Before he was Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings, young Sean Astin was a hardworking up-and-coming actor. But he wasn’t just any actor – he was the son of Patty Duke and John Astin. Here’s a look back at Sean’s early career, from when he was a teen!
Thousands of kids loved these custom-made Vintage Me Books from the 70s, including titles like My Friendly Giraffe, My Birthday Land Adventure, My Special Christmas & My Jungle Holiday.
Here’s the easy way to make deliciously moist ‘n crispy Rice Krispies crunchy chicken, with a crust so crisp, it crunches.
Here, take a look back at some of the game pieces, cards, and several game boards for the vintage Candy Land game. Which ones do you remember most?
Toll House Marble Squares have the same old-fashioned flavor of Toll House Cookies, but the whole batch is baked at one time in a baking pan instead of on cookie sheets.
What was the Disney World opening like? See how it looked and get some facts and figures about Disney’s grand opening here.
Use up your extra turkey in a new way – make this tasty turkey cheese ball! It’s a great appetizer for Thanksgiving, or you can use holiday leftovers to make a retro snack with this rich spread.
Take a look back at dozens of the most popular cereals from the 1980s, along with some really random varieties that didn’t last long.
Here’s a retro recipe for little chocolate crackle cookies – delicious treats with a cracked powdered sugar texture on the outside.
Look back more than 100 years to see how women wore some popular vintage hats from the early 1900s, and you will get an idea of just how important they were to society back in the day.
If you think your quest for the best pumpkin pie recipe has only just begun, we have news for you: you’ve just found the vintage recipe motherlode. Which is the best pie? Try some and decide!
The Black Dahlia murder – the savage killing of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short in January of 1947 – was one of the biggest news stories of the 20th century, and continues to fascinate people to this day.
Here’s a classic recipe from the late 1940s for Grandma’s peanut butter molasses cookies, which are sweetened with sugar and dark molasses, and topped with peanut halves.
While chocolate milk will always be the rock star of milky mixed drinks, strawberry drink mix has a charm all its own. Here’s a look back at the debut of Nestle’s Strawberry Quik back in the sixties!
They didn’t call Illinois-born Cindy Crawford a supermodel for nothing! Check out a selection of 11 of her fashion magazine covers from the mid- to late-eighties.
Chicken Marengo, one of the great French classics, was invented on the battlefield at Marengo for Napoleon by his master chef, Dunand. Here’s an easy version made with soup!
Take a look back at some of the classic 60s Ford pickup trucks that were on – and off! – the roads during that decade, and see what features they offered drivers back then.
What is a pumpkin roll? It’s a lightly-spiced pumpkin cake, jelly roll-style — filled with sweet, fluffy cream cheese. Try this retro version from the 70s!
This article offers a perspective on “Twilight Sleep” from the year 1915, when there were fewer pain relief options nor as much understanding of labor and delivery.
No longer just a throwback costume accessory, old-school go-go boots and other mod-style boots are back in style – no doubt facilitated by the resurgence
Look back at dozens of flavors of vintage Shasta sodas – including root beer, sparking lemonade, strawberry, cream soda, pineapple cola and more from the 60s, 70s and 80s!
Here, get two classic recipes that combine two sweet flavors in one treat: chocolate cherry brownies. Try them both ways and figure out which is your favorite!
The chance to take a trip through the aisles of Toys R Us in the 1990s is over forever, but you can join us in reminiscing with this collection of the toys and games kids wanted back then!
If you wanted to see typical retro family cars, check out some huge classic ’50s station wagons that had fins & had rear-facing seats – including cars from Ford, Pontiac, Studebaker and Plymouth.
Originally called Choco-Scotch clusters when they came out in the 60s, these easy no-bake chocolate-butterscotch rice krispies treats have delicious chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter flavors.
What made this tasty classic country apple pie recipe from the 70s so special? Well, there were two big differences to traditional apple pies. Find out what they were here!
On the way to today’s super-simple, pregnancy test sticks that give results in minutes, women had to use these chemistry set-style vintage home pregnancy test kits, then wait hours for a result.
Old pregnancy test sticks like these were a huge step forward, and meant that millions of women finally had a way to find out they were pregnant without going to the doctor, and without having to do a more complicated liquid chemistry test.
By the mid-1980s, reasonably accurate home ovulation predictor kits hit the market, simplifying the process of pinpointing peak fertility.
Whether you’re looking for basic sweet potato recipes or need some ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes, these 41 classic sweet potato recipes cover the gamut, from main dishes to desserts!
This warmly-spiced glazed pork chops retro recipe from the sixties simmers the meat in a slightly sweet sauce, flavored with cinnamon, cloves, apple and orange.
1960s Mercury Cougar cars came equipped with V-8 engines, deep-foam bucket seats, carpet, concealed headlamps, sequential rear turn signals among other luxury features. Check ’em out!
Here’s a hearty 90-minute beer bread that’s ready to enjoy in just an hour and a half. It combines the rich, full flavor of beer with the taste of rye.
You couldn’t tell a 50s housewife that pastel pink washers and dryers weren’t practical, or that they wouldn’t still be fashionable in a decade. The appliances were stylish and pretty right then and there, at least to millions of women at the time.
