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.
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Nowadays, physical photo albums have largely been replaced by galleries on people’s phones or computers, or in the online world.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”.
Flora And Sikes, 1905 – On The Back It Said “Love’s Old Sweet Song”
Tuskegee Airmen Getting Briefed Before A Mission. 1945
My Mom, An Engineer, In Her Office, One Month Before I Was Born. 1967, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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)
Three Young Girls And A Dog Pose For The Camera. 1930
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
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
Summertime In The 1940s
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
Great Grandmother & Great Aunt (~1946)
Occupants Of A Sod House In Drenthe, The Netherlands, Photographed Standing Outside In 1936
Man With Down’s Syndrome, 1890s
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
Swimsuits And Roller Skates, Chicago, Il, C. 1947. Photo By Wayne Miller
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
One Of America’s Youngest Newsboys (4 Years Old) Florida, 1913
My Grandparents And Mom Around 1960 In Chicago
This Behemoth Of A Flip Cut, 1960s
That’s A Lot Of ‘70s Going On In One Pic
The Wright Family, Wokingham UK – 1967 – In Their Matching Dresses When Mums Used To Make Your Clothes
Three Jolly Sisters In Failsworth, Greater Manchester, 1970s
Great-Grandparent’s Home Around The Late 1800s/Early 1900s. Eventually 7 Kids All Lived Here With Them
The Crowd At Woodstock 1969
Annie Edson Taylor And Her Cat, Pose With The Barrel She Went Over Niagara Falls In, 1901
At The Age Of 16 In 1946 My Grandfather Worked In A Paper Factory, This Is His Work Badge
Easter 1969
My Grandma (Still Alive At 96) And Her Dad Baling Hay On The Family Farm In Clintonville, Wi. 1940s
My Terrified Dad (20) And His First Wife (19) Days After The Birth Of Their First Child (Maine, USA, 1961)
Wedding Portrait, Minnesota, 1911. Note The Delicate Lace On The Bride’s High-Necked Blouse
The Fort, 1965
A Grocery Store Clerk In Tallahassee, Florida, 1962
My Great Great Aunt Louise Hayes Née Andersen, Circa 1929
Linda Ward (And Two Admirers) Dublin, Early ‘60s
A Chinese Lady Whose Feet Were Bound From Childhood. Late 1800s
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
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]
![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]](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/662db829377ce_i7ovezimplrc1-jpeg__700.jpg "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]")
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
