Photography by Arthur Witman, courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri
This is a turtle race at the moment of victory; as you can see, 99 percent of the contestants showed an extreme lack of motivation. You can still watch turtle racing at Big Joe’s 2 & 6 Pub in Chicago and all over Canada (it’s even home to the Turtle Racing Hall of Fame), but with today’s forward-thinking views on animals, you’re more likely to see a rubber-duck derby. In fact, many of the trappings of this 1940 class picnic (ring tosses, starched collars, bread-and-butter sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper and tied with twine) are extinct practices, unless you’re one of those underground burlesque stars who wears red lipstick and a snood to go to the grocery store. We’re glad for the better fate of small turtles in the modern world. But we’d be lying not to admit we wish backyard picnics still offered such simple pleasures: a string of bare bulbs hung between laundry posts, homemade limeade, and a chance to wear a paper flower in your hair.
