Nostalgia Day 11: Charm Bracelets
October 11, 2012
This is a re-visit to a post I did in the first couple months of my blog that pertains to my 31 Days of Nostalgia topic.
What high school girl in the 1950's - 1970's didn't want a charm bracelet? I know I did, and so did my friends. It was on my Christmas list in the early 1970's, and although it was to be a surprise, my little sister, (eight years my junior), announced that she knew what I was getting for Christmas. She blurted out proudly, that "Craig (our brother) got part, I got part and Gram the main part". From that hint, I knew that a charm bracelet was indeed going to be under the tree for me.
Although the charm bracelet dates back over 10,000 years ago, and was popularized during Queen Victoria's reign, it was the Bobby Soxer Era beginning in the 1950's when the charm bracelet became a "must have" accessory for girls. The bracelet's charms recorded major rites of passage, 16th birthdays, graduations, travel, weddings, etc. Charm bracelets began to lose favor during the disco era when bare gold chains without baubles became the new status symbol. Charm bracelets reappeared in the mid 1980's. During my daughters' childhoods, the Italian charm bracelets became very popular.
Here are a couple examples of vintage silver charm bracelets:
What high school girl in the 1950's - 1970's didn't want a charm bracelet? I know I did, and so did my friends. It was on my Christmas list in the early 1970's, and although it was to be a surprise, my little sister, (eight years my junior), announced that she knew what I was getting for Christmas. She blurted out proudly, that "Craig (our brother) got part, I got part and Gram the main part". From that hint, I knew that a charm bracelet was indeed going to be under the tree for me.
Although the charm bracelet dates back over 10,000 years ago, and was popularized during Queen Victoria's reign, it was the Bobby Soxer Era beginning in the 1950's when the charm bracelet became a "must have" accessory for girls. The bracelet's charms recorded major rites of passage, 16th birthdays, graduations, travel, weddings, etc. Charm bracelets began to lose favor during the disco era when bare gold chains without baubles became the new status symbol. Charm bracelets reappeared in the mid 1980's. During my daughters' childhoods, the Italian charm bracelets became very popular.
Here are a couple examples of vintage silver charm bracelets:
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| Photo Source - Ruby Lane |
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Photo source - Etsy, Green Land Turtle And this is my charm bracelet. It's still in great condition.   |
A graduation cap.
A record player.
A telephone. What girl didn't like listening to 45's and talking on the telephone?
The year I graduated.
My graduation photo.
I hope you enjoyed a look back at charm bracelets!
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Hi Carlene,
ReplyDeleteI have a charm bracelet too but I received mine from my hubby just before we were married.
You have some wonderful charms and I enjoyed looking at them.
Maybe I will share mine one of these days. Hope your day is lovely.
Blessings,
Sandi
Thanks for this Carlene... I'd totally forgotten about mine. Wonder where it is... hmmm. :)
ReplyDeleteThose are darling charms! I can't believe I never had a charm bracelet!
ReplyDeleteLove this post! I have my high school charm bracelet also. I graduated in 1968...yikes that was a LONG time ago!
ReplyDeletehugs, Linda
I love this! I never did get a charm bracelet, but always wanted one, so I gave myself one about ten years ago! :0) Still charming!
ReplyDeleteCarlene, the bracelet part looks just like mine. Most of my riends had gold charm bracelets. Mine was silver, and I loved it. I did a post about mine a long time ago. I may need to drag that out of the archives and repost it. Love that little record player charm. My telephone was the "princess" style. I don't think my charms are as shiny as yours. You've taken better care of yours. Enjoyed seeing yours. laurie
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your wonderful treasure with us. I had my silver one - base bracelet and a graduation cap given to me one Christmas during the middle ages. It was loaded with charms over the years - a real treasure. Then when my home was broken into, sadly it was taken along with many other things.
ReplyDeleteI love charm bracelets and I had one very similar to yours. I had a football, just like you. Thanks for this trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteI still have my charm bracelet from high school. I also have a sewing one and a hummerbird one...I love charm bracelets, but I don't wear them as much as I used to.
ReplyDelete~Cindy
You have a treasure. Thanks for highlighting charm bracelets, I never had one but my mom does. I will have to take a look at it now!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure. Brings back such great memories. My Mom had one with charms for each child ... seven in all.Enjoy this blog so very much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Timeless Treasures with a nice comment.
http://audreyzumwalt.blogspot.com/
Blessings,
Audrey Z.
What fun charms you have! How is the photo one done? I've never seen a photo as a charm like that. Is it laminated? So sweet. It does bring back the memories.
ReplyDeleteLiz
I never did get that charm bracelet I wanted. Love your grad picture!
ReplyDeleteLove charm bracelets! I grew up during that time, too, and I still wear mine. . . Love the jingle of them!
ReplyDeleteI still love charm bracelets. I had one back in high school that it still have. Yours are awesome. Its like a little walk down memory lane! Thank you for sharing at TTF. Have a terrific day!
ReplyDeleteI love your charm bracelet! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!
ReplyDeleteSherry
These bracelets are really fabulous. I love it. It is so adorable. Thanks for sharing these amazing bracelets.
ReplyDeleteHi , would you happen to know where you got the charm with your graduation photo ? I met an elderly woman the other day who had a bracelet with almost all of her siblings on it she asked me if I had ever seen one as she was trying to get one more photo charm . I told her I would look around for her any help would be appreciated
ReplyDelete