Friends of Historic Forest Grove Digital Exhibits

Ruth King winning the 1953 Gay Nineties high school dress-up contest

A black and white photograph featuring Ruth King (later named Ruth Draper) winning the Gay Nineties Forest Grove High School dress-up contest in 1953. The photographer is unknown, but it may have been Allan J. de Lay, a staff photographer for The Oregonian who took numerous photographs of the event over the years.

This is one photograph from a collection on the Gay Nineties festival and the the Original All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest in Forest Grove, Oregon. The festival centered around a theme of nostalgia for the 1890s decade. The event, which ran from 1947 through the 1990s, featured a parade downtown, residents dressing up in 1890s-themed costumes for the celebrations, local businesses decorating their window displays, and the crown jewel of the event, the Original All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest, which earned Forest Grove the nickname "Ballad Town U.S.A."

FHFG_G90_199

1953

Forest Grove (Or.)

Nostalgia--United States--19th century

Nostalgia--United States--History--20th century

Barbershop quartets

Barbershop singing

Parades

Festivals

Forest Grove, Oregon

Online access to this image is for research and educational purposes only. To inquire about permissions, order a reproduction, or for more information, please contact Friends of Historic Forest Grove at: info@fhfg.org

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Friends of Historic Forest Grove