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People Are Sharing Pics Of Life 50-100 Years Ago And They Might Put Things In A New Perspective
The easiest way for us to get a glimpse into the good old days is to open up our family's photo album. But what if we go through the images and instead of calming down our curiosity, they only fuel it? Easy. We open up the subreddit r/TheWayWeWere next.
It's a place where folks share pictures from 50, 100, and even more years ago to show what everyday life looked like in the past. Featuring old photos, scanned documents, articles, and personal anecdotes, this subreddit has become one of the biggest vintage archives online.
Continue scrolling and check out why 528K people subscribe to r/TheWayWeWere.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Mary Wallace: First Female Bus Driver For Chicago Transit Authority (1974)
RELATED:
#2
My Ridiculously Attractive Grandparents Sitting For A Portrait In The Early 1940s
The last 100 years have produced profound changes in human history.
Wars, technological developments, progress in civil rights, and breakthroughs in science and medicine, the old world has been swept away. Whether it's for better or worse.
Centuries-old empires crumbled as new ideologies – like communism and fascism – took over in many parts of the world. Wars in the early part of the 20th century put an end to the colonial world and gave birth to new nations. However, these wars also cost millions of lives and trillions of dollars.
#3
My Mom On Her Wedding Day November 1951
#4
Cats Blackie & Brownie Catching Squirts Of Milk During Milking At Arch Badertscher's Dairy Farm In Fresno, California, 1954
Throughout the past century, technological innovations have transformed our lives in ways we never dreamed of. Progressive ideas emerged and changed the world as women, African Americans, and the LGBTQ community demanded, and often won, equal rights; from the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the United States to the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries. But recent civil rights conflicts tell us the fight for equality is not over.
#5
A Native American Girl Of The Kiowa Tribe, Oklahoma, 1894
#6
My Great-Great-Grandmother Sometime In The 1890s
The pandemic that began ravaging the world in 2020 reminds us that even though we can buy a ticket to go to space, we're still vulnerable to viruses that can shut down economies and disrupt society.
People are hoping science can save Earth from the devastating changes to the climate that continue to imperil the ecosystems of our planet. In the coming years, natural disasters may have an increasingly impactful role in the course of history. Who knows where we will end up in another 100.
#7
Protesting The High School Dress Code That Banned Slacks For Girls, Brooklyn C.1940
#8
Two Pals (1920)
#9
Gay Men Pose For A Photo While Being Detained At A Police Station For Being Homosexuals In Mexico, 1935
#10
1945: The Day Daddy Came Home. Gunner Hector Murdoch Had Been Gone Over Four Years, Most Of It As A Prisoner Of War In Singapore. His Wife Rosina And Son John Hadn't Known If He Was Dead Or Alive. He Got Home On His Birthday
#11
Dad Showing Off His Skill To The Surprise Of His Little Daughter In Melbourne, Australia, Ca. 1940s
#12
London's First Black Police Officer, PC Norwell Roberts, On Point Duty Near Charing Cross Station, 1968
Stephen Branley 3 years ago
He's definitely on point duty. That's a fantastic point he's got there.
#13
This 1955 Photo Is One Of Walter Chandoha’s Most Famous Shots. “My Daughter Paula And The Kitten Both ‘Smiled’ For The Camera At The Same Time. …but The Cat’s Not Smiling, He’s Meowing”
#14
Sisters In Skirts, 1950s
#15
My Great Grandmother In The Early 1900’s. Thought She Looked Too Awesome Not To Share
#16
My Parents’ Wedding Photo, Okinawa, 1964
#17
My Grandpa (Left) And His Best Friend Willie Hall During The Korean War. Those Smiles Say It All
#18
My Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Great-Great-Grandfather, And Great-Great-Great Grandmother, Ca 1918
#19
My Great-Grandfather That Was Too Poor To Afford A Suit In Sicily, So He Had To Pose In Front Of A Cardboard Cut-Out, 1930s~
#20
This Is Hazel, My Grandmother-In-Law. 1916
#21
My Grandmother And Mom Circa 1974. My Grandmother Took My Mother To National Parks Over The Course Of A Few Months, Just The Two Of Them
#22
“Our Michael”, 1938
#23
A Sailor "Meets" His Baby For The First Time After Fourteen Months At Sea, 1940s
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
Okay, some parenting lessons may be needed. Day One: How to Hold the Baby.
