Ok, I’ll admit it: I haven’t a clue about the whole 500 thing, other than stories I’ve found on the founders or this old 1911 postcard I love:
Hard to wrap my head around what innovation it took back in 1911–to conceptualize this car racing thing, when people still had horses and buggies and all…
I was fortunate to have been allowed to borrow and copy some personal photos taken by the Mueller-Kinney family and they illustrate how the well-to-do dressed for the 500 a couple years into it. (The not-so-well-to-do probably donned their Sunday best as well…) Of course, in those days, it didn’t matter what you were doing, you dressed to the hilt. And for a giant bowl of dust stirred around by racing cars, this was no exception.
Here’s how they ‘rolled’ to the Indy500 in 1913–high style, all the way. It seems flip-flops, bra-less tank-tops (or no tops, thanks fella with swollen belly) is how it’s done in 2011. Must be why the skirt and heels I donned to check out “Pole Day” elicited shocked stares. BUt I digress.
This is in the 2000 block of Meridian. Seems the driver was still used to a saddle…
Also from the collection of the Kinney- Mueller family who lived in the 2000 block of North Meridian.
Imagine wearing all this finery to the 500!…later this week, we’ll show the couple of photos the family took at the 1913 Indy500.
And how I chose to represent 2011 fashion–anyone else with me on this? No?
