People Are Sharing Historical Pictures Of Everyday Life In This Dedicated Online Group (50 Pics)
Looking at old pictures can be fascinating: people dressed in what could be considered the latest fashion trends (grandpa’s pants are soooo back in style), homes and surroundings that could only be seen on movie sets nowadays, and so much more all frozen in time for us to marvel at.
Covering the good, the bad, and the ugly of life as it was, the subreddit titled ‘The Way We Were’ is a treasure trove of such moments frozen in time. If you’re a fan of time travel enabled by browsing old photographs, you ought to love today’s list, so wait no longer, scroll down to find it and make sure to upvote your favorite pictures from the subreddit.
Upon scrolling down you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with an assistant professor of history at the Department of History, Philosophy, and Geography at Columbus State University, Dr. Laura June Davis, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on the charm and significance of old pictures.
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A Young Black Man, In An Act Of Resistance To South Africa's Apartheid Policies, Rides A Bus Restricted To Whites Only, In Durban, South Africa, 1980s
Three Best Friends From Nebraska Circa 1910
My Father & Grandparents, Louisiana, 1965
Browsing through old photo albums entails more than just looking at pretty pictures. They all tell a story—be it one of an extended family or many that somehow ended up in the same bunch—and it's the person with said album in their hands that gets to unravel it.
Nowadays, physical photo albums have largely been replaced by galleries on people’s phones or computers, or in the online world. However, that is not necessarily worse; while it is true that they don’t have the same feeling, digital albums allow more people to access them, consequently reaching a wider audience of curious humans.
And if you’re at all curious about what life was like back in the day, you ought to love the ‘The Way We Were’ subreddit, which, in their own words, covers “What **normal everyday life** was like for people living 50, 100, or more years ago”.
Tuskegee Airmen Getting Briefed Before A Mission. 1945
Flora And Sikes, 1905 - On The Back It Said "Love's Old Sweet Song"
For people whose job it is to delve deeper into the stories of the past, pictures have immeasurable value. “Photographs are an invaluable primary source resource for historians as they provide a window into the past,” Dr. Laura June Davis pointed out in an interview with Bored Panda. “They might capture a specific event, reveal the clothing, culture, or values of the time, or put a face to a long-forgotten name. Sometimes, photographs are the only historical evidence we have of a person.”
A Black Man And A White Woman Embracing On A New York Subway - A Controversial Image For It's Time. Late 1960s. (Image - Ernest Cole)
My Mom, An Engineer, In Her Office, One Month Before I Was Born. 1967, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Three Young Girls And A Dog Pose For The Camera. 1930
“For many key moments in our nation's past, it was the photographic evidence that not only captured the event but helped give it meaning,” Dr. Davis continued, discussing the value of old pictures. “Photography was relatively new during the Civil War but photographers like Mathew Brady captured the carnage of the conflict and made Americans (from both sides) comprehend the human costs of war.
“Jacob Riis, the famous muckraker, highlighted the plight, dangerous working conditions, and unsanitary living conditions of the turn-of-the-century New York City slums, prompting reforms. And the graphic violence endured by peaceful protesting civil rights activists and captured by the media helped garner popular support for change, leading to things like the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.”
My Grandparents On Their Wedding Day. March 1969, West Sumatera, Indonesia
My Sister And Me 1963. The Photographer Told Us To Not Smile Which Made Us Giggle
My Grandparents' Wedding, 100 Years Ago Today
Some historical pictures are so significant, they can even be recalled in the memories of people millions of miles away from where—or decades of years later from when—they were taken.
Take the picture of construction workers having lunch on an unfinished skyscraper in New York, for instance; chances are you already have the image of eleven men hanging above the city in your head – an iconic picture taken back in 1932, known under the title “Lunch atop a Skyscraper”.
Mad Magazine Artists Al Jaffee And Will Elder, In The Lunchroom At The High School For Music And Arts In New York City, 1936
Two Women Grinding An Axe, 1918
Grocery Shopping In The 1960s
In an interview with Bored Panda, Dr. Davis emphasized that by processing, digitizing, and archiving old photographs, we can help preserve our history.
“On a personal level, it's a great way to preserve our family stories, relive key moments of a collective past, and give faces to our long-lost loved ones. It's also a way to honor those who came before us, and remember where we came from,” she added.
Great Grandmother & Great Aunt (~1946)
I'm The Tall American With My Sri Lankan Family In 1980. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
My Date And Me All Dressed Up For A Fancy Party, 1974
Research suggests that on a personal level, browsing old pictures can even help alleviate low levels of pain, as the nostalgia it evokes can reduce activity in areas involved in pain perception.
According to Professor Huajian Cai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences responsible for carrying out the research, “As a predominantly positive emotion, nostalgia serves various adaptive functions, including a recently revealed analgesic effect,” The Mirror reports.
