lindy hop videos Archives

It’s been awhile since I have done a roundup of my favourite vintage reads and videos. So just as we close up October….here you go. Enjoy everyone!

Oh and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

1940s vintage halloween photo of a man bobbing for apples while women and a soldier stand around watching.

A friend of mine is selling the below 1940s/1950s Harford Frocks Sales Cards and I was very curious on the history behind them. Well the fantastic ‘Vintage Traveler‘ Blog has written a post on these cool items of fashion history and solved my mystery. It’s well worth the read, so check it out HERE!

1940s Fashion: 1940s/1950s Harford Frocks Sales Card featuring a woma in a shirtwaist dress

Camp Hollywood 2018 Open Lindy Finals

YUP WOW! (Video Link)

Further Reading: Swing Dance & the Big Band Era (archived blog posts)

Awesome Garage Sale Find! Dance tickets from Toronto’s Palais Royale ballroom possibly from the 1930s.

Oct. 18, 1929, women were finally declared “persons” under Canadian law.

Read all about the Historic Ruling HERE.

Prime Minister King poses with Nellie McClung, 2 senators and “Famous Five” family members in front of the tablet unveiled commemorating the “Women as Persons” ruling.

In a Fit of 1940s Optimism, Greyhound Proposed a Fleet of Helicopter Buses

Article by Smithsonian – The 1940s were a period of rapid technological advancement in America. On that account, perhaps, the planners at Greyhound can be forgiven for their optimism when, on this day in 1943, they promised that people would be trading up their bus seat for one on a helicopter bus soon. Continue Reading Article…

1940s vintage photo of 1940s people waiting to get on a Greyhound Bus.

1940s Nail Guide-Now this is not an article or a video but it’s just to fun NOT to share!

1940s vintage advertising for a Manicure nail guide featuring the ways t he ways to polish your nails.

Rename Oakland airport? Petition seeks to recognize trailblazing Berkeley pilot-Maggie Gee

She was a pioneering pilot, flying planes for the military during WWII, a coder in the early days of computers and a tireless community advocate. And now, one Walnut Creek resident is on a quest to rename Oakland International Airport in her honor. Read the story HERE

1940s Vintage Photo: An old portrait of Maggie Gee in her pilot's uniform is shown on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009, at her home in Berkeley, Calif. Gee served as a pilot for two years during World War II and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in July. A children's book based on her life as a Women's Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) was just published. — An old portrait of Maggie Gee in her pilot’s uniform is shown on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009, at her home in Berkeley, Calif. Gee served as a pilot for two years during World War II and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in July. A children’s book based on her life as a Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) was just published. (Maggie Gee/Contributed)

Have a wonderful rest of your week friends and if you read or saw something really cool, please share in the comments section below. Thanks!

Liz

I don’t blog that much about my favorite dance “The Lindy Hop“, but for today’s post I want to share with you an event that is close to my heart-ULHS…The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans. And why today? Well this weekend marks the very last time this event will run, as the organizer is hanging up her hat (after 14 years) and letting it become a slightly different event called the New Orleans Swing Dance Festival.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindu Hop on the Street. — Photo: Dean Villafuerte

What was ULHS? Well simply, it was a weekend in New Orleans (birthplace of Jazz) that featured Lindy Hop Dance competitions, Live New Orleans music, jazz club dance crawls, Second Line Parades, cool vintage buildings for dance venues and so much dancing! It was pure magic and one of the best events I have every attended.

Check out this AMAZING Video created for its 10th Anniversary that features outstanding Lindy Hop and takes you from its original start in Minneapolis to its final stop in New Orleans (seriously..watch this video).

Now for today’s blog I wanted to fill it up with pictures and some videos of the weekends I attended (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) to create one big I LOVE ULHS post.

Let’s Begin…

New Orleans

The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest Cathedral in North America, founded as a Catholic Parish in 1720 along the Banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

My friends and I outside of Anne Rices Old House (I think it was lol).

We ate at so many yummy restaurants, like our favorite Coop’s. IT’S THE BEST PLACE TO EAT IN NEW ORLEANS!

And another favorite of ours “Yo Mama’s” even at one point had a very interestingly placed pole in their dining room (it sadly is behind a wall now).

The Music and Second Line Parades

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Music on the street in New Orleans

d.ba. was a sweet place to listen and dance to music. They had a great selection of beers as well. -Washboard Chazz-

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans had a dance at D.B.A. a super place to eat, drink and dance in New Orleans.

Second line parade through the french quarter.

Secone line parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans. — Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The Lindy Hop Competitions & the Dancing

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter. — Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The dancing at night was in venues, but the Lindy Hop was still jumping!

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -dancing competitions at night. — Photo: d.tom

Solo Jazz Competition featuring my friend Nancy Hitzig (front and center).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Solo Jazz Competition featuring Nancy Hitzig. — Photo: d.tom

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Lindy Hop Competition. — Photo: d.tom

Lindy Hop at Louis Armstrong Park.

Liz aka ‘The Vintage Inn Blog’ doing her own bit of Lindy Hop at the night dances.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Lindy Hop Dance — Photo: d.tom

In 2009 at my first ULHS I was able to dance in the WW2 museum in the city. Simply..Amazing.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans at the WW2 museum

The Fun-Ohhh the fun! I was lucky that every time I went to this event, many of my Swing Dancing friends were attending as well so it always turned into a good party. Here a collection of some of those images.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -Canadian Lindy Hop Drinking Team

New Orleans is always a party and you just never know who might grab you to dance (like this guy with me).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -dancing in a bar.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Canadian dancers at a restaurant. — At Yo Mama’s (after the pole was put behind the wall)

More pictures of all the Canadian Lindy Hoppers at the dance (My husband and I are in the background).

We even were able to dance on a historic Paddlewheeler-The Creole Queen one year.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Paddleboat photo.

New Orleans-Large fish bowl drinks. — Drinking out of a Fishbowl is a must in NOLA

My husband always manages to get in all the photos with the pretty ladies haha 🙂

My turn with all the handsome men…man…and ummm…..

Love this photo. Taking a break at a super outdoor market on Frenchmen street with a dear friend.

I’m going to end my post with a video from one of the late night dances on Bourbon Street in 2009. The band is the fantastic Loose Marbles at the bar Fritzels.

Thanks for the fun Amy Johnson and Team!

Question Time: Have you been to New Orleans? Or maybe you attended ULHS yourself and if so how was your experience?

FURTHER READING: Collection of Vintage Blog Posts on Swing Dance & The Big Band Era

Liz 🙂

Tag: lindy hop videos

Roundup of My Favorite Vintage Online Reads & Videos

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans: The Memories