Rare Vintage Footage From The 1950s Shows You Every Part Of New Jersey, From The Mountains To The Sea

Do states still make promotional films? I recently came across an incredible promotional program about New Jersey in the 1950s and it got me wondering. I found footage from the 1940s, 1930s, and even 1920s, but nothing from the last few decades. The technicolor gem I feature today was produced in 1956 for the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company to honor the great Garden State and its residents. It’s just as educational today as it was then, with the added benefit of nostalgia.

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From our beautiful beaches (sea level) to the highest point in New Jersey (1,803 feet above sea level).

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And an important part of nearly every New Jerseyan's childhood...

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Visit Cape May, High Point, the McConkey Ferry Inn, Washington's Headquarters at Morristown, Oxford Furnace in Warren County, the Mount Hope Mining Operation, the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Trenton factories, the Singer Sewing Machine Factory in Elizabeth, and so much more.

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Thoroughbred horses, a variety of farms including an orchid farm in Middlesex Borough, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Princeton Universities, Albert Einstein's New Jersey home, Bell Labs...the list goes on and on.

If you’re home with about half an hour to spare, you won’t want to miss the film. Learn about New Jersey’s manufacturing, mining, and major industries like fishing in Sea Isle City, glassblowing in Millville, and telephone cable production across the state…my how things have changed. Share your 1950s memories and favorite parts of the film in the comments. Please note that the video is in color, unlike the photos in this article, used for reference.