A Day at Happy Hampton 40 Years Ago

SeacoastNH.com Presents
Historic Portsmouth #424

Could it really be four decades since we grooved on the funky beach at Happy Hampton, USA? Here again is Boar’s Head in the background, but this photo comes from the Nixon era. None of the strife of student strikes or war protests are in evidence in this official New Hampshire publicity photo. (Continued below)

 

The mood is more 60s “Beach Blanket Bingo” than cultural revolution here. The bikini-clad models pose under an authorized Hampton Beach State Park umbrella with an artistically positioned wooden lobster trap. This image comes from the extensive collection of the late Douglas Armsden of Kittery. Many of the superb pictures of this professional seacoast photographer are now housed at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and have recently been scanned and cataloged. (Courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum)

BONUS CLOSE-UPS

Photo by Douglas Armsden
(c) Portsmouth Athenaeum as seen on SEACOASTNH.com

READER RESPONSE:

Hi Dennis, My mother cut out your photo [in the Portsmouth Herald] on Aug 16, and I thought you’d be interested in knowing the story behind it. The ‘models were Doug Armsden’s daughter Cathy (standing) and myself. It was probably shot in 1970 and we did several poses in lifeguards, one of which became a Hampton Beach poster. What fun, a walk back in time. 
-- Leslie van Berkum, Deerfield, NH