economie

Vintage photos show what summer on Martha’s Vineyard used to look like

August 1, 20240
An aerial view of Martha’s Vineyard.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Martha’s Vineyard is the sister island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, another playground for the rich and famous. However, “the Vineyard,” as it is commonly named, is larger than Nantucket.

Located 7 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard is the largest island on Massachusetts’ southeastern coast, with a square-mile area of 96 miles, according to a local tourism website.

The island grew as a popular beach destination in the 1950s.
Martha’s Vineyard in the 1950s.

Jerry Cooke/Getty Images

The island consists of six towns and many beaches, many of which are free and open to the public.

There’s a rich agricultural history on Martha’s Vineyard, from farming to fishing.
A couple sits on a beach blanket near Katama Shores Inn in Martha’s Vineyard, circa 1960.

Eric Bard/Corbis/Getty Images

The Vineyard also became a popular “hippie” destination during the Summer of Love and the years following it.

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine reported that while the Vineyard had already become a popular destination for summer visitors, many “hippie folks” who “washed ashore” — a term given to mainlanders who move to one of the New England islands — ended up staying long-term.

“The hippie ‘invasion’ was one of the many mass movements onto the Island after the Europeans startled the Wampanoags,” journalist Richard C. Skidmore wrote for Martha’s Vineyard Magazine in 2008.

Tourists mainly got to the island by ferry.
People lounge on the beach at Oak Bluffs in Martha’s Vineyard in 1973.

Donald C. Preston/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

While Martha’s Vineyard’s overall population is predominantly white, the town of Oak Bluffs has been a popular destination for Black tourists for over 100 years.

As reported by Ebony Magazine, Oak Bluffs rose to prominence as a Black tourist destination in 1912 with the opening of the Inn at Shearer Cottage.

Owned by Charles Shearer, the son of an enslaved woman, the inn was one of the few options for Black tourists looking to take a summer vacation.

The inn thrived, and people kept coming back year after year to Oak Bluffs. It soon grew into a place where lodging for Black families and individuals was plentiful, which was typically rare in major resort towns.

By the mid-1950s, Oak Bluffs had become “a full-blown Black resort.”
Susan Backlinie walks on the beach during the production of “Jaws” on Martha’s Vineyard in July 1974.

Pamela Schall/WWD/Penske Media/Getty Images

The iconic cult-classic film “Jaws” was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 1974.

According to the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce website, “Jaws” came to be after a writer, Peter Benchley, shared stories about nearby shark attacks with dinner guests at his Nantucket home.

Steven Spielberg, who was at the dinner party, was so compelled by the stories that he bought the rights to Benchley’s novel, “Jaws,” per the chamber of commerce website.

Spielberg later chose Martha’s Vineyard, the island next to Nantucket, as the film’s primary shooting location.

Martha’s Vineyard also became a playground for the rich and famous.
Martha’s Vineyard in the 1950s.

Jerry Cooke/Getty Images

From the wealthiest celebrities to the humblest day-trippers, Martha’s Vineyard remains a place for people to gather, hit the beach, and grab an ice-cream cone — though you’ll need to contend with crowds and high rental prices if you want to stay overnight.

Though some things change, summer in New England will likely always stay the same.