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Tag: 1940s dance


Nov
2014

Swing Out To Victory -1940s Dance

categories: Lindy Hop

This past weekend I attended one of my most FAVORITE events of the Lindy Hop Season-Swing Out To Victory (below is the 2015 invite).

NOTE: The event is back for 2023! November 18th, 2023. Details HERE

Swing Out to Victory Hamilton Warplane Museum

This dance is held every year at the Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum just outside of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

canadian warplane heritage museum plane
Source: voyagesontario.com

The Event is a marvelous evening of dinner and dance with the superb Toronto All-Star Big Band performing nostalgic tunes from the 1930s and 40s. There is also Swing Dance Lessons, Prizes, Giveaways and even a Best Vintage Dressed Contest (more about that later).

What I love about this event is the atmosphere. I am pretty lucky to be able to dance to a big band on a fairly regular basis if I wanted to so this not the draw for me. The draw is the fact that the Big Band is playing IN an airplane hanger with lots and lots of vintage planes all around it AND the famous Avro Lancaster (last in Canada) is the main focus of the event. Everyone also dresses up in their finest 1940s clothes (and uniforms) to dance the night away and this thrills this vintage loving gal to the bone and just adds that extra something to the evening.

Toronto All-Star Big Band at the Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum playing Big Band music in front of the Lancaster plane.
Toronto All-Star Big Band playing under the Lancaster. Photo Credit: Toronto Allstar Big Band

Interesting Fact: 

Did you know that the Lancaster pictured above actually took a trip to the UK recently and once there, it embarked on a six-week tour of the United Kingdom with the only other airworthy bomber of its kind, a Lancaster belonging to Britain’s Royal Air Force.

I also had a fellow blogger FROM the UK post pictures of the 2 Lancasters flying over her head. It was so amazing to see the picture and know that one of those planes were from a town close to mine (and that I have seen in person). It made the world feel a bit smaller that day.

After the Lancaster came back to Canada, a gramophone from the UK made the trip back as well and was played to open the event on Saturday (seen below). I absolutely adored this part and thought that it was such a fantastic surprise.

Lancaster Canadian Warplane Museum
Photo Credit: Toronto All-Star Big Band

Now let the swing dancing begin!

Lindy Hop / Swing dancing at a 1940s dance at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
Source: Erin
Lindy Hop / Swing dancing at a 1940s dance at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
Photo Credit: Toronto All-Star Big Band

This year I was excited to have some of the ladies from the Toronto Vintage Society along for this adventure. Some of them have even started taking Lindy Hop lessons which has just made me so happy to be able to pass on my love of the dance with more friends. Of course the ladies dressed to the Nine’s (I actually should say 10’s) for the event as you can see below.

1940s Vintage Dresses at a 1940s dance as seen on the Toronto Vintage Society.
Source: Erin
1940s Vintage Dresses at a 1940s dance as seen on the Toronto Vintage Society.
Source: Erin

TVS member Joy with a veteran that was at the dance.

1940s Vintage Dresses at a 1940s dance as seen on the Toronto Vintage Society. Image features a member with a Canadian war veteran
Source: Toronto All-Star Big Band

TVS members Irene and Erin with fellow swing dancer (and Rock n Roll dancer) David. LOVE the outfit David!

1940s Vintage fashion at a 1940s dance as seen on the Toronto Vintage Society.
Source: Erin

Everyone likes a well dressed Soldier.

1940s Vintage Dresses at a 1940s dance as seen on the Toronto Vintage Society. Image features TVS members with a young man in uniform.
Source: Erin

As per last year I was excited to be asked to help with the Best Dressed Contest again with two fantastically dressed friends, Amanda and Erika.

Here we are with our friend Dean who is normally the MC of the evening and a big part of the organizing team but this year he was called away to a wedding so we took this photo-a traditional “Dean Sandwich”.

