Today I’m going to share with you some of the fun vintage things I’m liking/loving on Pinterest. Maybe you like the same ones? Or have others you want me to see. If so lets follow each other!

Collection of Vintage Images, Advertisements, Fashons and more as seen on Pinterest

Now lets check out my board “Vintage Photos from the 1920s -1960s“. By now you know I love vintage photos, I’m such a sucker for a good one or two or three. Here are some of the goodies I have fallen in love with recently.

What caught my eye in this wonderful 1940s photo was how this young woman has managed to make her war work smock super stylish with all these fantastic details. Her well styled 1940s hair, her dainty pearl necklace, brooch that looks like it has berries and a pine cone on it, that beautiful small watch and her cute bow in hair as the cherry on top. Wonderful and sure does spice up what could be a super boring work attire.

Further Reading:

1940s vintage photo of a woman in 1940s fashion and 1940s hairstyle working on the homefront during WW2

On the website where this 1940 photo came from, the blogger mentioned that all he knew was that the picture was 1942 and that was it. His theory was maybe the girl was in Hollywood looking for stardom and I think I have to agree. All her hopes and dreams in one little suitcase, looking out to the world wondering if she will be the next big star, will someone notice her? Gosh I hope something happened for this pretty young woman.

1942 vintage woman on the street with a suitcase in 1940s fashion. — Source: Old Photos Blogspot

A women’s bowling team poses on the front of Chevrolet in a showroom. San Francisco, California 1945.

Not 100% sure what a Chevrolet and Bowling have in common but I love this photo for all the fun details. Aren’t the ladies outfits just adorable? And I’m kind of crushing on the wedges on the lovely blonde on the left front.

Further Reading: 1940s & 1950s Bowling Fun!

A women’s bowling team poses on the front of Chevrolet in a showroom. San Francisco, California 1945 — Source: Tumblr-Hoodoo That Voodoo

For my final photo in this section, I HAD to share this darling couple from the 1940s. They have such style (can we talk about her shoes for a moment? ohhhhh pretty!) and I kind of think her very handsome man looks a bit like Denzel Washington (or Denzel looks like him I should say).

Further Reading: Vintage Photo Tuesday: Vintage Black Style

1940s vintage photo of a stylish Black Man and Black Woman posing in front of their car in 1940s fashions. — Source: Etsy-TheTwinkleOfAnEye (not for sale anymore)

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

Next Board “For the Vintage Styled Home“. I live in a teeny tiny small apartment in Toronto so I’m constantly dreaming about my future home..vintage home I should say. Ideally it would be a craftsman or even a mid-century bungalow but I won’t be too picky if it meant I could have a big closet. Here are some of the vintage details that inspire me…

Question..How to move in to this living-room asap and add Don Draper sitting on a bar stool (my husband won’t mind, I swear!).

mid-century retro living room — Source: Flickr

Atomic Print Wallpaper…love it!

Further Reading: Fall in Love with Mid-Century, Atomic Age ‘Starbursts’ Design

Atomic print wallpaper retro 1950s 1960s — Source-Etsy: littlesuzyhomemaker

Vintage TV as a cool Retro Bar, yup my husband would approve of this piece.

Cool Home Craft Idea: Vintage TV being used as a Vintage Bar — Source: Fat shack Vintage Blog

Friends, I cannot possibly do a blog post on Pinterest and not show off some of the vintage clothing pieces I’m drooling over on the on the Internet..right? So here you go.

1940’s dress & bolero jacket by James Rothenberg. I cried a little when I saw this stunning and very different dress and I can just see it looking absolutely amazing on some lucky gal who can fit in it. If I owned it, I would just look at my sleeves all day as they are my favorite part (I’m a nerd I know).

1940s Fashion: Vintage 1940s Dress & Bolero Jacket 1941 New York Creation Label James Rothenberg — Source: Etsy-swingkatsvintage

1940s rayon dress. This is so Liz and also several other ladies as well from the amount of shares on Pinterest this dress has had. But seriously I don’t blame anyone, how could you not love this simple design?

1940s vintage Rayon Dress with a novelty print, yellow and black. — Source-Etsy: Mill Street Vintage

I have been wanting to get into 1930s dresses for a while now but I not sure about the silhoutte with my figure, however I do believe this particular dress would do the job. A “Solène” Original 1930’s Capelet Gown.

1930s Fashion: 1930s Solene Original Capelet Gown — Source: Relevant

The last image I’m going to show you falls into a couple of categories so I’m showing it on its own. The last remaining sombrero restaurant on old Route 66.

I can just imagine that you can see the top of the Sombrero from miles away. I know I would want to stop, I love Mexican food. Yum!

Route 66 mexican restaurant -The last remaining sombrero restaurant on old Route 66.

There it is friends, some of my favorite Pins from Pinterest. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the things that inspire me and I look forward to maybe see your Pinterest loves as well.

Further Reading:

Liz

Tag: 1940s couples