The Life Savers candy brand has been around for more than a century! Here’s a look back at how the little sweets with a hole became so popular, and the many flavors they have made over the years.
This vintage caramel roll recipe combines brown sugar and pecans to make a warm and wonderful breakfast treat. Bisquick calls this recipe their ‘Do-ahead caramel rolls’ because the dough can be made and chilled up to 24 hours.
Pecan pumpkin pie adds the rich flavor of pecans in a crunchy top layer. Corn syrup is combined with canned pumpkin and eggs for a fast, smooth custard filling.
These classic spiced crackle cookies from the 80s – rolled in powdered sugar before baking – deliver a sweet dessert with rich flavor and a little warm and spicy tang.
M*A*S*H debuted on TV in 1972, and centered around a team of doctors during the Korean War in the early 50s. M*A*S*H was a huge success, lasting for 11 seasons, and broke records on its way out.
Check out these vintage Tiger Beat magazine covers to see who teens were screaming about and obsessing over back in the 70s — decades before there were K-Pop and reality TV stars.
Let’s look back at the popular sitcom The Facts of Life – meet the actresses, hear that catchy theme song one more time, and get the lyrics for the hit show’s opening credits!
Queen Elizabeth’s drop scones recipe – a very British treat – was sent by Queen Elizabeth II to Dwight David Eisenhower, on January 24, 1960. Get the recipe here, and see the letter the Queen wrote along with it!
This Tucson, Arizona, kitchen from 1965, wasn’t a traditional Mexican-inspired kitchen, but shimmered with a familiar Mexican decorative material – embossed tin – put to highly inventive use
Do you remember these flower-shaped bathtub stickers? It seems like all the parents in the late 60s & early 70s had some of these popular colorful non-slip Rubbermaid appliques on their tub.
A contemporary black 60s kitchen with a number of wide-open spaces became more intimate and more restful when lined with subtly glowing color.
The restful core of this vintage 1960s house was the gorgeous skylighted atrium family room, which gave the whole house a sense of spaciousness.
Here’s a version of Grandma’s homemade prune cake. This recipe makes two desserts: a two-layer cake with a lemon filling, and prune cake bars.
Love those old Caddys? Take a look back at some classic 1970s Cadillac cars, including the Sedan deVille, Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, Eldorado Coupe, Eldorado Convertible, Seville and more!
If you love the flavor of almonds and sherry, try them together in a fabulous cake! You make this almond sherry cake with cream sherry, sliced almonds and cake mix.
Think acrylic furniture for an ultra-modern space-age vibe! This clear and glossy molded material guarantees someone will want to take a closer look!
Billions of 80s stickers were collected by millions of kids – and appeared on everything from binders to books, cassette tapes to sticker collection albums. Do you recognize any of these vintage stickers?
As charmingly retro as they seem, small striped outdoor tents (also called palmetto or lawn tents) were nothing new in the 1960s and 1970s — in fact, they have been used for centuries.
How exactly did they repair antique dolls back in the 1950s and before – in the days before toys and dolls were made of plastic? Here’s a look at what went into doll construction and restoration!
The flavor of this easy (no cooking), fast (5 minutes), classic Hershey’s recipe can be adjusted up or down, based on the chocolate intensity level you prefer. Get the delicious details here!
Want to host a throwback celebration, with ideas straight out of the early 1900s? Here’s a menu describing each of the fourteen courses served at a formal dinner party, plus other hosting tips for an event with true Edwardian style.
These old-school Ford Ranchero pickup trucks weren’t styled like all the other pickups, because they were meant to combine passenger-car comfort with driving ease.
Here’s a guide for men who want to marry, from popping the question to the wedding reception – well, if you lived before the Civil War, that is.
How did people celebrate the spookiest holiday many generations ago? Look here for some very vintage – but hauntingly creative – old-school Halloween party table decor ideas & menus!
These fab retro 60s ice cream flavors may surprise you! You’re about to see a lot of vintage ice cream flavor (and color!) combinations you used to be able to get at the store, but don’t see much today. Take a look!
These 20 old-fashioned salad dressing recipes are easy to make, and will give your salads a full, classic flavor that many of today’s pre-made dressings can’t match!
Look back at these 1950s vintage portable electric hand mixers, with the kind of removable beaters that kids loved to lick to sample delicious cake batter and cookie dough.
For many Americans, a big, sweet part of our past involves chocolate – *especially* chocolate in cake and cupcakes. Check out these 7 heavenly Hershey’s chocolate cake recipes from the 70s!
A room to relax in, to revel in, to play games in – when have we had a room precisely for that? This 1960s party room could do all that and more.
What did the Titanic ship look like inside? Check out several different Titanic cross-section views, and get an idea of the size and the layout of the doomed vessel.
For one of the most lemony lemon cakes you can make, try baking a pudding lemonade cake! This dessert delivers deliciously tart and sweet flavors by combining lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, and even lemonade drink mix or concentrate.
This vintage study’s boho decor included at least eight different styles – and that’s not even to mention the designs featured on the area rugs on the floor.
