50 Fascinating Photos From 50-100 Years Ago Could Change Your Perspective About Life

Have you ever wondered what today would have been like a century ago? Well, we're going back in time, so buckle up.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• December 19, 2021

What words would you use to describe a typical day in this present age? For the modern person, it might be anything from checking your e-mail to scrolling through social media for the latest happenings to driving to work.

Everything we do is so interconnected with technology that it's hard to imagine a time when things were different. But have you ever wondered how our parents and grandparents lived?

Today's world is totally different from that of 20, 50, or 100 years ago. You just have to look at old photos of kids playing in the streets or people enjoying ice cream on a hot sunny day without checking their phones every two minutes to really understand how things have changed.

Using Reddit's "The Way We Were" subreddit, we can all buckle in and take a trip back in time with a gorgeous collection of historical images, scanned papers, articles, and personal experiences.

Founded in 2012, the community has spent the last decade taking users on different time travels to relive the past. It's interesting (and sometimes alarming) to see just how different our lives are from those of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or even further back.

Today, the community has over 549k members who, like us, are fascinated by things that have passed through the ages. 

1. A trip back in time to the 1940s, featuring my Grandpa and his horse, Ruby

2. Detroit,1968: A young woman dressed for a night out in town

3. Crow Nation, Fort Keogh, Montana (1881). This photo was taken by L.A. Huffman

Nancy Darling, a professor at Oberlin College and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Adolescence, was more than happy to offer her knowledge about our ever-changing perception of time in an interview.

People prefer to think of time passing as a function of the number of events that take place. As a result, our concept of time is a wholly subjective one.

I find it interesting that when my days are packed, I feel time passes both very fast and very slow. For example: During a busy week, events a week ago seem in the far, distant past because so many things have intervened since.

So much is occurring so quickly that it feels as though time is flying by.

4. Cairo Mary—bouncer at Shanghai Reds, escorting a customer out (San Pedro, CA, 1953)

5. My great aunt, standing in front her house (Boston, 1964). This home was purchased on a milkman's wages

As we become older, our perceptions of time may shift as well, which is interesting. Nancy explains that cooking a meal or shopping for groceries are two examples of everyday tasks that are taking longer for you to do.

The passage of time just marks age and accomplishment, she says. I just got an email this morning reminding me I’d promised to do something in July. That seems both forever ago (I’ve done a thousand things since) and very close (every day, I keep saying I’ll do it ’tomorrow.’)

6. "Aww, I miss my Kitty so much." 1949, Harlem, New York City.

7. My grandma carrying my uncle (Iran, April 1971)

8. A studio portrait of a young woman in Kentucky, Circa (1890-1910)

9. I was going through photos for a memorial slide show for my father, who just passed away. My parents are pictured in a kitchen from the early 1970s, but I particularly like the way they are looking at each other

This is also true for life, which is fascinating to contemplate. Think of your children being little and vulnerable, says the professor. 

How can my son be living in Manhattan and getting ready to teach in the public schools? Time flies, she said. There are many things I’d always planned to do, but haven’t gotten to (yet). I am too old now?, she added.

10. Japanese New Year's Day Parade, Niigata Prefecture, 1956: Children pictured in Traditional Minobashi Raincoats

11. An old Woman Reads A Book While Her Cat Sits On Her Lap (1944)

12. Adelaide Springett, embarrassed by the state of her boots, stands for a portrait barefooted (London, 1901). Captured by Horace Warner

Keep time on your side and don't allow a single day to stretch into a year—that's the biggest obstacle. Nancy claims that there are options available for dealing with the situation.

If you regularly review what your priorities are and focus on those, you feel like a lot has gotten done and you don’t regret the fact that you’ve wasted your days, she suggested.

Even the tiniest sensation of accomplishment can make it appear as if time is passing more quickly. In her final words, she explained that;

Days when I accomplish a lot are full and satisfying, but also feel long. A productive week feels like it’s lasted forever. It also feels good.

13. This photo of my great-grandmother, in her fifties, was most likely taken in the 1970s or 1980s

14. Three young girls posing with their furry friend (Circa 1930)

15. Four Generations portrait (Circa 1905)

16. A photograph of my mother Rose (16th June, 1959)

17. A photograph of my grandfather, aged 15, and his friends (Amache Internment Camp, Colorado, Circa 1942)

18. This young man was photographed protesting against poor wages for teachers (California, 1930). Photo by Paul Thompson

19. Isaac and Rosa, liberated slave children from New Orleans (1863)

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20. A photo of my second great aunt Sara (Right), her mother Manuela (Sitting), and Aunt Emilia. Huancavelica, Peru (1930)

21. They call him "Butterfly Boy" (New York City, 1949)

22. Karen Leadlay is an engineer at General Dynamics. Here he is working on the analog computers in the space division of the company (1964)

23. A portrait of a young lady smiling (1880)

24. A casual photo of a man with his feline friend in the early 1900s

25. Beautiful creole lady (1860)

26. Dressing up as a water heater for Halloween (Circa 1979)

27. Adorable kid roaring back at a fierce-looking stuffed grizzly bear. The photo was taken at the sportsman's show in the Chicago coliseum (Illinois, 1967)

28. Two young ladies sitting at a bar in New York (1945). The photo was taken by Weegee

29. Mother and child pose for a quick shot in a wooden pram (Netherlands, 1929)

30. After decades of not seeing photos of my Mexican family, I finally found it! (Nayarit, Mexico, early 1900s)

31. A photo of two kids posing with the largest log cabin in the world. Built In 1905, burned down In 1964. (Portland, Oregon, USA, 1938)

32. A photo of Teddy Girls, centered around a still-bomb-damaged London (1955)

33. Gertrude and Ursula Falke (Germany, 1906)

34. My Aunt Estie during her high school graduation (The Bronx, 1945)

35. My mom and dad having a meal together in the mid 1940s

36. People attempting to rescue a horse that fell into the canal (Amsterdam, 1929)

37. Kodachrome photo of a young lady posing on her car (Circa 1950s)

38. Two young children demonstrating against the Daylight Saving Time (New York, 1939)

39. There I am, looking happy in a suit and bow tie made by my mum (Circa 1965)

40. A photo of three Chinese girls. "The girl in the center is a noblewoman, the two girls with unbound feet are her maidservants" (Ca. Early 1900s)

41. A photo of a young Danish lady (1895)

42. Incredible photo of an elderly woman and her elderly son (Lisdoonvarna, Ireland C. 1890)

43. Little boy cuddling his dog (Circa Mid 1950s)

44. Photo by Jack Garofalo, Paris, 1966

45. Central Park, New York City, during the great depression (1933)

46. A glimpse of the rural American life In the first half of the 20th century. Photo by Mike Disfarmer.

47. Kid dressed up as a shark for Halloween (1976)

48. Me with some sleek sideburns (Circa 1968-1969)

49. My Sister And I playing with a friend's pet, Dik-Dik (1968)

50. A photo of my great-grandmother and her kids, including my granny who is standing behind (Dundee, Scotland 1915)

It's always interesting to see what life was like before the internet. Whether you want a glimpse into your parents' lives or just need some perspective, these old photos can provide important insight into how much our world has changed over time. 

There's a lot to learn from the past, and a good place to start is with Reddit's "The Way We Were." Do any of these images spark memories for you?—let us know below in the comments section!

Jesse