Title:
Southern Road Trip and Historic Sites, 1958
REEL ID:
L018R018
RUN TIME:
0:17:36
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Color reversal film (home movie stock)
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This reel, dated 1958, documents an extended automobile journey through the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States, blending coastal scenery, wildlife encounters, roadside attractions, historic landmarks, and campsite life. Shot on color 16mm film without synchronized sound, the footage reflects the scope and curiosity of midcentury American travel.
The journey begins in Florida with a seaside drive framed by coconut palms and coastal roads. Wildlife appears frequently, including flamingos, alligators, a deer with its fawn, parrots being fed by hand, and a peacock—many filmed within or near the Everglades. Campsite scenes follow, showing meals prepared on a Coleman cook stove and everyday routines unfolding outdoors.
Travel continues along the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, with campsites located directly on the beach beneath palm trees. At Cypress Gardens, the camera captures a motorboat show featuring choreographed water-skiing performances, a hallmark of Florida tourism in the 1950s. Additional coastal scenes include hang-gliding activity and rolling ocean waves at Daytona Beach.
The route moves north into Georgia, where a U.S. Navy blimp passes overhead. Rural life appears through scenes of a farmer using a horse-drawn plow, tree sap collection, cotton fields, and an African American farmhouse with family members present—documenting everyday agricultural life in the region.
In South Carolina, the reel includes World War I gun encampments and views of the Fort Sumter memorial. Cobblestone streets add architectural texture before the journey continues north.
Campsite and picnic scenes follow in North Carolina, including washing dishes and shared meals outdoors. The trip then enters Virginia, with extended footage from Colonial Williamsburg, where horse-drawn carriages move through restored streets.
The final sequences travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway, including views from 20-Minute Cliff and wide vistas of the Shenandoah Valley. The reel concludes with everyday street scenes, returning the journey from historic landscapes to daily life.
Together, these images preserve a vivid midcentury portrait of southern and eastern American travel—where wildlife, tourism, agriculture, history, and campsite routines intersect along the open road in 1958.
Tags:
1958, Carl Damaske Collection, Home movies, 16mm film, Color home movies, Silent film, Road trip, Florida, Everglades, Wildlife, Flamingos, Alligators, Florida Keys Overseas Highway, Beach camping, Palm trees, Cypress Gardens, Water skiing show, Daytona Beach, Georgia, U.S. Navy blimp, Horse-drawn plow, Cotton fields, African American farm life, South Carolina, Fort Sumter, World War I encampments, Cobblestone streets, North Carolina camping, Virginia travel, Colonial Williamsburg, Horse-drawn carriage, Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah Valley, Midcentury travel, Americana, Analog film, Nostalgic footage, Archival home movie