#24
Grandma And Papa In 1937. She Passed Away Today At 100 Years Old
#25
Last Picture Of My Great Uncle Kennith, Before He Drowned In The Buffalo River, 1940’s. He Gave His Life Saving My Grandpa
#26
My Mother Made Us Matching Dresses For A Fancy Party Back In 1954
#27
Saw This Photo Posted Here.. Noticed I Have The Photo The Grandmother Took That Day. (Bought At An Antique Shop Years Ago In Phx)
#28
A Parisian Woman With Her Cat In Her Cannabis Garden, 1910
Fish Boden 3 years ago
I have a cat. All I need now is the garden (and some law changes please).
#29
This Is My Grandma Dorothy. She Was A Dress Designer In The 50s Which Always Made This Photo More Funny To Me. She Passed Away Today At Age 89. A Life Well Lived
#30
Vintage Photo From A Family Album, Freeport, Il
Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago
Besides the obvious that he is a black man and she a white woman in the 1900s, when this required a lot of guts, I love the fact he's wearing puttees as part of civilian dress. This was pretty common before WW1. After the war... not so much.
G 3 years ago
Everyone is assuming he is biracial or black but if you zoom in, I am not so sure. I think people are making assumptions. I would be interested to know the origin of this picture to know the true story.
Load More Replies...
Jennifer Crompton 3 years ago
OP on Reddit says "He is her brother. Other photos show that this is just an exposure issue as he is in shadow." "My wife's great aunt and uncle, from the Freeport, Illinois area, playing around. They had a family friend who was a professional photographer and, as a result, and many informal photos of the family at play."
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago
I wasn't sure, but the curls certainly add weight to the assumption about his skin-colour. The picture is gorgeous nonetheless
Heather O'Keefe 3 years ago
OR it could be a case of the woman is what they'd have termed 'passing'. Which was a bi-racial person that could pass as white but society in general didn't view as such if their background was found out. In fact, could lead to life imprisonment for those that didn't disclose their 'Black' blood, if they weren't outright hung from a tree by the white town folk . One drop is all it took back then.
Edison Michael 3 years ago
Even if she were bi-racial, you have zero reason to assume she was trying to "pass".
Brenda Couvee 3 years ago
Black Karen, Heather is commenting on the female, as possibly "passing", not the much darker male.
Black Karen 3 years ago
He actually doesnt have black features at all. So he is not "obvious"ly a black man. He looks like a very dark white man. Likely worked alot in the sun.
BetweenTheCracks 3 years ago (edited)
It is a possibility, people. My grandfather was born in Italy, and after he'd lived in California for a while, had tanned so dark that people thought he was black. (People also thought my mother was Mexican, for the record.) My grandparents were looking to buy a house; my father was a real estate agent at the time and his boss didn't like him, so he sent my father out to sell a house to my "mixed" grandparents (both of whom were actually Italian). That's how my parents met!
Sarah Fitzpatrick 3 years ago
OP stated he is not a black man. They are brother and sister, and the man looks darker due to exposure issue with the photo.
Alison Duncan Murphy 2 years ago
What? That a brother & sister are sticking their tongues out at each other? What's so SPECTACULAR about that? It's just a fun picture.
Annabelle 3 years ago
Or just someone who works outdoors every day. My dad looks like that in the summer.
BetweenTheCracks 3 years ago
(not directed at you, Annabelle) -- So she says this and it's fine, but Black Karen says the same thing and gets downvoted? That's curious.
Mosheh Wolf 3 years ago
People who do "blackface" do not color the back of their ears, the back of their neck, their hand, etc. That is his natural skin color.
Amina Advany Maglajlić 3 years ago
Blackface is coloring yourself to look black. There's no rule about it having an end line or not. 🙄
Marijana Miletic 3 years ago
My father who s really white with blue eyes can get extremely black during the summer time when he works in the garden all day and I mean eeeextreemly dark :)
Bama Belle 3 years ago
That, and they're playing. Most photos from that era, couples are so serious.
Load More Replies... Samantha Lomb 3 years ago
Because photography was expensive and most got studio portraits. You actually can find funny pictures they just weren't super popular
Sarah Fitzpatrick 3 years ago
Not bi-racial or a couple. OP stated they are siblings, and the man looks darker due to exposure issues with the photo.
