The images are scanned at 300DPI and are generally 400-800 pixels wide. The originals are frequently just an inch or two in width. They are mostly black and white and on occasion blurry, under or over-exposed or grainy. Yearbook advertising pictures were generally shot by students on the yearbook staff and not printed in color on glossy paper.

This collection tells a story about America. You can page through the photos and watch little Mom and Pop grocery stores turn into Thriftways, I.G.A and Piggly Wigglys. Local hardware, drug and discount stores are replaced by Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Ford and Chevy dealers become Honda and Datsun dealers. Drive-in parking lots are full of '57 Chevys, then '67 Impalas and finally '81 Honda Civics.

Teen fashions also tell a story about the changes in our culture. Hemlines on dresses rise steadily and then vary wildly after the Disco era. Pictures show that plaids become paisleys and wild colors which then become stripes. Girls switch from tennis shoes and saddle shoes to loafers to platforms and then back to tennis shoes. The American female's hair is curled, flipped, straightened, feathered and finally permed. Flat-tops on boys slowly grow to Beatle-cuts and afterwards more closely follow female styles while Barber Shops and Beauty Salons merge into Unisex Styling Centers.

Cultural changes are also documented in the wealth of pictures of local bands playing at proms, homecoming and school dances. Not only are there great photographs of changes in hair and clothing styles, there are also some great pictures of vintage guitars and other instruments. Band names like "The Dennis Morris Four", "The Kruzers", "The Lord Mac Electric Sound Expedition" and "Phire" suggest a moment in time as clearly as shoes and shirt collars.

Does this website condemn progress? Nope, it just documents it. The walk home from High School is still essentially the same. Teen-agers still pass grocery stores, automobile dealers, discount stores and hair styling shops on the way to school. They're just in color now.

Note: The student pictures on this site are from the prom, homecoming, Sadie Hawkins dances, parades, football games and other sporting events, assemblies, the classroom, the hallway, school functions, the gym and group poses from clubs, societies and organizations.

Common School Terms
Elementary School - a school including usually the first four to the first eight grades and often a kindergarten
Grade School - a school including usually the first four to the first eight grades and often a kindergarten
Intermediate School - a school usually comprising grades 4 to 6
Middle School - a school usually including grades 5 to 8 or 6 to 8
Junior High School - a school usually including grades 7 to 9 -- called also junior high
High School - a school especially in the U.S. usually including grades 9-12 or 10-12
Secondary School - a school intermediate between elementary school and college and usually offering general, technical, vocational, or college-preparatory courses
Prep School - preparatory school - a usually private school preparing students primarily for college
Freshman - a first-year student
Sophomore - a student in the second year at college or a 4-year secondary school
Junior - a student in the next-to-the-last year before graduating from an educational institution
Senior - a student in the year preceding graduation
Fraternity or Frat - a men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters
Sorority - a women's student organization (as at a college) that is formed chiefly for social purposes and has a name consisting of Greek letters
Alumni or Alum - one who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university
Co-ed - a student and especially a female student in a coeducational institution
Homecoming - an annual celebration for alumni at a college or university
Prom - a formal dance given by a high school or college class
Hazing - an initiation process involving harassment
Rush - to try to secure a pledge of membership (as in a fraternity) from
Rushee - a college or university student who is being rushed by a fraternity or sorority
Sadie Hawkins Dance - based on Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" - an occasion when women take the initiative in inviting the men of their choice to a dance
Red-Shirt - a college athlete who is kept out of varsity competition for a year in order to extend eligibility
Undergraduate - a student at a college or university who has not taken a first and especially a bachelor's degree
Varsity - the principal squad representing a university, college, school, or club especially in a sport
Junior Varsity or JV - a team composed of members lacking the experience or qualification required for the varsity

Northern Virginia and the Kansas City Metro Area are well covered at NorVApics.com and OldKC.com respectively.