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Life before the digital age has become a distant memory for many who lived it. Thankfully, we have photographs to remind us about those simpler times.
Today, we’re not just doing any other throwback. We’re winding back the clock to the 1890s to give us a glimpse of how massively different things were. These antique snapshots are from a Facebook group aptly named “Photographic Traces from 1890 until 1950.”
If the group name isn’t enough of a giveaway, expect to see historic pictures of a tattoo parlor in the 1930s, a dance class in the 1900s, and a rare image of the ever-stunning Marilyn Monroe in a potato sack dress from the early ‘50s.
Enjoy scrolling, as these vintage photos may also enthrall you.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Angela Lansbury ('princess Gwendolyn' And Her Hamburger....) Eating With Basil Rathbone ('sir Ravenhurst')
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#2
1942 - Navajo Mother, Rose, And Her Son Ben Chee Henry, Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
#3
A Young Berber Girl With Her Traditional Regalia, From The Ouled Nail Tribe, Algeria, North Africa. Photography By Lehnert-Landrock, 1905
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. Everyone enjoys a trip down memory lane, even if that journey goes back to a century ago. It’s also why the vintage aesthetic is a popular photography trend, so much so that digital cameras have retro filters.
According to wedding photographer Lena Christine, the use of vintage and film “taps into our yearning for the good old times.”
“The grainy texture, muted tones, and soft focus of images invite us into the past the way we experience an old family album,” she wrote in an article for her website.
#4
On Easter Morning In 1941, A Group Of African American Boys Dressed In Their Finest Clothes Gathered On The South Side Of Chicago, Posing Atop A Parked Car
#5
Marilyn Monroe In A Potato Sack Dress (1951)
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 9 months ago
I read somewhere that Marilyn posed for this picture after a critic said she only looked good because of her dresses.
#6
A Reflection Of Notre Dame Cathedral And A Sitting Dog Photographed In 1958 By Inge Morath In Paris, France
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 9 months ago
Gorgeous, but I don't that's Notre Dame. Or is it an odd angle?
Vintage photography can also be an excellent storytelling tool, which is why Lena uses it for engagement photo shoots. As she explains, the intention is to “create a timeless narrative” and transport the couple back into the moment for each photograph.
“Film aesthetic invites us to slow down, to appreciate simplicity, and to connect with the human experiences that lie within each frame,” she wrote.
#7
Portrait Of A Oilof Family ('oilof' Is An Old Spelling For Wolof), Captured By French Photographer Emile Noal (1868-1903) Between 1890-1900 In St-Louis, Senegal (West Africa)
#8
Martin Imboden. The Dancer Manon Chaufour 1930
#9
1890s - Tibetan Lady Ani Chokyi By Photographer Thomas Parr, Darjeeling, India (Albumen Print)
You don’t need to be a seasoned photographer to take awe-inspiring vintage photographs. However, you will need vintage equipment to capture the authenticity.
According to photographer Jennifer Froula Weber, one way to do so is by using point-and-shoot cameras that predate the 1950s. Expired film from decades ago is another great option.
#10
Unknown Photographer. School Teacher At Her Desk 1899. Cyanotype
#11
"The Forbidden City." San Francisco's Chinatown's World Famous Nightclub, Mai Tai Sing And Her Chorus-Line Dancers In A Publicity Shot For “Holiday Magazine” In 1948
SaraCapybara 9 months ago
I have a photograph of my parents enjoying a date night at The Forbidden Garden.
But of course, we now have technology at our disposal to manipulate images and make them look a certain way. However, overdoing it may ruin the aesthetic you’re looking for.
Photographer Paige Mercer advises sticking to minor adjustments, such as adding a hint of warmth or lowering the dark spots. You can also increase exposure by a small notch to achieve a rustic look with lens flares and light leaks.
#13
Arnold Genthe- Edna St. Vincent Millay ( 1914)
Jennifer Drake 9 months ago
This is my favorite so far. She looks like an ethereal librarian fairy. 🧚♀️ I love this so much. 💙
#14
Paul Almasy. Young Reader In The Park Of The Champs Elysées. 1947
#15
The 20's Fabulous Rózsika And Janka Deutsch Aka "The Dolly Sisters" Were Hungarian-American Identical Twin Dancers, Singers And Actresses, Famous Stars Of The World Famous "Ziegfeld Follies" And The "Folies Bergere" In Paris
We’d also like to hear from you, our readers. What about vintage photographs draws you in? Is it about the nostalgia or the different feel that they bring? Let us know in the comments below.
