When I think about roller skating as a kid, I remember fun Friday nights at the skating rink with friends, pop music and treats at the snack bar. There was the joy of going fast, and the occasional wipe out from going a bit too fast. Not a problem for 4-year-old Betty Buck, since the caption for this charming photo states she is “equipped with bumpers fore and aft” and has adopted the motto of “safety first” as she learns to skate.
People of all ages have enjoyed roller skating for well over a century. Take a roll down memory lane through the following images from the Prints and Photographs Division’s collections.