Mavis Johnston’s photos reveal how we traveled in the 1950s
The travel explosion: Mavis Johnston, pictured here in this colorized black and white photo, witnessed travel's 1950s boom years. Click through the gallery to view her experiences.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Local escapes: As a child, Johnston's only vacations were seaside excursions not far from her home in the north of England. Aged six, this trip to Bridlington was cut short by the outbreak of World War II.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Golden age of travel: Here Johnston is pictured disembarking an airplane in the 1950s in the Isle of Man. In Britain's postwar years, air travel was a rarity for ordinary holidaymakers.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Spanish vacation: In the 1950s, Johnston visited Spain's Costa Brava region and the island of Mallorca.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Summer days: Here, Mavis is pictured with her husband, Peter Johnston, on the hotel veranda in Mallorca. Spain in 1956 was just on the brink of becoming a popular holiday destination for Brits abroad.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Sunbathing: The travelers were so excited to visit sunnier climes and it was their first time abroad.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Spanish surroundings: They took photographs of local sights, including a policeman and their hotel.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Palma Airport: Mavis Johnston is pictured top left, with friends at Palma Airport, before they headed home.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Seaside honeymoon: Many Brits holidayed by the seaside. For Mavis and Peter's honeymoon in 1955, they traveled to Swanage Harbour, on England's Jurassic Coast, pictured.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Beside the seaside: The couple stayed in a hotel in Bournemouth.
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City walls: They also visited Ireland. Here they are posing on the city walls of Derry/Londonderry.
Courtesy Francesca Street
New friends: The couple often befriended fellow travelers. Here, Johnston is pictured with new friends in Ireland.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Holiday souvenirs: In Newquay, Cornwall, Johnston used a souvenir bag she bought while in Spain.
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Cornwall snapshot: Cornwall's still known for its dramatic ocean views, and is still a popular holiday destination today.
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Airplane landing: In 1959, the Johnstons visited the Scilly Isles, an archipelago off the coast of Cornwall in the southwest of England. They took this photograph of an airplane landing on the island.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Tresco Gardens: Johnston is pictured here at Tresco Abbey Gardens, the 19th century sub-tropical gardens built around a ruined Abbey.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Rock formations: The Scilly Isles is also known for its rock formations.
Courtesy Francesca Street
On the banks of Loch Lomond: Here, Johnston is pictured on the banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland, in 1958.
Courtesy Francesca Street
Windsor wedding: Earlier in the decade, she visited London to attend a wedding, posing by Windsor Bridge.
