Among my grandmother’s possessions were her high school yearbooks.  My mom and aunt split them up, where my aunt got her senior one, while my mom got the other two (high school was only three years back then).  My grandmother entered Nampa High School in 1944, a time when the world was at war, and freedoms were truly being fought for, and it is reflected in the yearbook’s cover…

The inside is adored with signatures and messages galore to the likes of “you’re a swell kid” and “Remember the dreary times we’ve had in Home Ec this year. Let’s hope they’re better next year” and countless writings of “Lots of Luck”.

The great thing about yearbooks is that they provide a true window into the time. Sure, you can watch old movies and TV shows, but that is still a stylized version of the time. Yearbooks provide exact images of how people dressed and did their hair, offering up fantastic inspiration for the vintage lover.

The downside – it isn’t a catalog.  There are so many dresses and such that I would LOVE to own, including that sweater with the guitar on it that the girl in the above photo is wearing.

I would kill to know what that little crossed out bit read! My grandmother’s name is written next to the girl seated on the sofa.

Another entry will be done with her 1945 yearbook. Maybe I can get my hands on her 1946 one from my aunt later.