Vintage articles and more in the 1800s category at Click Americana

The Royal Poinciana, Palm Beach, Florida 1898

What became of Florida’s historic hotels & old resorts? Trip back to these amazing Victorian vacation destinations

A look back at some of Florida's historic hotels -- the most magnificent resort hotels of the Victorian era, and where -- and if -- they stand now.

Art cards from the 1800s - Woman's head on a cabbage dress body

People as vegetables: Odd old trade cards from the 1800s showing men & women literally made from veggies

Trade cards, the granddaddy of today's trading cards, were common in the 1800s, and often showed offbeat images that existed solely to build brand buzz. Here's a strange set showing people as vegetables.

Take a look around Armsmear, Samuel Colt’s famously over-the-top Victorian mansion built in Hartford, Connecticut

Armsmear, the Connecticut mansion also known as the Samuel Colt House, was built on a huge plot of land owned by the inventor of the famous firearm. See what this grand and spacious Victorian home was like in its heyday!

How to make frog lemonade: The old-fashioned fruity drink from New Orleans

You never heard of frog lemonade? Probably not -- it's a Southern drink that is perfectly delicious, invented back in New Orleans, Louisiana around 1894.

Going up in style: 20 gorgeous ornate antique elevators

Why take the stairs while you can ride up in comfort inside one of these metalwork 'cage' style antique elevators, made with beautiful ornamental iron? Just tell the bellhop what floor you want.

Cocaine-laced Coca-Cola introduced (1886)

Did Coca-Cola once have cocaine in it? Amazingly, yes. Originally marketed as a health drink when it debuted in the 1880s, Coca-Cola was said to cure everything from a migraine (aka "sick headache") to physical exhaustion to depression.

colorful genealogical chart for recording marriages

Genealogy: How far back can you trace your family tree? (1967)

A Crusader in your past? A bank robber? Join the great ancestor hunt to map your genealogy, and find out just how far back you can trace your family tree.

The Civil War: President Abraham Lincoln’s call to arms (1861)

President Lincoln's call to arms - and the start of the Civil War The day after the surrender of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln met with his cabinet ... Click to read more...

New York City in the 1880s - Victorian era NYC

How long did people live in the Victorian era? US life expectancy in the 1800s

What is the average lifespan for men and women in America? Among the curious things shown by the census of 1880 is the new data relative to the US life expectancy.

How happiness can make you beautiful (1899)

The woman beautiful: The secret of charm Whether beauty be as evanescent as the legendary vapor which Psyche brought from Hades when sent there by ... Click to read more...

Meet Josephine Garis Cochrane, inventor of the dishwasher (1892)

The inventor of the dishwashing machine The patron saint of the emancipated woman of the future will be Josephine Garis Cochrane, the inventor of... Click to read more...

Victorian etiquette: 14 rules for men on etiquette in the parlor (1889)

By Nathan B Medbery, author "Social Etiquette" Etiquette topic: Which treats of etiquette in the parlor 14 simple suggestions on conduct for gentlem... Click to read more...

Which way does the wind blow? A look back at antique weathervanes

Vintage weathervanes were made in almost every conceivable design and pattern. Horses, cows, deer, eagles, ships. roosters and even pigs were hammered in metal and used to register the direction of the wind.

How to have a Victorian garden party (1899)

A Victorian garden party may extend from afternoon into evening, or it may be entirely an evening affair, in which case the lawn and shrubberies are lighted by Japanese lanterns cleverly put about the place.

Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’ comes to life, and TV will never be the same (1977)

I am at loss for the proper word to use to describe what television has done with Haley's book Roots. "Enhance" will not do, nor is "heightened" sufficient. There is no word that is adequate.

Louis Gossett Jr. (Fiddler) and LeVar Burton (Kunta Kinte)

A guide to Roots: The TV miniseries, night by night (1977)

The story 'Roots' spans six generations and 100 years. Here's a day-by-day synopsis of Roots: The TV miniseries.

