My senior class pictures are of me in a string of pearls and a piece of black velvet draped with everything covered with like a V neck. It was just of upper torso. My husband says I am nuts, no senior pictures were taken that way. I can't find my year book, please tell me that someone else knows what I am talking about.............

This sort of photo shot was common back in the 50's, when my parents/siblings graduated. My aunt had one taken in this manner. She looked gorgeous. I don't have the photo anywhere near handy.

Don't know what that type of shot is called though.

But they were very elegant and classy--nothing like today's graduation pictures.

And, to keep it ON topic--my aunt is a very good cook!
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ETA: It could also be the location where folks were living at the time, and if it was a local culture thing. They were living in northern Indiana.

I'll peruse my hubby's yearbook--he's the same age, and was living in middle Indiana. However, it was a poor area, so I'm not expecting to find one. His yearbook is out, so easy to get to.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Indexlady,

Strike, you aren't nuts. Most of my friends that went to HS in the south In the 70's and maybe even later...that is what their senior pictures were. And the boys had tux type tops. Now I went to HS in NJ and ours were whatever we wanted to wear.

It's called a drape shot. Sister had that kind in the 60s. Most schools were doing them in the 70s - except the one I went to my senior year, they alternated drape one year and sweater the next, I was a sweater year. By the time DD was having senior pictures in the 90s, they were not doing single shots, they were doing portfolios. I think she did 8 different pictures. But for the yearbook, they also did drapes. And, I'm almost certain, DGD did drape pics for the yearbook this past year.

I don't think it's a regional thing, even though part of these included the same region that you're in Strike. All of the above included schools in Alabama, California, Iowa and Mississippi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Karen in NE Mississippi,

here in the south schools still do this. Although she had the portfolio done, with several changes of clothes,DD also had the drape shot and I proudly hung it in my home. She graduated in '07.

I will say that I've seen them before and they always look so professional unlike the shots they take where the subject picks the wardrobe. I've never come across it being done in our area (North East) for high school though.

I graduated from a midwest high school in 1962 -- I wore a piece of black fake velvet tossed in a V shape over my shoulders.... just like all the other females.
The guys wore their choice of suits and ties.

A senior photos in ancient times was 'formal' photography. The yearbook photos required certain attire and all the boys were photographed in dark suitcoats w/ties. All the girls wore the velvet drape or a black or navy sweater (some years w/an added Peter Pan collar or pearl choker necklace, or just the plain round neck). It depended on what the class voted on for attire. My class in 61 was black sweater w/pearl choker necklace.

All photos were taken in portrait studios. There were probably 8-10 shots you had to choose from and you would purchase your package from those and designate the one pose to go to the yearbook. We had four studios in our town (Ohio) that you could pick to have your yours done.

My son graduated in 1981, he and all of his classmates were in the graduation gown of his class color, minus hat. They too looked very nice, so did the yearbook.

Now they wear anything, lounging around out in the woods, sitting on the dock of the bay in pedal pushers, etc. It's kind of like the rest of the dumbing down of America, things are rather sloppy, most of the time, even yearbooks. I saw one from a friends daughter who graduated two years ago, VERY tacky and unprofessional. Sad.

Drape shots for sure! Yay, Central High School, Cheyenne, Wyoming, class of 1964!

Strike2.....tell you hubby I guess there are a lot of us nuts out here then, cause, I graduated in 1978 & we used the fur wraps. That was just the norm where I grew up (southern OK).
When I had my sr. pic made, we had to have one done in the fur (color of our choice) for the yearbook ans then we could have one done in some kind of dressy top or dress. They were both bust only. No full length ones.

My older sister had the bluish/turquois fur, so that is what my Mom wanted me to choose also. My "other" shot, I wore a formal dress my Mom found for only $9.00!!...simply a black spaghetti strap dress, with a design in the bust area....she bought it wanting me to wear it for my prom, but I thought it was ridiculous...until I wore it for my photo, got tons of compliments on it, so that is what convinced me to wear it for prom!
Years later, in 1984, my little sister wore the same color fake fur for her Sr. pic but by then they had all kinds of options...more of a porfolio type.


Carol in OK

I went to a Catholic High School in the Midwest. (Our Lady of Peace in St Paul, Minn) and for our yearbook pictures we just took off our uniform jackets and sat with just our regulation blouses on.
Worst picture of myself I have ever seen!
msmarymac2

I finished in 70 and we had the same drape ( all of ur pictures were in black & white)..I was an editor for the yearbook and chose to do those pictures vs. the cap & gown for the book... my girls finished in 95 .. they were sent to a studio for pics .. one of which was a traditional drape .... but in color by then...Things haven't changed much since then...

I hate to hear that many schools are not publishing yearbooks anymore.. myspace may cease to exist but a hard copy of the high school life will still be on hand...

quote:

Originally posted by Becky56:
here in the south schools still do this. Although she had the portfolio done, with several changes of clothes,DD also had the drape shot and I proudly hung it in my home. She graduated in '07.

That's the way my senior pics were too...formal with a drape, and then informal in other casual outfits(a potfolio)and a pic with cap and gown I graduated in 1987. From a school in Virginia.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: delta blues,

I graduated from college in 91 and this was the way our sorority composite photos were done.

Graduated from HS in 67 in extreme SE PA... Delco. Pearls (maybe) and 2 pieces of black velvet attached with clothes pins, if I remember correctly. OT, yes... but you are correct!!

Ok, now I know I come from the back of beyond. I have never ever seen or heard of such a thing.

Fog, I used to live in Gillette,Wy and loved it there!

I have printed this topic out and put it under DH nose all day! thanks I love to be right.

It really is not so OT. I have nuts for lunch more times than I care to think about.

Hello Strike 2,

We had velvet drapes, fake fur and some gauzey material when we sat for our senior portraits.

They used this drape shot every senior year where I attended high school in South Florida.

Only the seniors and I graduated in 1991 but the pictures (most of the Seniors) had them taken the summer of 1990.

I thought it was nice but my husband graduated 1986 and they did not do that for any of their seniors ever. He went to a high school in Indiana, so you are not crazy.

Class of '71 here. EVERY class had a different style drape...beginning with a high neckline and white collar for the fish going to the cleavage showing low drape for seniors...some girls really took advantage of the drape and showed a LOT of cleavage!

we had the velvet drapes in mississippi in '78. the boys had the ruffled tuxedo shirts, bow ties, and jackets.
dd 1 & 2 graduated in texas in 01 & 02, and had professional portraits done at a studio--cap & gown, drape, and informals.

Here in the northeast--our H.S. used draped pictures for year book in the 1960's and I think they were more flattering to more shapes and sizes than say a high necked sweater!

NE PA. I grew up and was graduated from H.S. in Harrisburg PA (central PA.)

My girls had fluffy pastel boas in their Bay Area, CA, HS pix. One was mid-70's in lime green and the other was late-70's in powder blue. They used their own gold chain necklaces.

My Aunt's have their H.S. graduation pictures, taken in the 70's, proudly displayed & their attire was something velvet (black) V-neck shaped & they have pearls on. I thought it was a full dress until now, I'm learning it was a drap--they had moved on to something else by the time I graduated.