Old photos from 1962

[Broch]

In some old slides I found these photos taken at Gettysburg in 1962 at the height of the Centennial and my nascent interest in the Civil War. Some may be reversed; they were originally slides. Of note in one photo (for me) is 10-year old me standing by a cannon in my cherished Union officer's hat.

 

[Broch]

One didn't load - here it is

 

[Broch]

 

[LCYingling3rd]

Thanks for posting! I love seeing the stacked cannonballs! I remember them. I was young, but my parents took me to the 100th anniversary events at Antietam in 1962. The reenactment images are burned into my memory. That was certainly a contributing factor in my interest in the Civil War.

Thanks again for posting such fascinating images!

 

[DaveBrt]

We made the grand tour from central Texas to Atlanta, Richmond, Williamsburg, DC, Gettysburg and all the Richmond battlefields in 1960. Dad's excuse for the two-week trip was my upcoming American History class in high school -- but we all knew he wanted to see it all himself. My stack of pictures, post cards and brochures is still safely stored away.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Thank you for sharing these! My parents honeymooned in Gettysburg in 1960. My first trip was in 1964. I sat on one of the Little Round Top cannons, shook my fist and said "we'll get those bloody redcoats!" Dad used to say the Ranger on site almost stopped breathing from laughter. I remember the battlefield looking like that through the early 70s still. I have my old park folders and view master reels. I used to get them all out and pretend I was touring during the winter. And oh yeah - I had that hat too!

 

[James Brenner]

Oh, the memories these pictures brought back. I was 9 when we watched the reenactment at Manassas and visited other battlefields to include Gettysburg. I will have to see if I can find any photos of the trip. While they won't include a very cool hat, they might show our 1955 Packard.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

We made our Civil War trip in June of 1962 from San Antonio, Texas. Shiloh was the first NPS battlefield we visited and boy, my brother and I were really excited! All those cannon and unit markers! We's never seen anything like that before! Then on to the Chattanooga battlefields, Kennesaw Mountain, the Atlanta Cyclorama (wow!) and finally Vicksburg. We stayed in a motel just outside the park and the evening after we arrived, dad took the two of us across the highway up to the 2nd Texas Lunet and the Jewish cemetery to read the position markers. It was a fifteen-year-old's dream. Oh yea, we also saw a bunch of silly stuff to keep my sister and youngest brother happy (as long as the motel had a swimming pool they were happy). I wish I could find my father's slides, but I guess they are a lost part of history. Oh well...

 

[infomanpa]

In some old slides I found these photos taken at Gettysburg in 1962 at the height of the Centennial

Nice photos, but the height of the Centennial in Gettysburg would have been in 1963.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Gettysburg was close enough for my family to drag the trailer there on the first night, or the last night of any vacation where we were going south, so we went there a lot. It was also one of the places that was on our permanent list of short trips for 3 day weekends. (And, oh yeah, I went to college there, Class of 1984). To tell you the truth, I miss old Gettysburg. It's certainly more gentrified now, but I miss the tourist traps like the wax museum, Fort Defiance, and Charlie Weaver's museum. And that lemonade stand way out on Seminary Ridge... They might have been low-brow, but they were great kid places.

 

[rob63]

The mention of your cherished hat reminded me of taking my 7-year-old son to Gettysburg for the first time, and purchasing him one of those plastic swords. After we all loaded into the van my 12-year-old nephew said to my son, "Danny, you better not hit me with that sword." The younger boy replied very matter of factually, "Justin, I am not going to hit you with it, I am going to poke you with it."

 

[Dusty]

First time I was in Gettysburg was around 1953-54. My grandfather took me from Port Carbon, PA. A guide got into his car and I sat in the back seat of his Chevy sedan as we toured the battlefield. I was either 8 or 9.