What was the retro pastel eye makeup look all about? Making the eyes look big and soft by creating a natural look with pale eyeshadow shades. See it here!
The first of the 1970s Ford Mavericks was introduced as tough, reliable compact car available in 2-door or 4-door family sedans. Simple to operate. Simple to service. By 1976, more than 1.6 million had been built.
If the best colognes for men in the middle of the last century were the most popular and heavily advertised, well, we’ve found a few of them for you here!
This retro pie recipe is a quickie – no oven needed! Just some easy-to-find ingredients combined in a saucepan and mixed in bowls, and you can have a fluffy and light lemon no-bake pie tonight.
The classic 1970s Ford Galaxie 500s were big cars by today’s standards, but not huge for the time. In their vintage ads, Ford played up the value of the cars, and highlighted their quality features and extras.
This dramatic circular kitchen, inspired perhaps by contemporary theatres in the round, was a superb example of a smoothly-functioning kitchen back when it was built in 1968.
These Raisin Bran cookies are a delish (and wholesome) option for anyone looking to add some variety to their holiday cookie tray! Get the classic cookie recipe from Kellogg’s here – plus a similar recipe from the 70s.
Peek back into the life of young Ronald Reagan in the 40s & 50s – way before he was president back when acting paid the bills, and his wife was Jane Wyman.
The people now best known as the juice and jelly people used to make popular vintage Welch’s candies like Junior Mints, Nut Fudge, Cordialed Cherries and Sugar Daddies. See them here!
While the structure of the room remained the same, right down to the black ceiling beams and trim. The furniture placement also didn’t change for this retro living room’s decorative mood switch.
With seasonings like ginger, garlic and red pepper, this easy walnut chicken with broccoli recipe from the ’80s makes a delicious dinner with a little Asian flair.
Despite a slow start, by the mid-’80s, REO Speedwagon’s hit singles ‘Keep On Loving You’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ had topped the charts, and they were known across the globe. Here’s the story.
In this collection of vintage interviews, actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022) talked about her role as Uhura on Star Trek. Through her own words and vintage photos, you can find out about the groundbreaking star’s life both before and after the Enterprise took flight.
From the richly ornamental to the whimsical, old-fashioned wood porch bracket designs have enriched the faces of American houses for over a century.
Since modern and space-age decor is timeless, you’ll find these acrylic chairs are still in production! We’ve featured 14 of our favorites that you can find on sale today.
Why stop the party to mix drinks, when you could have the perfect booze blend ready to go? That was the theory behind the retro ready-made canned cocktails and bottled mixes that were popular in the 60s and 70s.
Look back at the biggest news in the universe on July 20, 1969 – the day we first landed on the lunar surface, walked on the moon, then went for a drive.
These idyllic scenes from old Atlantic City show the fancy hotels, beautiful boardwalk, busy beaches, and fashionable crowds – all part of why the city and the Jersey shore used to be one of the east coast’s top vacation destinations.
The Saturn car company was launched by GM, and the very first Saturn rolled off the line in the summer of 1990. Here’s a look back at some of these popular cars!
What was a classic Craftsman house like – and what made it unique? Find out more here about this vintage architectural style and its founder, Gustav Stickley – plus see more than 70 old examples of this iconic design.
The Tootsie Roll has a sweet legacy that started way back at the end of the 1800s, and continues to this day. From the early days, the unique chocolaty chewy candy was a huge favorite with kids. Find out more about them here!
This easy pudding tortoni recipe uses coconut cream cook & serve pudding mix, toasted coconut and a few other ingredients to make a simple but delicious version of the classic Italian dessert.
Swaths of fabric were used creatively in this apartment living room to create a space-age pad that was almost as exotic as a Bedouin tent.
Having trouble figuring out the best colors for a dining room? We have some ideas for you, based on some great vintage home decor styles.
Take a look back at some savory jello salad recipes from the 1950s – including jellied potato salad, cabbage relish and peach & cheese salad – and see how the famous gelatin wasn’t only something for dessert.
Tales of courage about people who died on the Titanic fascinate us to this day. Here are stories about some of the ship’s most prominent passengers.
Over the years and across the miles, a tricycle has been a rite of pedaling passage for generations of toddlers and preschoolers. Check out our collection of vintage pictures of old trikes
Did a lie and nine blank cartridges win independence for America? The war ended at Yorktown. It was there, on October 19, 1781, that Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. Find out more of the story here!
These Ford Elite cars from the 1970s were based on the Torino, but meant to be a less-expensive alternative to the Thunderbird. The short-lived nameplate only lasted three model years – 1974, 1975 and 1976.
This wonderful antique wooden screen, made of five panels of very old French boiserie, dominated – and warmed – one side of this living room back in the 1960s.
This retro recipe for the catsup-based Imperial salad dressing is a little more complicated than making a basic vinaigrette, but the results earned it a spot in many recipe collections over the years. Here’s how to make this kicky classic!
Did you know that Silly Putty was originally marketed to adults? Read on for more interesting tidbits about this fun and magical stuff!
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
Become a Click Americana insider & get our weekly newsletter!
ClickAmericana.com is made with ★ and ♥ in the USA by Synchronista LLC — © 2011-2025
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