Heather O'Keefe 3 years ago
As I pointed out to another? Could also be a case of an individual that was bi-racial and was referred to as 'passing' back then.
Samantha Lomb 3 years ago
that doesn't really change the fact that society would see a white woman and a black man which was a big no no.
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
Tightened so tight with laced corsets, no wonder women did not live as long as men in those days.
Load More Replies... Violet Smith 3 years ago
Quick google search reveals that around 1900, women lived a bit longer than men.
Nancy Hooper 3 years ago
Not really tiny, but the clothing emphasised the waist. Corsets weren't tight laced often at any point in history- that's like saying we all wear crazy high platform heels!
Baby Jenks 3 years ago
Ok everybody , y'all are overlooking the fact that this is a sepia toned black & white photo. Add to the that it's clearly high contrast from what looks like a sunny day & that the photo is over 100 years old, it's no surprise that one or both of the subjects' skin tone looks darker than it probably actually was. So, unless the person who posted this photo responds telling us all the ethnic backgrounds of these two, we may never know.
Crycket 3 years ago
OP on Reddit says "He is her brother. Other photos show that this is just an exposure issue as he is in shadow." "My wife's great aunt and uncle, from the Freeport, Illinois area, playing around. They had a family friend who was a professional photographer and, as a result, and many informal photos of the family at play."
Tom Markham 2 years ago
What is truly sad is that all of us feel a need to comment on race. They're just two happy, young people.
chevy blazer 2 years ago
Is that water he is spraying on her face ? Or is he pulling fake skin off her face ? Or is it hair he ís pulling ? What is he doing to her or her doing to him ??? , This 8s a good picture but sum stuff don't look correct to me ,,, his right foot is distorted or sumthin ,,, what 8s the stuff from his hand to her face ,,,,how they get on that rock and not get wet ,,,,,,the reflection in water of the trees and grass and brushes is all messed up ,,,pretty sure they are people in the background tó the left of her arm about at her elbow ,,,,, and her hands look swollen ,,,,,, that's just stuff I seen after only a few mins of looking at this picture
LongCoolWomanInABlackDress 2 years ago
I love this image. There is just so much... right with it, for the lack of better words.
Janet Mayer 2 years ago
Cute. I'm wondering which one fell in the water first! They're obviously having fun.
Tanya Vaughn 2 years ago
I have better things to spend my tme & energy on, that are definitely more enjoyable, that's for sure. Don't you? I can hope that the numerous other souls out there that think & feel the same as I, that pray for a world without hate, may eventually make the same choice that I'm making & that is to just simply turn around & walk away without any further wasted time. And maybe when enough of us have chosen this path, there won't be anyone left to fight this conflict & it too will cease to exist as well. Hey a girl can at least hope, can't she…
Tanya Vaughn 2 years ago
The reason for this is sadly because all people saw was what they "assumed" was the color of skin of those in the picture. Not one single person saw this picture for what it truly is, A FAMILY PHOTO, & absolutely nothing more. Regardless if a commenter was for or against the gentleman in question, it didnt matter…every single comment posted went first to one thing & one thing only. That was either to be negative or positive about skin color. How very sad indeed. Here's how I see it: don't waste any more precious time or energy trying to change the minds of all the ignorant & insignificant people out there. They are never going to change their opinions (agree or not they're still allowed to have them). Remember this one statement; We will never agree. So why should I continue to waste my time trying to change something that will never change? I shouldn't & I won't any longer. I refuse to waste the time I have on something that will never be different. TBC
Tanya Vaughn 2 years ago
The TITLE (lack of a better word) states; "Vintage Photo from a Family Album, Freeport, IL." Then this comment (BIG TY to Jennifer Connoly) was posted; "OP on Reddit says "He is her brother. Other photos show that this is just an exposure issue as he is in shadow." "My wife's great aunt and uncle, from the Freeport, Illinois area, playing around. They had a family friend who was a professional photographer and, as a result, and many informal photos of the family at play." Thank You for that. Too bad a majority of the population will continue to argue over one topic. No one saw a "Family Photo" & as much as it pains me to say this but sadly it'll be a very long, long time (if ever) before anyone will ever see this photo for what it truly is. And that is "A Family Photo" nothing more, nothing less. This was EXTREMELY heartbreaking for me to read, so much that I couldn't bring myself to read more than only a few more comments beyond Jennifer Crompton's explanation. ....TBC
sofacushionfort 3 years ago
Anyone else from Freeport? Looks like Yellow Creek at Krape Park, near the twin caves.
