Vintage 1950s Parties

Picnics

          Picnics were a simple box lunch of sandwiches, a refreshing salad in covered watertight cartons, plenty of fruit, cookies or cake, and coffee and milk in vacuum bottles of your choice. Or you could carry along several sandwich spreads, plenty of bread, crackers, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, a pickle relish, etc., and let each person make his or her own sandwiches.

          However, if men were given a choice, most of them would probably vote for the picnic where they can cook at least one dish over the open fire. Folding portable grills which burned charcoal briquettes could be purchased for a reasonable sum. Those worked easily and efficiently on picnics and motor trips where you camped out.  The completed meal was served either buffet or sit-down style from a table set up on the lawn, or if you were on a blanket cuddled up on the beach, in a park or forest.

          Some were small family outings, but the memorable ones were the groups for 20 or more.
          The most common simple picnic consisted of a cold roast beef sandwiches, sliced Swiss cheese on rye bread, celery, olives, cut-up fruit (watermelon), cake, and coffee in a vacuum bottle. For large group,  ladies brought salads or desserts or cuts of meat to be cooked. Men toted the grills, baskets, buckets, and chairs, then took over cooking over an open fire.