Suburban Shooting, California Coast, 1959
A lone gunboy takes aim from the tailgate of a 1958 Plymouth Sport Suburban station wagon. His stance is sure and his aim is studied as he stares down the barrel of a toy rifle. He is dressed to kill in a smart striped knit tee tucked into indigo denim blue jeans held up with suspenders. Rubber-soled sneakers complete the ensemble. This is a timeless Americana classic little boy look of the highest order.
His shooting vehicle is space age all the way. The dashing stainless side trim and warm green tinted wraparound glass are among the many stylish design features that make the ‘58 Sport Suburban one of my favorite wagons of all time. And you know I love those taillight housings that look like cartoon rabbit ears.
Boys love to play with toy guns. That has been proven generation after generation. The craze was born when civil war ended and gun factories began manufacturing the first authentic looking cap guns and BB guns for children. Over the next several decades having a well-rounded arsenal of western and or army style faux firepower became the norm for most boys growing up in America. Bang, bang you’re dead!
By the late 60s toy gun control had gotten out of hand. In 1968 Sears, the granddaddy of all American retailers took a stand by removing toy guns from their catalogs. That same year Mattel, the Southern California based toy company extraordinaire that brought us Barbie nine years before, introduced Hot Wheels and the boys toy market hasn’t been the same since.
Here’s to 1958 Plymouths, toy guns and Hot Wheels!
That sure looks like Morro Rock (Morro Bay, CA) in the background.
That’s Morro Rock in the background. My guess is that this pic was taken from Route 1, a few miles north of Morro Bay, near Cayucos. We used to camp there in the 60s; it was a beautiful place.
The big rock in the left background looks like Morro Rock. This photo was likely taken just north of Morro Bay, near Highway 1. The rifle looks like some sort of machine gun with its magazine. Lots of boys still love guns of course.
This is when life was good – on vacation in that station wagon with that cool tailgate. And no seat belts! My dad drove all 8 of his kids on many a California vacation in this style. Thanks for the memories.
I LOVED this slide of the boy with the gun!! THe clothes this little guy is wearing is a American kid classic look. Try getting any boy today to wear suspenders with Jeans. He grew uo to be the old man up my street who still wears his susupenders with his jeans while he works in his yard. “Here’s to the Wedgies that suspenders give!!” ha ha
What a gem! Gorgeous color, too.
So what has all the toy gun mania gotten us? Seems to me there are as many or more maniacal shooters out there ripping it up. Maybe the modern day shooters are of the generation that grew up without toy guns, taking out its pent-up angst on real people with the real thing? Just a theory, and surely more plausible than predicting that returning Gulf War vets, when faced with unemployment, will take out their frustration on us. . .
It’s a cool photo and I love the car, but personally I can do without the gun in the picture.
I,too, figured that was Morro Rock. Lived in Morro Bay and Cayucos in ’79 and ’80 while attending Cal Poly, and the area has continued to improve since then (except, unfortunatly, the fishing industry). My dad had an Oldsmobile dealership in Torrance in the ’70′s, and my husband now owns a gun shop in So.Orange Co. due to his love of toy guns and his father’s collection growing up. Fun to see it all on one old slide!
Cute little guy.
Another great slide.
Thanks again for the fun.
Ro
I remember riding in station wagons like that, sitting in a seat facing the back windshield, with no seat belts… Oh the FREEDOM…
Picking off imaginary bad guys. Cool pic. My brother and I had toy guns and we would play army with the neighborhood kids.
I saw your slide show in Salt Lake City a few days ago and have never (and I mean never) laughed so hard in my entire life! You are so full of life and campy…love love love your Shriner’s ensemble. You point out the enjoyment in little everyday things…my husband comes from a family of 8 & he had a station wagon just like this in green. Can you imagine 8 kids with no seatbelts and everyone lived! You made a memory for me seeing your show…
Interesting toy. Looks like the offsring of a (toy) M-14 and M-1 carbine mating. No clue to who the toy company was that made it, but I’ll bet it was made in the USA.