Silly Putty 2 years ago
Why is everyone focusing on whether or not this guy is black? Why is that the only thing that's important to you?
Sergey Soldatenkov 3 years ago
tick-tock that happened at a time when it was not yet fashionable ...
Donald Holder 3 years ago
This is cute but obviously a staged photo for something. An ad or movie?
Rob Woodman 3 years ago
I don’t care if he’s black. I didn’t even notice until all the comments carrying on about it. I’m way more interested in the impossible size of her waist. Good grief it’s tiny.
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
I find this refreshing, you hear so much about racism, even then not everyone was that way.
G 3 years ago
I don't know why people are down-voting. Everyone is assuming he is biracial or black but if you zoom in, I am not so sure. I think people are making assumptions.
Load More Replies...
Rick Adelmann 2 years ago
about time someone noticed that! He's not black, he's an actor in blackface. That form of entertainment was popular back then.
ApexScavenger 3 years ago (edited)
Yeah, I'm sure that's just starting with millennials. Racial segregation was probably the law in most of the US when this photo was taken but I'm sure it makes you feel better to just write that young people's views on race are flawed.
#31
Me And My Best Friend Rocky Watching TV, 1959
#32
Ladies At A Lesbian Club In Chelsea, 1953
#33
A Mostly Happy Family Outing At Chicken Bone Beach, The Segregated Section Of Atlantic City's Beach Area, New Jersey, 1950s (Photographed By John W. Mosley)
#34
1976 vs. 2018; 42 Years And We're Still Going Strong
#35
Young Oyster Shuckers, Port Royal, South Carolina, 1909
Karl Baxter 3 years ago
Crikey - the “thousand yard stare” at that young age. Life must have been tough for these girls.
#36
Reddit Seems To Love My Taita (Grandma), So Here Is Another One Of Her From 1950’s Beirut
#37
The Wedding Rings Of My Ggm, Gggm, Ggggm, And Gggggm Oldest Dating Back To 1832!
#38
Police Officer Unaware Of The Imminent Danger, Chicago, 1959
#39
After Spending More Than Five Years In A North Vietnamese Camp, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm Is Reunited With His Family At Travis Afb, March 13, 1973
Jo Morris 3 years ago
This photo, called "Burst of Joy" won a Pulitzer prize. It has an unhappy ending though. According to Wikipedia "Despite outward appearances, the reunion was an unhappy one for Stirm. Three days before he arrived in the United States, the same day he was released from captivity, Stirm received a Dear John letter from his wife Loretta informing him that their marriage was over. Stirm later learned that Loretta had been with other men throughout his captivity, receiving marriage proposals from three of them. In 1974, the Stirms divorced and Loretta remarried, but Lieutenant Colonel Stirm was still ordered by the courts to provide her with 43% of his military retirement pay once he retired from the Air Force. Stirm was later promoted to full Colonel and retired from the Air Force in 1977."
#40
My Grandpa’s Schoolhouse In Texas Ca. 1930’s. He Was Always Embarrassed Of This Picture Because He Was Too Poor To Afford Shoes
Karl Baxter 3 years ago
My dad remembered going to school in Ireland in the early 1940s alongside kids with no shoes. Extreme poverty is more recent than you think.
#41
Women Trainees Of The Lapd Practice Firing Their Newly Issued Revolvers, 1948
#42
Dublin, 1962
#43
Caught On The Firescape, 1946
#44
Offerings To The Unknown Dead, Kyoto, Japan, 1963
#45
The 70s Transition: My Parents In 1968 And Again In 1970
#46
My American Grandmother Visiting Athens In The 1960s
Sunshine Sunshine 3 years ago
Such style in a lot of these pictures! Too bad nobody really dares to wear anymore
#47
Listening To The Radio On The Beach, Circa 1940s
#48
The Rolled-Stockings Trend Of The 1920's Brought On A Fad Of Hand-Painted Knees
#49
Class Divide In Britain, 1930's
![My Great Grandmother With One Of Her Paintings [philadelphia, 1940s]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/611e20de00c08_s3gexrtcv1g11__700.jpg "My Great Grandmother With One Of Her Paintings [philadelphia, 1940s]")
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What do you think ?
