Soapbox Auto Race at July 4th Celebration at Salisbury, Maryland in 1940

The Soapbox Auto Race, often called a Soap Box Derby, is a youth racing program in the United States where children build and race unpowered, gravity-driven cars down a hill. These events are popular in the United States, ranging from local community races to major national championships.

The concept of soapbox racing originated in 1933 when Myron Scott, a photographer for the Dayton Daily News in Ohio, witnessed boys racing homemade cars down a hill. Inspired by the idea, he organized a larger, more formal race. The success of this event led to the establishment of the All-American Soap Box Derby in 1934, with Chevrolet as a national sponsor.

In 1935, the race moved to Akron, Ohio, due to its central location and hilly terrain. A permanent track, Derby Downs, was built in Akron in 1936 with the assistance of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and it remains the site of the national championship today.

Over the years, the Soap Box Derby gained immense popularity, especially in the 1950s and 60s, drawing tens of thousands of spectators and attracting celebrities. While originally for boys, girls were first allowed to compete in 1971, and in 1975, Karen Stead became the first girl to win the All-American Soap Box Derby.

Below are some vintage photographs documented a soapbox auto race during July 4th celebration at Salisbury, Maryland in 1940:

 

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Fascinating Vintage Color Snapshots From a Trip Through Africa in 1970

In 1970, British traveler and photographer Allan Hailstone took a trip from London to Africa that took in six cities and four countries. He traveled to Cape Town and back with stopovers in Cairo, Nairobi, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Salisbury in Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe).

“My arrival in Cairo was a culture shock, as it would be today, but I had experienced Morocco in 1960 and so I knew to some extent what sort of atmosphere to expect.” He told MailOnline Travel. “Rhodesia was fascinating because the country had declared itself independent of British rule in 1965, and the so-called Smith regime was regarded as illegal by the UK and one was advised not to visit. There were no UK consular links, and the only country friendly to it was South Africa. The only air link was from South Africa so I had to travel there from Johannesburg, then return to Johannesburg, rather than visiting it en route.

“South Africa existed under apartheid. I found the people intelligent and cultured. I remember that it was commonplace in Cape Town to see men playing chess in the street. The hotel where I stayed gives an example of the very cheap pricing. It was a luxury hotel, and I had a suite of rooms at £5 per night, which even then was ridiculously cheap. It had a closed-circuit TV in the lobby, which attracted much interest as ordinary TV did not exist.”

Take a look back at Africa in 1970 through these fascinating images. For more photographs, visit Hailstone's brilliant Flickr site.

Midan Tahrir (Liberation Square), Cairo

Cairo

Nile Hilton Hotel, Cairo

Cairo

Sunset over the Nile, Cairo

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