Nixon meeting with Aquatennial officials, 1958

Nixon meeting with Aquatennial officials, 1958

Richard Nixon served as grand marshal of the Aquatennial in 1958, the first vice president to do so since Alben Barkley in 1950. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

Dayton Company Paddleboat float, ca. 1958

Dayton Company Paddleboat float, ca. 1958

Dayton’s Department store was regarded among Aquatennial organizers and attendants alike as regularly sponsoring the most lavish floats of the Grande Days and Torchlight Parades for decades, ranging from full-size paddleboats to scale replicas of the Taj Mahal led by elephants. Aquatennial Parade Floats[graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Dayton’s “Century of Fashion” float, 1956

Dayton’s “Century of Fashion” float, 1956

For 1956’s parade, Dayton’s created a 167-foot long float depicting fashion trends by decade from the 1860s to the 1950s with live models. This ten-car display briefly held the world record for the longest parade float. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Minneapolis Aquatennial Aqua Follies, 1955

Minneapolis Aquatennial Aqua Follies, 1955

Dance troupes from Hollywood and Broadway perform a revue number on the Aqua Follies stage on Wirth Lake for the finale of the Aqua Follies show. While the Follies originally ran twice daily during the Aquatennial, they were cut back to nightly performances, as audiences preferred the more spectacular accompanying lighting. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Minneapolis Aquatennial Aqua Follies, 1952

Minneapolis Aquatennial Aqua Follies, 1952

The “Aqua Dears” were the foundation of the highly choreographed Aqua Follies shows for more than two decades, combining synchronized swimming with use of elaborate floating props for crowds of six thousand. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Parade float for W.R. Stephens Buick, ca. 1950

Parade float for W.R. Stephens Buick, ca. 1950

W. R. “Win” Stephens was one of the original organizers of the Aquatennial, and played an instrumental role in the festival’s planning and organization for decades on the Board of Directors. Aquatennial Parade Floats [graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

“Ski Antics of 1952” event program

“Ski Antics of 1952” event program

Waterskiing shows have been a mainstay of the Aquatennial from the early years to the present. A poignant indicator of the shifting views towards women in Postwar America, Aquatennial programs shifted from “pinup” style covers to illustrations of boats and Minneapolis skylines in the early 1960s. Minneapolis Aquatennial Souvenir Program Collection, Call # F.613.M93 M52. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

Boutell’s frigidaire Aquatennial parade float, ca. 1950

Boutell’s frigidaire Aquatennial parade float, ca. 1950

Aquatennial Parade Floats[graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

1948 Aquatennial promotional pamphlet cover

1948 Aquatennial promotional pamphlet cover

Each year in the months leading up to the Aquatennial, the organization’s planning group put out a pictorial laying out the events, celebrities, and attractions to be featured in that year’s Aquatennial, paid for by local sponsors. A poignant indicator of the shifting views towards women in post-World War II America, Aquatennial pictorials shifted from “pinup”-style covers to illustrations of boats and Minneapolis skylines in the early 1960s. Minneapolis Aquatennial Souvenir Program Collection, Call # F.613.M93 M52. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Queen of the Lakes Crown, 1948

Queen of the Lakes "Hobe Crown," 1948

Description used with permission of Hennepin County History Museum: “The brilliantly bejeweled Hobe crown first worn in 1948 by Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes Patty McLane(Parker). The piece is copied from a crown which won first prize in the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts in Florence, Italy in 1906. Designed by James D. Dougherty and crafted by George Hatlestad and Lawrence Hensel, the crown exhibits emerald green semi-precious stones, blood colored garnets, seed pearls, rubies, and silver filigree work created by William Hobe and produced by the J.B. Hudson Company.” Hennepin County History Museum Aquatennial Collection, All Rights Reserved.

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