From the Archives: The early days of the Rose Parade

The Tournament of Roses Parade began in 1890 as a promotional winter festival by the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club. Nothing like sun, clean air and snow-capped mountains to sell Southern California to the frozen East.

The festival took off and became the premier New Year’s Day event viewed by millions worldwide.

Here is a collection of Rose Parade images from 1895 through 1926.

Have a wonderful new year!

This post was originally published on Dec. 31, 2010.

Jan. 1, 1910: Pasadena High School’s float, titled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” takes part in the 1910 Rose Parade. This photo was the lead image in the Los Angeles Times’ Jan. 2, 1910, coverage of the Tournament of Roses.

(M.E. Rafert / Los Angeles Times)

See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here