Elvis is coming to Edwardsburg and the Edwardsburg History Museum.

The museum has a new display containing items from the 1950s. To correspond with this great display a big event is planned for Sunday at the museum.

An Elvis impersonator, Tim Dudley, will be appearing at 2 p.m. along with several automobiles from the 1950s. The cars are all owned by Edwardsburg residents and will be parked on the back lawn of the museum. Bring a lawn chair, and if the weather cooperates, Elvis will be on the back deck.

To go along with the 1950s era, root beer floats will be served. If the weather is not favorable events will be moved inside.

On display inside the museum are many items belonging to Edwardsburg folks. Records, music, model cars, toys of the ‘50s and household goods, a ‘50s model TV set, ladies clothing and items from the Edwardsburg Schools from the ‘50s are all on display. Advertisements from businesses that occupied the town area are also on display.

The 1950s were a happy time in America. The long war was over, many items were available for purchase that had been scarce during the war.

If you were around  you probably remember the Korean War. But that’s not the fun stuff to visit on memory lane. Modern culture still has a fascination with the fads, crazes and pop sensations from the age when the whole family sat down for dinner every night and a car with fins could get you a date. But there was more to the 1950s than sock hops and drive-ins; some of the trends and social movements that came out of that decade, such as the birth of rock ‘n’ roll and the widespread adoption of TV, continue to shape our lives today.

When rock ‘n’ roll music exploded onto the social scene of the 1950s, dancers wanted clothing that would allow them to move more freely to the beat. This unleashed one of the most memorable fashion fads of the era: the poodle skirt.

The poodle skirt was a colorful, full, swingy skirt that typically hit just below the knee. It was commonly made of felt fabric and appliquéd with an image of a poodle, hence the name. Other images of the era, like 45 rpm records, dice, hot rods and musical notes, also appeared on the skirts.

Girls often paired poodle skirts with sweaters, neck scarves, cuffed white bobby socks and saddle shoes to create a casual, comfortable outfit and the expression of ‘50s femininity and personal style.

With television programs stealing audiences away from theaters at an alarming rate, studios of that era developed a unique movie experience that successfully coaxed viewers away from their living room sets.

Remember  “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954)? Using a technique called stereoscopic linear polarization, 3-D cameras filmed the action from two slightly different angles. Theaters projected the films using two separate reels aimed at the screen. Viewers donned glasses with red-and-blue or red-and-green filters that merged the double image, making movies appear to jump off the screen.

Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe get all the credit for making the bra a sensation. Legend has it that playboy millionaire Howard Hughes engineered the pointy bra to enhance Russell’s natural assets in “The Outlaw.” The film did poorly until Hollywood censors banned it for lewdness, thanks to a bevy of shots featuring Russell and the undergarment’s uplifting effect.

The bra’s cups were constructed of satin or nylon stitched in a circular pattern. Known as the push-up bra of its time, it was all the rage with the sweater girl set.

These were the “Fabulous Fifties” and a look back for those of us who remember them well was fun.

Come to the museum for the rest of this month and part of next month and you too can enjoy the fun of the fifties.

 

Jo-Ann Boepple works at the Edwardsburg Area History Museum.