Pieces of the Past: 1954

"The Early Show" "Travels" Back in Time to That Year, Bringing Back Inventions and Pop Culture Items

(CBS)  1954 was a huge for American history and pop culture. And in "The Early Show"'s "Time Machine" series, weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price "traveled" back in time to that year and brought back some of the images and iconic items that have stuck with us for more than half a century.

Blast to the Past, 1954, with "The Early Show"
Photos: Remember 1954
Recalling 1954
Miss America Revisited
Mom and Her Gear: 1954 and Today
The Platters Still Serving Up Hits

Marshmallow Peeps
Before 1953, Peeps were handmade in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. In 1954, they began mass producing them, and one of the Easter Pop Culture mainstays was born. At first, only yellow chicks were produced, but now they come in every color and animal shape in the rainbow.

Wiffle Ball and Bat
The Wiffle ball was invented in 1953 by David Mullany of Fairfield, Conn. He wanted to invent a ball that his 12-year-old son could throw easily, as heavier balls were hurting his arm and breaking windows. In 1954, the Wiffle ball bat was invented, and a game began. The ball, the bat, and eventually the game, were named the inventor's son, and his friends would refer to a strikeout as a "whiff". A classic Wiffle ball is about the same size as a regulation baseball, but is hollow plastic no more than 1/8th of an inch thick.

Poodle Skirt
The poodle skirt was quite big in the 1950s. A poodle skirt is a wide felt skirt of a solid bold color that displays a design appliquéd or transferred onto the fabric. The appliquéd design was a poodle on a leash, hence the name. People liked the poodle skirt because of its full, free-swinging shape, making it ideal for dancing. The skirt remains one of the most memorable symbols of 1950s Americana. Nowadays, the poodle skirt is regarded as a novelty retro item, worn as part of a 1950s-style outfit.

"Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook"
A best seller of 1954, "Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook" was a savior for home cooks everywhere.

Poster for "On The Waterfront"
"On the Waterfront" won best picture in 1954, and best actor for the movie's lead, Marlon Brando. An ex-boxer turned longshoreman, Brando tries to fight the extreme corruption of his boss and the people around him.

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Reflections on 1979
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Poster for "The Rear Window"
"Rear Window" was released in 1954, and was one of the most popular Hitchcock films ever released. It is still studied by filmmakers and film students to this day. Staring the lovable Jimmy Stewart as an injured apartment bound man who believes he has witnessed one of his neighbors committing a horrible crime. Strangely enough, though consistently recognized for it's cinematic achievement, it was not nominated for best picture that year.

Cat's-Eye Glasses
Popular throughout the '50s, cat's-eye glasses were all the rage for people with specs. Thick-rimmed glasses with the arms of the glasses joining the lenses at the very top corners, the glasses were mainly popular in the 1950s and 1960s among fashionable women.

Notable wearers of cat's-eye glasses were Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly, Barbara Windsor, Mary Whitehouse, Amy Lame, and Barry Humphries.