Pageant of changing lives
Feb 2 2008 by Graeme Whitfield, The Journal
A TRAWL through The Journal’s photo archives throws up all sorts of social occasions that now seem a bit outdated.
The file of pictures marked “beauty contests”, for example, is brim full of pictures from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but begins to peter out as colour film starts to takes over.
One or two photographs exist from the present day, but in these enlightened times, The Journal is unlikely to carry pictures from beauty pageants as news stories and it seems hard to believe they once garnered so many column inches. But beauty pageants were once big news, and not just the Miss Newcastle heats of the Miss England – and Miss World – competition.
Young women would compete for titles as diverse as Coal Queen, Miss Crimdon and the Queen of the Sun in the North-East.
The photographs we have picked of beauty pageants from years gone by show not just a different social attitude, but also changing fashions.
Hair was generally larger, the evening wear more prim and the idea of young women parading themselves in front of an audience didn’t seem to trouble a soul.
To buy pictures taken by our photographers go to www.journalive.co.uk/buyaphoto or phone (0191) 201-6001.
We have gone back into our archives to bring you some of the best beauty contest pictures from our archives. As well as the pictures here, there are more on our website www.journallive.co.uk.