Vintage home exteriors: 18 colorfully-painted Victorian houses (1886)

Bold, rich coloring for houses of the era The day when nearly every building was painted white, and window blinds green, has passed away. It was ... Click to read more...

Statue of Liberty construction (1886)

It took years to complete the construction of the Statue of Liberty - also known as Liberty Enlightening the World - but here are some peeks behind the scenes into how it was done!

Victorian etiquette: 72 simple rules for men while at the dinner table (1889)

Victorian etiquette: Perhaps it is quite a simple occurrence to eat your breakfast, your dinner, or your supper, yet the gentleman or lady, and the low-bred man or woman, are not more strongly contrasted than when at the table.

The end of an era: New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel torn down (1929)

The doors of New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a 36-year-old internationally-known institution, closed May 1, 1929. Noisy wreckers will clank in to tear it down. The old generation passes with a sigh. The new era enters with a roar.

Take a trip to Manhattan's magnificent old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Take a trip back to New York’s original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

The luxurious original Waldorf-Astoria was among America's first big hotels. When it was built during the Victorian era, and for years thereafter, it was considered the finest hotel in the world -- and it soon became the most famous, too.

The amazing Annie Oakley, expert shot (1890s)

Annie Oakley once sent a shot right through the center of the bullseye - and then someone bet that she couldn't through the hole she had just made. You might be able to imagine what happened next.

Owney: How the world’s most famous dog traveled the globe (1890s)

Owney, the world's most popular dog has traveled almost around the globe. He made the journey around the world all alone and with only a tag about his neck -- and found friends everywhere. Here's the story!

Have you seen Tom Collins? Plus 5 classic Tom Collins cocktail recipes

A Tom Collins isn't a drink just named after some guy, somewhere. It's a drink named after nobody, nowhere. Ah, but there's a story to go along with it all. Find out the backstory of "Have you seen Tom Collins?" -- and get recipes for four original, old-fashioned versions of the Tom Collins cocktail!

Sutro Baths bathing pools - San Francisco

San Francisco’s Victorian marvel: The huge swimming pools at Sutro Baths

The size of San Francisco's great Sutro Baths seizes the imagination, yet it is not oppressive, owing to the lightness and airiness of the structure. Tier upon tier rise seats, while at their base, visible to everyone, are the swimming tanks. The sea water is supplied by an ingenious use of the ocean waves.

See the rooms at the elegant old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1903)

The suite life: See the rooms at the elegant Waldorf-Astoria (1903)

New York City's old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel -- torn down in 1929 -- was a luxurious Victorian building that served overnight guests as much as Manhattan's social elite. Here, take a look inside the hotel rooms and suites, and see what accommodations would have looked like back in 1903!

A Phoenix, Arizona birds-eye map view from of the city from 1885

See Phoenix, Arizona in 1885: A birds-eye map of the city

Phoenix, Arizona was first settled in 1867, and here you can see an aerial view of the city as it looked back in 1885, when the population was estimated to be just 3,500, and was said to be 'one of the most beautiful and lovely cities in the West.'

John Logan with wife Mary Simmerson Cunningham Logan, son Manning Alexander Logan, and daughter Mary Elizabeth Dollie Logan (c1870)

The love story behind our first Memorial Day (1955)

When the flowers are reverently placed on the graves tomorrow, there will be many indebted to a tall, dark-haired frontiersman-soldier-statesman, General John Alexander Logan. Through his efforts, encouraged by his loyal wife, Memorial Day was founded.

American homestead summer by Currier and Ives 1868

Come to Kansas and homestead 160 acres of land for $10 (1863)

On the payment of ten dollars, and the office fees, any person, being the head of a family, or over the age of twenty-one years, may enter 160 acres, or a less quantity, of the unappropriated Public Land as his Homestead. The applicant must either be a citizen, or have declared his intention to become such.