Summertime In The 1940s
Occupants Of A Sod House In Drenthe, The Netherlands, Photographed Standing Outside In 1936
Man With Down’s Syndrome, 1890s
Whether it’s history-based research, curiosity, or a mild headache you’re trying to alleviate that encourages you to browse old pictures, we have plenty of them in store here at Bored Panda. So, when you’re done going through this list, feel free to continue to our previous editions on ‘The Way We Were’ here or here, or check out Bored Panda’s history category for more of similar content.
Disco Sally, 78 Year Old Studio 54 Regular, 1978
A Selection Of 1890s To Early 1900s Mugshots From Nebraska
A Couple Of Victorian Travellers, 1890s
May 1922: 78-Year-Old Robert T. Lincoln (Son Of Abraham Lincoln) Is Helped Up The Steps At The Dedication Of The Lincoln Memorial In Washington D.c
Swimsuits And Roller Skates, Chicago, Il, C. 1947. Photo By Wayne Miller
My Grandparents And Mom Around 1960 In Chicago
One Of America’s Youngest Newsboys (4 Years Old) Florida, 1913
This Behemoth Of A Flip Cut, 1960s
That’s A Lot Of ‘70s Going On In One Pic
Three Jolly Sisters In Failsworth, Greater Manchester, 1970s
The Wright Family, Wokingham UK - 1967 - In Their Matching Dresses When Mums Used To Make Your Clothes
Great-Grandparent’s Home Around The Late 1800s/Early 1900s. Eventually 7 Kids All Lived Here With Them
Annie Edson Taylor And Her Cat, Pose With The Barrel She Went Over Niagara Falls In, 1901
A cell phone. (Just starting a time-travel rumor.)
Load More Replies...Easter 1969
The Crowd At Woodstock 1969
Wedding Portrait, Minnesota, 1911. Note The Delicate Lace On The Bride’s High-Necked Blouse
At The Age Of 16 In 1946 My Grandfather Worked In A Paper Factory, This Is His Work Badge
My Great Great Aunt Louise Hayes Née Andersen, Circa 1929
The Fort, 1965
My Terrified Dad (20) And His First Wife (19) Days After The Birth Of Their First Child (Maine, USA, 1961)
My Grandma (Still Alive At 96) And Her Dad Baling Hay On The Family Farm In Clintonville, Wi. 1940s
A Grocery Store Clerk In Tallahassee, Florida, 1962
In This Image From 1955, We See A Woman Hanging Her Laundry On The Clothes-Line In Her Backyard. When I Was Growing Up - In The 1960s And 1970s - Every Backyard On My Street Had A Clothes-Line. While Hanging Out Their Laundry, The Neighbors Would Holler To Each Other
Linda Ward (And Two Admirers) Dublin, Early ‘60s
Woman In Knee-Length Dress And Pants, Ca. 1860s. From A Bound Photo Album I Bought Years Ago. Subject And Photographer Unknown. [1457 X 2361]
A Chinese Lady Whose Feet Were Bound From Childhood. Late 1800s
Beautiful Vintage Photos Collection, 1962-1980
Western Saloon
Grandpa’s Photo From The Dorms Freshmen Year At Purdue University 1956
My Great Grandmother’s Brother, Perry. He Was Beaten To Death In A Bar Fight In 1949 At The Age Of 31
I'm reaching the age where these photos evoke more than a nostalgia for my time, but a growing sense of how my time is rapidly becoming historical. My world is gone, and this world belongs to my children. The problems of yesterday seem so simple now, while the problems of today seem so impossibly complex. And then I begin to realize how, as time goes on and my world fades into history, it becomes easier and easier to imagine being ready to let go of this new world I don't belong to. Maybe that is what age is supposed to do, let you be ready for when time runs out. It feels both terrifying and comforting at the same time, to join the history books where we all eventually will belong.
How very beautifully written. I love your description.
Load More Replies...Beautiful people living life to the fullest, taking opportunities to grow and love and learn. It's always nice to remember that not the "whole" world is burning.
These articles always make me want to go back and look at my own family history photos. I know a lot of the stories of the people in them because my grandad told and wrote a lot of them for me but I would love to know more.
I'm reaching the age where these photos evoke more than a nostalgia for my time, but a growing sense of how my time is rapidly becoming historical. My world is gone, and this world belongs to my children. The problems of yesterday seem so simple now, while the problems of today seem so impossibly complex. And then I begin to realize how, as time goes on and my world fades into history, it becomes easier and easier to imagine being ready to let go of this new world I don't belong to. Maybe that is what age is supposed to do, let you be ready for when time runs out. It feels both terrifying and comforting at the same time, to join the history books where we all eventually will belong.
How very beautifully written. I love your description.
Load More Replies...Beautiful people living life to the fullest, taking opportunities to grow and love and learn. It's always nice to remember that not the "whole" world is burning.
These articles always make me want to go back and look at my own family history photos. I know a lot of the stories of the people in them because my grandad told and wrote a lot of them for me but I would love to know more.