#16
A View Of The Acropolis Of Athens, Greece In 1860
#17
Harriet Hoctor (1905-1977) ♥️ American Ballerina, Choreographer, Actress And Dance Instructor In A Back Bending Pose As A Question Mark For A 1925 Photograph By Bloom Studio Of Chicago
#18
Paris Opera, 1949
#19
1933, Paris - Dutch-Javanese Model Catharina 'Toto' Koopman
#20
Dorothea Lange - Young Family Hitchhiking On U.S. Highway 99 In California
#21
Korean War Kiss-Goodbye, Los Angeles, September 06, 1950
#22
Lewis W. Hine - Albanian Woman, Ellis Island (1905)
#23
Actress - Model Helen Bennett In A "Spider" Dress, 1939
#25
The Actress Myrna Loy In The Barbarian Directed By Sam Wood In 1933
#26
Bassano Ltd. The Model Andrea Mijinska 1930
#27
Albert Einstein Joue Avec Son Violon Adoré, 1941
#28
Robert Doisneau. The Lovers, Opera, Paris 1950
#29
Alfred Stieglitz. The Cards's Players 1894
#30
Actress Myrna Loy In "The Mask Of Fu Manchu." 1932
#31
Adolf Miethe. Woman By The Sea 1903. Autochrome
#32
Mrs Marlene Dietrich, Photography By Wolff Von Gudenberg In Berlin, 1929
BeesEelsAndPups 9 months ago
She was a wonderful woman, who did a lot of good work leading up to and during the war.
#33
Lee Miller. Self-Portrait, 1932
#34
Edmund Kesting. Portrait With Shadow 1930
#35
Amy Peterson's Portrait Of A Champagne Inspector, Wearing A Special Mask To Protect Against Accidental Discharges
#36
Bassano Ltd. Gabrielle Ray 1910
#37
Isidora Duncan's Dance Students, Early 1900s
#38
Cette Italienne Inspecte Curieusement Le Kilt D'un Soldat Écossais. Colisée, Rome En 1944
#39
Jacob Merkelbach. Portrait Of A Woman In Red Dress 1920s
Heras buddy 9 months ago
Because most ww2 photos were for news services . They would be printed in black and white. B&W photos were sharper images.
#40
Chorus Girl, 1933 By James Jarché
Carla Phillips 9 months ago
It always amazes me when I see old photographs that are so crystal clear and crisp.
#41
Beatriz Michelena, Mignon, 1914
#42
Charles Gates Sheldon. The Boots 1920
#43
Johannes Fischer. Double Portrait Of Egon Schiele With Cigarette 1915
#44
Dora Kallmus - Arthur Benda Modèles Nus Aux Accessoires (Margot Di Tisoni, Lotte Heurs, Toni Rippel), C. 1925-1935
#45
Jacob Merkelbach. The Dancer Angele Sydow 1917-1919
BeesEelsAndPups 9 months ago
It's interesting how the bodies of dancers have changed. When I go the ballet, the women are often tall and rail thin, with super long limbs. When you see pictures of ballerinas from this era though, they look super athletic, strong calf muscles, and tend to be shorter.
#46
Guido Rey (Italian Pictorialism). Classical Costume Scene 1905
#47
Unknown Photographer. Hilde Hager's School Of Dance 1930
#48
Claude Cahun. Autoportrait 1929
Carla Phillips 9 months ago
The longer I look at this, the creepier it gets. His arms are off putting and his bright face against the dark background. It's giving vampire.
#49
Subway Entrance, New York By Homer Page 1949
#50
Man Ray. Lee Miller And An Unidentified Woman 1930
#52
Kent Walmer. Summer School Students Of Miss Margaret Morris Rehearse On The Beach 1934
#53
Boris Karloff And Zita Johann In Karl Freund's"The Mummy" 1932
#55
Jacques Biederer. Untitled 1920s
#56
Céline Laguarde. Girl On Beach With Crabs 1909
#58
Edward Steichen. Late Afternoon, Venice 1913
#59
Peggy Shannon ♥️ (1907-1941) American Film Star Of The Pre-Code Hollywood Era Posing For A 1931 Photograph By Margaret Chute
#60
1949 - Chorus Girl Linda Lombard, Resting Her Legs After A Tough Night On Stage
#61
Ann Pennington ♥️ (1893-1971) American Dancer, Singer And Actress Posing For A 1929 Photograph By Irving Chidnoff
#62
Charles Gates Sheldon. The Actress Bette Davis 1934
#65
Portrait Of Actress Jeanette Macdonald Holding A Cat Named "Pozzums" In 1932
Carla Phillips 9 months ago
More like a cat named Pozzums, in his fanciest attire, and the gentlewoman he is allowing to to hold him.
