The 1950s in Color – Life in America
A look back at the 1950s in color.
The ’50s are arguably the most nostalgic years in US history.
The decade was marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
The roles within the “ideal” American family were clearly defined. The father was the breadwinner, which supported his wife and their ever growing family.
On average, gas cost 18 cents per gallon at the start of the 1950s and 25 cents per gallon at the end of the decade.
The economy was booming, new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods were available to more people than ever before.
Car culture took off in the 1950s. President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act in June of 1956 to create 41,000 miles of national highways. This made family road trips possible!
Televisions became something the average family could afford. The Golden Age of Television was marked by family-friendly shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Twilight Zone and Leave It To Beaver.
The 1950s saw the emergence of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which swept across the nation.
The booming prosperity of the 1950s helped to create a widespread sense of stability in the United States. That consensus was a fragile one, and would be tested in the following decade.
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February 3, 2025 @ 12:07 pm
Oh My! Like it was yesterday! Remember when ‘they’ pumped for you and you could ask for a dollar’s worth of gas?!..and not be embarrassed?! You got FOUR gallons! And you could see a car and know what make and year it was…and be correct! And you didn’t have to lock its doors when you got out….or your house doors either. Babysitting in the ’50s, our pay was that same 25 cents..an hour, whether one child or 2, or 3 etc. And you might even fix them a meal!
We sure do remember so many things from the 1950s…and miss them! Thanks for posting this, it made me feel young again…for a little while!
March 6, 2021 @ 3:08 pm
i like this site
February 28, 2021 @ 2:58 pm
One must wonder just how in the hell we went from that to this !!!!!!!
February 27, 2021 @ 9:51 pm
Different world, different people – clean cut men looking like male, women looking like female, children looking like children…
February 27, 2021 @ 12:55 pm
fabulous ! my formative years loved the girls in bobby socks and skirts loved my first car- a black Buick! the best years