1940s Vintage Outfits at a 1940s Lindy Hop Dance
Source: Amanda

Everyone was dressed so GOOD! and I really had a hard time choosing who I wanted to send to the finals, but I think the team did well in the end (sorry for the poor picture there are no really clear photos posted yet of the finalists).

What was exciting was that one of the members of TVS made the finals-Irene of Petite Plus, Meow! and she ended up with second place! YAY Congrats Irene!

1940s Vintage clothing best dressed contest at Swing Out to Victory.
Source: Erin

My choice (Churchill look alike) came in first place and as you can see below I am very very VERY excited about this. hahaha!

Swing out To Victory best dressed contest featuring 1940s fashions.
Source: Erin

After all the prizes and performances were done I was able to get some good quality Lindy Hop time in.

Lindy Hop at a 1940s swing dance -Swing out to Victory in Hamilton ontario Canada
Source: Erin

Outfit Note: My 1940s vintage swing dress was purchased at the Pop Up Store-Jack Lux for only $20. It was such a find and it looked great on the dance floor as well.

Lindy Hop at a 1940s swing dance -Swing out to Victory in Hamilton ontario Canada
Source: Erin

I also got to have a few minutes with my very handsome husband to snap this photo.

1940s Vintage Outfit as seen at Swing Out to Victory in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.
Source: Stephanie

And another photo with friends to end a wonderful evening.

1940s Vintage outfits at a lindy hop dance
Source: Stephanie

Well that is it friends another Swing Out To Victory in the books. Hope you enjoyed this little post and if you are ever in Toronto and want to go to a dance please check out Toronto Lindy Hop as we have a calendar with all the events (and we have lots of dancing) for your dancing pleasure.

Further Reading:

Would you like to own a vintage 1940s fashion item (or a replica of one)? Then take a look at the items for sale in my 1940s Fashion Etsy collection page (updated regularly), found HERE.

Liz 🙂

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. 


Sep
2014

Vintage Photos of 1940s Collegiate Life

categories: Back to School, vintage History, vintage images

August is now gone and that means all the kiddies and older kids are back to school. Sigh..bye bye summer.

Going to school was always something I enjoyed and I have some pretty great memories during those years. I do though vividly remember my first dance of University, I was so nervous and excited all at the same time. I just left my small “ish” home town and had moved to the big City of Toronto to live. I had no idea what the future held but I knew that it was never going to be a dull movement, and boy has it not!

Now going with this theme of “Back to school” and since I’m a fan of the 1940s I thought I would like to do a post on what College life looked like during those years. First up I know it looked nothing like my early 2000’s university life, hahaha 🙂

So are you ready to take a class in “1940s Collegiate Style and Collegiate Life” with me as seen thru pictures?

Vintage Photos of 1940s Collegiate Life

Time to move into your dorm (1940’s Photo).  These lovely ladies look fresh-faced and ready to tackle the world. I love the luggage and hat box! And the dress with the Peter Pan collar is a very practical and pretty.

1940s photo of two young college girls in 1940s fashions moving into their dorm. They are holding suitcases and hat boxes.
Source: UMW Centennial

The caption for this 1940’s picture is: Class Officers in front of Gate at University of Mary Washington.

Saddle Shoes! Great skirts and jackets! Look at their hair?! Oh my this photo is simply and truly wonderful. 1940s Collegiate Style right here ladies and gentlemen.

1940s Vintage Photo of 4 women in 1940s hairstyles and 1940s fashion, they are the Class Officers in front of Gate at University of Mary Washington.
Source: UMW Centennial

Studying in the Dorm

Not much in way of great clothing look here, BUT did you notice all the great details in the room? First up, can you see the handsome serviceman on the bookshelf? I saw him instantly! How about that great clock? Do you think it’s Bakelite? I also adore the bread-spreads. Burberry has nothing on these beds.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Dorm Life in the 1920s-1960s

1940s vintage photo of two young women in their college dorm studying.
Source: UWM Centennial

1940s vintage photo of women in a cooking class, making the perfect pie.

