“The Golden Age of Travel” is the group’s name for a reason; its description states that the phrase is often used to describe the period between the 1830s and the early 1950s (excluding the two world wars).

The description also states that the posts should relate to where vacationers went, what they saw, or how they got there, and they can include “posters, old photos (or modern, if they depict interesting passenger transportation or beautiful old buildings, such as castles), advertisements” and similar formats.

Currently boasting close to 630k members, the group was created back in 2018. Talking about how it all started, its founder Bill told Bored Panda that as a world traveler and author, he always enjoyed reading about early travelers.

“I thought it would be fun to join such a group, but I was surprised to find that none existed. When I started it, I published many vintage posters and old travel photos,” he said, adding that after creating the group, his sister joined the endeavor.

Bill shared that in order to be posted on the group’s page, the pictures have to be from within the time frame of the 1830s to the 1950s. But other than that, members are quite welcome to expand the limits of the group’s field of interest.

“Members have caused the group to evolve and grow. They introduced archeological finds, vintage cars, modern pics of vintage buildings,” the founder noted.

Research into the golden age of travel suggests that while the roots of travel go back to the 18th century, back then it was still a novelty for the general masses. However, the situation started changing from the 1930s onwards, as the growing availability of the motor car—and later the development of the aircraft—made traveling increasingly available to certain classes of people, reportedly especially in Europe.

Nowadays, many people can’t imagine their lives without traveling. Though the pandemic had brought it to a halt for a moment there, it seems to be picking up speed again, at least based on the leisure tourism spending worldwide, which was consistently rising between 2019 and 2023. Last year, such spending worldwide added up to over $5,100 billion US dollars.

When asked how he felt about the response the group receives from the online community, Bill admitted feeling surprised and delighted. In his opinion, “The Golden Age of Travel” and similar groups provide people with entertainment and allow them to delve deeper into history and art, which can benefit quite a few curious minds out there.

If you’re one of such curious minds, looking to delve deeper into all things travel or history, browse Bored Panda’s list of lesser-known travel destinations next, or check out these fascinating pictures from the past for more similar content.