The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

"Queen of the Parade" float
Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade
Thanksgiving, November 28, 1963

This 1963 photo shows "The Queen of the Parade" float in the Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade in Philadelphia. Gimbels was a department store chain based in Philadelphia and New York City.

During the early 1960s, WCAU-TV, Channel 10, broadcast the parade live. This picture was taken around the North side of City Hall and it looks like the float was travelling east which would be opposite of the normal traffic patterns. This was normal because the parade was headed down Market Street towards where Gimbels was located.

This float was escorting Santa Claus to the store. Usual procedure was that Santa climbed up a "hook and ladder" fire engine ladder supplied from Philly's fire department.

Liz Matt on the "Queen of the Parade" float
Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade
Thanksgiving, November 28, 1963

The girls on the float entered a Channel 10 contest to win the title of Queen by writing an essay, "Why I would like to be Queen of the Parade." Broadcast Pioneers member Liz Matt believes that the contest may have been tied into a Gene London Show promotion. Gene is a member of the Broadcast Pioneers.

The queen that year was Kathy Rice. The girl in the plaid jumper in the Queen's court is Liz Matt. The parade was telecast and Liz was shown by the cameras, so it becomes Liz Matt's very first television appearance. Liz was then in the 7th grade at the St. John of the Cross Elementary School in Roslyn, Pennsylvania.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com