Maybe the ladies above were studying up on how to make the perfect pie as seen below? Mandatory for a woman in the 1940s to be able to do, I’m sure.

1940s vintage photo of women in college holding pies that they made in their baking class in college.
Source: UMW Centennial

Time to Join a Club!

Okay this picture has so many fantastic things happening. First up according to the caption on this picture this is “Campus Jane and Campus Joe, members of the University of Miami ‘M’ Club-1946″. Right there I’m in love, how cute is that?!

Next up, their style. When I think of 1940s collegiate style this is EXACTLY what I think of. Saddle shoes (I love my saddle shoes), his collegiate sweater with the M, her wool skirt with cardigan which is just wonderful. Never mind the woman behind them with that great figure and dress. I also think they are too adorable for words. No words!

Further Reading:

1940s vintage photo of a young man and young woman in college both wearing saddle shoes and 1940s fashion. The caption of the photo says: Campus Jane and Campus Joe, members of the University of Miami 'M' Club-1946
Source: University of Miami Libraries Digital

1940s photo of college women playing golf.

Like sports? How about joining the golf club? hahaha “Golf Club”!!! Okay I’m done making silly jokes 🙂

For a fan of vintage clothing this picture has so many amazing things happening in it, I don’t even know where to start? The skirts, tops, shoes, HAIR! So stylish and fantastic to look at and what great form they all have.

1940s vintage photo of young women in college in 1940s fashions and saddle shoes posing with their golf clubs for their Golf Club.
Source: UWM Centennial

Transportation to school

If you did not live in a dorm, how were some of the ways you got to school? Well in this fantastic photo the pretty girl with the great car seems to have her way all set. I’m not sure if the guys are interested in her or the car though?

Can you spot the fun beanie hat and those great shoes on the guys?

1940s vintage photo of a young woman in a 1940s car talking to a college man.
Source: University of Miami Libraries Digital

Or maybe you had to take the bus like these students at Duke University.

1940s vintage photo of a 1940s car and school bus with young women in 1940s fashions from Duke University waiting to take the bus.
Source: Duke Yearlook

Doing your part for the war effort

During the early part of the 1940s a big part of school activities was helping with the war effort. These pretty ladies are collecting scrap at Duke University to “Help rub out the axis with scrap rubber“.

1940s college students doing their part for the war effort
Source: Duke Yearlook

Learning First Ad, very important as you never knew when you might need it. Future nurses?

1940s vintage image of women doing first ad at their nursing college.
Source: Duke Yearlook

Letting off some steam

After a long day of school and studying (and helping with the war effort) it’s always fun to kick up your heels and listen to a good band, like at this welcome Party.

I love the beanies that the Freshman girls were probably expected to wear. I also see some great patterns on dresses.

Further Reading:

1940s vintage photo of young college students watching a band play. They are all wearing beanies as they are freshmen students.
Source: UMW Centennial

How about a dance with your significant other on a Saturday night? These two couples look like they are having fun. I also adore the peplum dress that is longer in the front, I wonder what colour it was?

1940s vintage photo of two couples in college / university dancing together at a school dance.
Source: UMW Centennial

Maybe dancing was not your way of relaxing, so how about a swim with your college chums?

Students at the University of Miami in 1944 enjoying a day off from their studies.

1940s vintage photo fo Students at the University of Miami in 1944 enjoying a day off from their studies. Fantastic 1940s hairstyles and 1940s swimsuits
Source: University of Miami Libraries Digital

And there you have it friends, a peak into 1940s collegiate life. I think they were wonderful photos, during a time that was not the easiest for many of these men and women. Don’t you agree?

Do you have good school memories? Or would you rather just forget they ever happened?

Further Reading: Vintage School posts from the 1920s-1960s (Archived posts)

Liz 🙂