Boy on Frozen River with Parked Car, 1950s — Archive & Atlas
AA-2026-2F6300
AA-2026-2F6300
On the image
A boy of about ten stands alone on a frozen river in winter, wearing a dark wool coat and cap, posed for the camera with the flat posture of a child who has been told to stand still. Behind him a two-tone sedan, likely a 1950 Chevrolet or similar mid-size American car, sits parked on the bank or frozen surface, turquoise and cream, looking temporary in the landscape. Bare deciduous forest lines the horizon. The boy has traveled to this spot—probably with the car's driver, an adult with a camera and no particular plan except to mark the moment—because a frozen river in the 1950s Midwest was accessible terrain, free to walk on, free to drive to, requiring no permission. He stands in the middle distance as proof of the outing, and the car behind him explains how they got there and how they will leave. Nothing in the frame suggests this day was noteworthy, or that forty years later anyone would need to document that children once went to such places without incident or paperwork.
Visually related — by likeness
Boy on Frozen River with Parked Car, 1950s. 1950–1959. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-2F6300. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/boy-on-frozen-river-with-parked-car-1950s.
@misc{aaAA20262F6300,
title = {Boy on Frozen River with Parked Car, 1950s},
year = {1950–1959},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-2F6300},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/boy-on-frozen-river-with-parked-car-1950s}
}TY - ART TI - Boy on Frozen River with Parked Car, 1950s PY - 1950–1959 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-2F6300 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/boy-on-frozen-river-with-parked-car-1950s ER -
From the community
Identifications, corrections, and discussion from readers — reviewed by a librarian before appearing here.
Sign in to add an identification, correction, or comment.
No notes yet — be the first to add what you know about this image.