Sky, Sea, and Beach, 1960 (04-01)

Historical narrative

On a sunny summer afternoon in 1960, the beach at Ocean City, Maryland, was alive with laughter, music, and the sound of crashing Atlantic waves. Families relaxed beneath striped canvas umbrellas while children in rolled-up shorts chased the surf with metal sand pails and rented inflatable rafts. Teenagers carrying transistor radios gathered near the water as the scent of salt air, suntan lotion, popcorn, and French fries drifted from the busy boardwalk. Men wore swim trunks with rolled cuffs, women lounged in colorful swimsuits and sunglasses, and nearly everyone seemed sun-kissed and smiling. A small propeller airplane appeared overhead, drawing curling white letters across the deep blue sky. Beachgoers shaded their eyes and looked upward as the words “Ocean City, Maryland” slowly unfolded above the crowded shoreline in the brilliant summer sunshine.

Watercolor

© Stephen B. Hales — All Rights Reserved