Postcards from Rose Parades past show floats from Helms Bakery and Disney, as well as the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
Who needs a lighted ball dropping in New York City? The Rose Parade had a giant horse-drawn orange, seen on a vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
It wasn’t always a just a parade. As this vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection shows, the Tournament of Roses also included chariot races from 1904 to 1915.
An Alhambra Rose Parade float, depicted on this undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection, included a a precarious perch.
Ahoy! It’s the L.A. Chamber of Commerce float, seen on a vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
A souvenir book of Rose Parade postcards, from Patt Morrison’s collection, was originally mailed to a James Bird in Milwaukee.
A souvenir book of postcards from Patt Morrison’s collection commemorated a stretch of Rose Parades from 1889 to 1939. It included images of several floats, including an Oakland entry depicting “Treasure Island” and a Laguna Beach entry depicting da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” — on brand for the city that began hosting the Pageant of the Masters in 1933.
A collaboration between Helms Bakery and Disney? So it would seem on this 1955 postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection. Text on the back says that the “design features the new ‘Disneyland.’” The Anaheim theme park opened in 1955.
For elegance, it’s tough to beat this Pasadena High School float on an undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
Chickens on parade! A vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection with a 1911 postmark depicts a chantecler-themed float, including people in chicken costumes.
Michillinda, now the name of a San Gabriel Valley street and park, was also the name of a tract of homes and got its own float one year, as seen on an undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
A vintage postcard bearing a 1908 date from Patt Morrison’s collection.
Carriages decked in sweet peas and white mustard are seen on this vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
Will 2023’s Rose Parade mark the return of these costumes (seen on an undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection)? Unlikely.
The text on the back of this vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection calls this a “beautiful and unusual float and part of the throng that gathers annually.” Official crowd estimates sometimes exceeded 1 million. Caltech PhDs once calculated a maximum of about 50,000 spectators, though.
Notice the odd face peering at the occupants of this horse-drawn Rose Parade float, on an undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
The Rose Parade has always had a major PR component for Pasadena. Here’s the city’s board of trade with a float, depicted on an undated vintage postcard from Patt Morrison’s collection.
