30 Incredible Photos From 1957 That Capture a Bygone Era

America in 1957: Elvis Presley ruled the airwaves, “Leave It to Beaver” premiered on television, Chevrolet’s Bel Air cruised the streets, and the Little Rock Nine faced down segregation in Arkansas. It was a year on the cusp of the swinging sixties, yet still stuck in the ways of the past. These 30 photos show just how different life could look in 1957 depending on where you were in terms of both status and location.
1. 22-Year-Old Being Dropped Off for Naval Flight Training in South Texas

2. NASA Scientists With Their Board of Calculations

3. Queen Elizabeth II Driving Prince Charles and Princess Anne

4. Kids on a Movie Date

5. Audrey Hepburn Casually Grocery Shopping With Her Pet Deer

6. A Mother With Her First 11 Kids — She Went on to Have Six More

7. The Runner-Up in a Shirley Temple Look-Alike Contest

8. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

9. Sightseers at Niagara Falls

10. The First African-American Stewardess in the U.S., Ruth Carol Taylor

11. Open Air School in the Netherlands

12. The Original TV Remote

13. Mingling With Bears at Yellowstone

14. Roadside Meals While Traveling

15. Listening to Music at a Record Store

16. Getting Cooled Air Piped Into the Car While Eating at a Drive-in Restaurant

17. Selfie: 1957 Style

18. Teenage Beatles Members Performing as Wedding Singers

19. Bride and Groom

20. Danish Zookeeper Watering the Emperor Penguins

21. A Couple’s First Christmas Together

22. Daytona Beach

23. Joe Pesci at 14 Years Old

24. Woman in One of Nine Stores She Opened

25. Family Pool Day

26. Elizabeth Eckford, One of the Nine Black Students Who Integrated Into Little Rock’s Central High School

27. Oh, You Know, Just a Llama in Times Square

28. Jayne Mansfield With Miss Hollywood

29. Illegal Drag Racing in the L.A. River Basin

30. High School Students in Texas Working on a Project

Interested in more ’50s content?
Take a trip down memory lane with these 30 Vintage Photos That Perfectly Capture 1950s Life in America. And if you’re curious about ’50s culture, we think you’ll enjoy 14 Photos of 1950s Tupperware Parties and 15 Vintage Menus From the 1950s.