Last weekend, searching for collage ephemera, I found a treasure at an antique store in Burlington, a small town an hour north of Seattle. What caught my eye wasn't the turquoise blue cover, but the title of this 1958 high school yearbook. Tinas Coma -- what could it mean?
The back pages of the yearbook are filled with ads for local businesses, with photos taken by students. Like this one, which could be called "The Three Faces of Mary."
But the yearbook holds mysteries beyond the title. For instance, what could the "Sexette" student group be up to? And why are they only photographed in profile????
And the Wrestling team spread looks more like a "Hunk of the month" calendar than pages in a yearbook.
So, what does "Tinas Coma" actually mean? My husband uncovered the answer, finally. The words mean "Little Mountain" in the local Native American language. (Maybe it's related to "Tacoma"??)
An even older copy of the yearbook, from 1946, is available in full online here.
Even without the missing apostrophe, "Tinas Coma" sounds like the name of an early 80s punk band. Or maybe mid-90s grunge. But in 1958, such things didn't exist. Could it be Latin? Greek? Nope, not according to Google Translate.
The yearbook held many treasures, like the 12 "Girls of the Month." Why does Miss Poise look so sad?
And look at this Homecoming court!! Queen Annette is rockin' those cat's-eye glasses.
The girls at Burlington-Edison high school were leaders of everything -- singing, yelling....
But the yearbook holds mysteries beyond the title. For instance, what could the "Sexette" student group be up to? And why are they only photographed in profile????
An even older copy of the yearbook, from 1946, is available in full online here.
Great find!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's an amazing yearbook!!!
DeleteAnd I thought maybe it was personalized just for Tina and she was in a 'coma' her senior year- definitely not from drugs looking at those pix, but maybe too many beer and bonfire parties!
ReplyDeleteha ha ha!!!
DeleteThis is really interesting. In fact, Mount Si HS, in the upper Snoqualmie Valley, calls their yearbook *Tenas Coma*. I cannot for the life of me figure out what that means or where it comes from. Even though it's slightly different spelling, this was very helpful! You've certainly found a lot more than I have, hahah. Do you know of anything that can help me figure out tinas vs tenas?
ReplyDeleteIt stands for "little mountain" in the local Native American language. This refers to Burlington Hill, a landmark hill with a lit cross at its peak that overlooks the town.
ReplyDelete