66 years ago today: Do you recognise these stylish West Midlands Teddy Boys?
Do you recognise any of these stylish young men?
This photo of a group of 'Teddy Boys' in the West Midlands, which appeared in the Express & Star on this day 66 years ago, (February 27, 1957), gives us a small glimpse into one of the trendy fashions of the time.
Large, greased-up hair, sharp mock-Edwardian suits and smart shoes polished to within an inch of their lives - there's no question these youths somewhere in the West Midlands were emulating the Teddy Boy style that swept the nation in the post-war years, even if the other information with the photo has been lost to time.
The Teddy Boy phenomenon, for men to style themselves in mock-Edwardian clothes and coiffured hair and listen to American music, originated in London before spreading rapidly across the country - including to our friends in the West Midlands above.
But evidently some were wary of these gangs of distinctive-looking young men - the caption pasted to the back of the physical copy of this photo makes reference to the notoriety the Teddy Boy fashion had garnered after a number of high-profile violent clashes involving young men dressed in suits in the 1950s.
It says: "These West Midland youths take pleasure in wearing a certain type of finery - but not everyone who wears Edwardian clothes is a delinquent."
Even though these fellows were doing nothing more dangerous than posing for the camera, the Teddy Boy image came to represent unruly behaviour and violence to some.
If you think any of the dapper lads in the photo could in fact be you or one of your relatives or friends in their heyday, please get in touch and tell us more at rob.smith@mnamedia.co.uk.
