The Fifties were a decade of unapparelled optimism, especially in the USA, which cast off wartime production necessities and redirected that mighty industrial capacity (barely two thirds of which had been utilised during the war) into production of consumer goodies for a large and hungry domestic market.

This optimism was also reflected in a particular aesthetic, which moved well away from the grimness of the preceding decades.

The Fifties also gave us two unique and hitherto unknown concepts – the Teenager and Rock ‘n’ Roll

For those of us who came of age in the 1970s, the popular portrayal of the decade was encapsulated in the mighty comedy “Happy Days”, which showcased a wondrous suburban idyll where, if one was ambitious enough, sharks could be jumped.

Anyway, here’s some classics from that decade: 

and

Cats, let’s see some classics from that decade – those posting Miles Davis and Elvis go into the draw for a free subscription to my monthly economics newsletter!