#67
Tatoo Parlor, Late 30's Archives. Winston, Salem, North Carolina
#68
Crowd Meets The "Graf Zeppelin" At The Airport Chemnitz/Germany On November 30, 1930
#69
Allan Grant. Edith Piaf, New-York 1952
#71
Hannah Höch And Her Puppets 1920
Tiny Dancer 9 months ago
Dada Dolls. Hannah's a pretty big deal: https://dollsmagazine.com/whos-your-dada-two-women-might-actually-be-the-founding-fathers-of-this-art-movement/
#72
Helena Pickard (1900-1959) ♥️ British Stage, Film And Television Actress Posing For A 1922 Photograph By Butler Of Chicago
#74
Pierre Bonnard In His Paris Studio 1946
#75
Eckersberg, Else, Actrice Allemagne Dans Le Rôle De « Christiane » Dans La Pièce « Das Schwache Geschlecht », 1931
#76
"Gold Diggers" 1933
#77
The Sisters Lois Waddell ❤️ And Ruth Waddell ❤️ Who At A Single Sitting Consumed 204 Oysters Between Themselves At The January 1925 Great Oyster Eating Contest
#81
Edward Steichen. Mary Steichen Wearing Middy Blouse, Chin Resting In Hand 1920. Autochrome
#82
Georges Dambier,1950
#83
Mrs Amália Helena Mária Róza Putti Aka "Lya De Putti". Silent Movies Era Austro-Hungarian Star
Lowrider 56 9 months ago
Wow! Look at those cupid lips. I heard about them but never actually saw any. Am I being rude? Don't mean to be.
#84
Arnold Genthe. The Dancer Constance Stewart-Richardson 1913
#85
Paul Bergon. Portrait Of A Woman 1904
#86
Un Vol De Porto Rico À New York. 1946
#87
Edward S. Curtis. The German Actress And Suffragette Hedwiga Reicher 1920-1925. Gelatin Silver, Toned
#88
Claude Cahun. Don't Kiss Me I'm In Training 1927
#89
Rudolf Koppitz. The Dancers Manon Chaufour And Otto Werberg As Cactuses 1929
#92
Actress Katharine Cornell ❤️ Posing In A Period Costume As “Mary Fitton” In Clemence Dane’s Stage Production Of Will Shakespeare
#94
Unknown Photographer. Chorus Girls Of The Revue Theater "Femina", Vienna 1920s
#95
Unknown Photographer. Hilde Hager's School Of Dance 1930
#96
July 9, 1926. Washington, D.c. "Girls In Bathing Suits With Ukuleles"
Carla Phillips 9 months ago
You know when you see a black bird with orange wings and you're like "oh, I wonder what kind of bird that is?" Then you google it and it's an orange wing black bird. That's how they named this photograph.
#98
Edwina Booth (1904-1991) Ca 1930
#101
Loving Couple In A Small Cafe, 1932
#104
Mary E. Watts. The Water Spirit 1937
#105
Miss Dubois Ferguson ♥️ Posing For Mccullagh Of Berkeley Circa 1918 Which Was Originally Published With The Caption "Who Has Been Judged Physically Perfect!"
#106
Anton Giulio Bragaglia. Sunbather 1920-1939
#107
Karl Grill. Dancer In A Triadic Ballet Costume 1926-1927
#110
Seatbelt Adjustment, In A De Soto,1948
bart simpson 9 months ago
Wikipedia states that Nash was the first American car manufacturer to offer seat belts as a factory option in 1949. So this may mean DeSoto was the first American car manufacturer to offer seat belts as standard.
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What do you think ?
bart simpson 9 months ago
In your survey, about what aspect of looking at historic photos, you skipped over the most important answer. The history. This is an era when we can have a pictorially accurate vision of the past hundred plus years. We should do the most we can to keep this heritage alive.
bart simpson 9 months ago
In your survey, about what aspect of looking at historic photos, you skipped over the most important answer. The history. This is an era when we can have a pictorially accurate vision of the past hundred plus years. We should do the most we can to keep this heritage alive.
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