Hilary James 3 years ago
I have all my grandparents and great grandparents old picture albums ! Come on over !
Load More Replies... sharron lynn parsons 3 years ago
Yes Crystal, I agree, very interesting, and like a time machine, I enjoyed the post !!!
Doug Thomas 3 years ago
It was my grandfather's birthday. This WWII "happy event" shows the wear and tear of the times on the faces of the participants. My mother - upper left - almost has a smile. Who knew in 1943 where the war would take us, how it would end? war-birthd...549034.jpg 
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
My other fave pic from that era. 1967, my Mum and Dad looking like freakin' movie stars at the Fortuna Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. In a band, they were fresh out of a night in jail because their shady agent forgot to renew their visas. Still no sign of their luggage, they had to borrow the hotel's bathrobes while they waited. Love the back story behind the "glamour" shot, lol! 1967-Dad-a...63e818.jpg 
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
My parents on their first date in 1963. I came along about a year later :-) 1963-Dad-a...c52148.jpg 
Pia LaVache 3 years ago
This is a reminder that parents / grandparents were once young people doing what young people do. My dad used to always say “of course I know what you’re up to, because I did the same things when I was your age” and I would always think “you were never my age age, you’re the dad”
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
Lastly, 'cause I could go on and on (you're welcome!), here I am with Mum and Dad at their "second" wedding in 1974 (big semi-scandal at the time, I'm the only one that didn't know it was their first). Wonderful example of my Dad's style and porn 'stache. And I look adorable. 1974-Mum-a...b84dae.jpg 
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
I chose the handle way back when (about 25 years ago) as I'm a massive Elton John fan. It's the name of a song of his from the '70s (Tiny Dancer). The one the band sings on the bus in the movie "Almost Famous". I am no longer tiny in real life, but I'm still a heck of a dancer :-)
Amina Hays 3 years ago
It genuinely saddens me that when people look at photographs 100 years from now, they'll see garbage like their grandmother's trout pout and not at all like the elegance and grace of 'our' 100 years ago.
sharron lynn parsons 3 years ago
I enjoyed the post, so different, I truly love old, styles as compared to today, is blah !!!
Hilary James 3 years ago
I have all my grandparents and great grandparents old picture albums ! Come on over !
Load More Replies... sharron lynn parsons 3 years ago
Yes Crystal, I agree, very interesting, and like a time machine, I enjoyed the post !!!
Doug Thomas 3 years ago
It was my grandfather's birthday. This WWII "happy event" shows the wear and tear of the times on the faces of the participants. My mother - upper left - almost has a smile. Who knew in 1943 where the war would take us, how it would end? war-birthd...549034.jpg
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
My other fave pic from that era. 1967, my Mum and Dad looking like freakin' movie stars at the Fortuna Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. In a band, they were fresh out of a night in jail because their shady agent forgot to renew their visas. Still no sign of their luggage, they had to borrow the hotel's bathrobes while they waited. Love the back story behind the "glamour" shot, lol! 1967-Dad-a...63e818.jpg
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
My parents on their first date in 1963. I came along about a year later :-) 1963-Dad-a...c52148.jpg
Pia LaVache 3 years ago
This is a reminder that parents / grandparents were once young people doing what young people do. My dad used to always say “of course I know what you’re up to, because I did the same things when I was your age” and I would always think “you were never my age age, you’re the dad”
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
Lastly, 'cause I could go on and on (you're welcome!), here I am with Mum and Dad at their "second" wedding in 1974 (big semi-scandal at the time, I'm the only one that didn't know it was their first). Wonderful example of my Dad's style and porn 'stache. And I look adorable. 1974-Mum-a...b84dae.jpg
Tiny Dancer 3 years ago
I chose the handle way back when (about 25 years ago) as I'm a massive Elton John fan. It's the name of a song of his from the '70s (Tiny Dancer). The one the band sings on the bus in the movie "Almost Famous". I am no longer tiny in real life, but I'm still a heck of a dancer :-)
Amina Hays 3 years ago
It genuinely saddens me that when people look at photographs 100 years from now, they'll see garbage like their grandmother's trout pout and not at all like the elegance and grace of 'our' 100 years ago.
sharron lynn parsons 3 years ago
I enjoyed the post, so different, I truly love old, styles as compared to today, is blah !!!
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