22 charming girls who won the title of beauty queen in the middle of the last century (23 photos)

In mid-century America, every self-respecting company considered it their duty to hold a beauty contest and choose their queen. This resulted in the emergence of Misses with a wide variety of titles—Miss Blueberry, Miss Posture, Miss Sausage, and so on, and so forth. Our review features the most charming women of the last century with the most incredible titles.







Miss Atomic Bomb, 1957

Lee Merlin's coronation coincided with Operation Plumbbob—the testing of atomic bombs in the Nevada desert.





Catfish Queen, 1954

Catfish Queen Gail Hooper of Memphis keeps a 55-pound fish in a New York City hotel.



Sweater Queen, 1952

In 1952, Jeanne Davis of Alabama won the annual Sweater Queen contest.



Queen of Laughter, 1961

Kathleen Townsend of Minneapolis won the Queen of Laughter in 1961. This competition was dedicated to promoting a national sense of humor.



Queen of Posture, 1957

Diana Stopkey of St. Louis won the international Queen of Posture competition in 1957.



Blueberry Queen, 1957

Ethel Silber of Wildwood, New Jersey, winner of the Blueberry Queen contest, soaks in a bathtub filled with blueberries.



Queen of Greenwich Village, 1962

Eva Sloan became Queen of Greenwich Village during the 1962 Spring Arts Festival.



Love Ball Queen, 1968

Beauty queen Lynn Kellogg received the crown in 1968.



Sausage Queen, 1956

Lauren Cole in the sausage department at the Wellington Hotel, where Hebrew National crowned her Frankfurter Sausage Queen in 1956.



Anti-Triskaidekaphobia Queen, 1963

Cindy Carol became the Anti-Triskaidekaphobia Queen on Friday the 13th. Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.



Circus Queen, 1959

Jacqueline Petit, winner of the "Queen of the Circus" contest, tames a toy tiger with a pistol.



Hot Rod Queen, 1969

Darlene Larson poses at the New York Coliseum in 1969.



Mink Queen, 1960

Actress Julia Mead basks in mink fur at the West Side Fur Company.



Health Queen, 1967

Darlene Larson, Health Queen of 1967, sits on the snow-covered roof of the Lincoln Square Motor Inn in New York City.



Ivy League Queen, 1960

Judy McGuire, a freshman at Vassar College, was named Ivy League Queen in 1960.



World's Fair Queen, 1964

Anne McKeon, 1964 World's Fair Queen, with a show poster.



Doughnut Queen, 1957

Joy Harman after her performance at the national "Doughnut Queen" competition.



Press Photographers' Queen, 1951

Jane Wurster, Press Photographers Association Queen, poses at the Vanderbilt Hotel, 1951.



Culinary Queen, 1964

Gloria Prince at the House of Good Taste, New York.



Queen of the Animal Festival, 1964

Sunny Austin with a sheep, a toucan, and a chick.



Candy Queen, 1964

Actress Joi Lansing at the Chunky Candy pavilion at the World's Fair.



Wine Queen, 1965

Actress Paula Wayne became the Wine Queen in 1965.