In the olden days, you needed a telephone operator to connect your call manually through a switchboard. Her job wasn’t as easy as you might think.
The popular and highly-acclaimed ‘Little House on the Prairie’ TV series was based on the beloved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, about the pioneer days.
Houdini’s underwater box escape was one of his most famous tricks – he was was shackled, chained and nailed into a box before being thrown overboard.
When it came to parenting the ’40s, were moms too easy on their kids? Was being a parent harder than the generation before? Here’s what people said in 1940.
Sometimes life is like a movie, like actor Matt Dillon’s life. Nothing much happened to him until age 14, when he was discovered at a New York junior high.
In the ’70s, there were millions of licensed CBers, having a world of conversations and learning about the important public service contributions of CB radio.
Spooky sitcom stars Fred Gwynne & Yvonne De Carlo talked about their lives & what it was like to film The Munsters TV show in these classic cast interviews!
Dick Van Dyke has never loved giving interviews or making personal appearances, but we found a few time the talented man talked about his life and career.
Disney’s magical Mary Poppins arrived in 1964. See classic movie clips, hear some of the songs, plus find out more about the film & its stars!
The swinging sports fastback – the ’65 Marlin! The big, bold, brand-new ear for swingers who love fast lines, deep luxury, and man-size room for man-size comfort.
Good Times aired from February 1974 through August 1979. Developed by Norman Lear, it was a spin-off of Maude, which was an All in the Family offshoot.
In animated segments between Saturday morning cartoon shows, Schoolhouse Rock was on TV from 1973-1985. Here’s a Grammar Rock classic, Verb: That’s What’s Happenin’!
Check out the ’69 Chevy pickups like the Fleetside, CST (Custom Sport Truck) and long wheelbase Longhorn pickup made especially for king-size camper bodies.
In Disney’s 1975 movie Escape to Witch Mountain, Tia and Tony, siblings with very special powers, try to find out who they are after their foster parents die.
Maybe she’s no little darling on the set, but then Kristy McNichol never intended to be America’s sweetheart. All she wants is to work hard — and play hard.
Look under the old Universal Jeep, and you’ll see why it has pulling power surpassing anything its size, plus versatility no other vehicle matches.
See the classic ’68 Fords when they were new in this Ford Guide for car buyers – including vintage Thunderbird, Mustang, Galaxie 500, LTD, Ford XL full-sized, station wagons, Torino and more!
By the time A Game of Thrones was published, George R R Martin had written millions of words over thousands of hours. Here, see where his long career began.
The Flintstones TV cartoon sitcom ran for 6 seasons in the ’60s. Find out how the story began, plus see the opening credits & the catchy theme song lyrics!
With a couple dozen clothespins – the flat, springless, wooden ones – you’ve got the raw material to craft some really original clothespin trivets!
A Date with Jet Screamer was the second episode of The Jetsons, and portrayed the era’s affection for rock ‘n’ roll music, and introduced the earworm, Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah.
Remember vintage Disney book/record combos you could get through a mail-order club? Each set included a vinyl record with the story so kids could read along.
Check out some original ‘Wizard of Oz’ cast photos from 1903, and see if you don’t think the characters seem creepy — maybe even a little bit ghoulish.
CHiPS, a light-hearted one-hour action-adventure series, follows the exploits of a pair of young California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers on the busy Los Angeles freeways, and their encounters with the infinite variety of people who drive there.
In the ’60s, The Jimi Hendrix Experience concert was a chance to see one of the best trios in rock music, dominated by the frontman’s screaming guitar and dry, husky voice.
Legendary beauty Lillie Langtry was a statuesque blonde with blue eyes, a perfect complexion and a ravishing figure. She was acclaimed by the social set, and became the mistress of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
Made with crepe paper and a few simple craft supplies, these glorious crepe paper flowers are easy to make and inexpensive, and will flourish in any room at any time of year.
Cast an eye on a rare collector’s item: El Camino. Check out vintage ads for several Classic Chevrolet El Camino pickup trucks from the 1960s!
Here’s an interview with Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter from 1980, when she was just about to star in her own CBS special – and just before she started to model for Maybelline makeup.
The ’68 Cadillacs were huge, lavish and oh so comfortable to ride in. Take a look back at these classic cars — the 1968 Caddy, in 2-door, 4-door and vintage convertible styles!
Unbelievably enchanting and ever-changing, the Wham-O Magic Window toy created countless designs, landscapes, seascapes, birds and butterflies as the crystals fly, slide and erupt into one pattern after another.
See some old-school Jacuzzi hot tubs and spas, including the super-trendy ’80s backyard whirlpool baths that ushered in a whole new way to entertain friends.
Just look at it. The sleek lines. The smooth shape. Styling that is destined to become the standard of a new generation. But advanced styling isn’t the only reason the ’80s Oldmobiles are head of their time.
Take a look back at actress Elizabeth Montgomery — from the early days of her career in 1955 up until her 1972 heyday!
Take a look back at ABC television’s family-friendly Friday night offerings back in 1970, which included the hit sitcoms Brady Bunch, Nanny and the Professor & The Partridge Family… and total of 14 kids between the shows.
The early-70s TV sitcom ‘Nanny and the Professor’ starred Juliet Mills, Richard Long, and a very young Kim Richards – best known now for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Here’s one of the most unforgettable songs from Schoolhouse Rock: Conjunction Junction. One of the first in the “Grammar Rock” series, it made its debut on televisions nationwide in 1973.
See some vintage report cards from San Francisco’s Outer Mission district schools during the ’50s. One of his classmates? Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.
These classic ’65 Chevrolet station wagons were said to handle just as well as sedans – a high bar considering how big some of these Chevy cars were!
In the early ’80s, arcade video games like Pac-Man, Asteroids, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong started to make millions of dollars – one quarter at a time.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have seemingly boundless energy, and that energy is unharnessed in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ – a startling spectacle, starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Sunday sightseeing around town and afternoon jaunts in the countryside are shiny new adventures when you’re driving a fun-loving ’56 Chevy!
The ’57 Chevy’s new, and shows it – from its daring new grille and stylish lower bonnet to the saucy slant of its rear fenders. It’s longer, too!
New York City has provided entertainment to millions over the years. See vintage seating charts from some of the city’s most famous theaters!
Although the story below was the topic of the 1994 made-for-TV movies Death of a Cheerleader/A Friend to Die For, this story has personal meaning, because I was another teen girl at the same school.
In ’61, Wide-Track made it a great day for driving to the tune of a Pontiac V-8! See the classic cars Bonneville Vista, Bonneville Coupe & Trophy V8 here.
“All in the Family” was a huge hit TV show that aired on CBS from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979, and was number 1 in the Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. Find out more here!
Check out these vintage Rambler cars from 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 – including the winner of Motor Trend Car of the Year Award.
Never having to come up from underground? Cars routinely going 130 MPH? Completely automated cleaning? Solar power dominant? See these and many more predictions from 1906!
The 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado had impressive looks. Elegant interiors. And the incomparable handling of front-wheel drive.
How did the Kentucky Derby get started? Now, the famous Louisville horse race is the first part of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, but when it started, people didn’t know how important and iconic the Derby would eventually become. Here’s a look back at its history.
Check out some classic hit songs that all have a common theme: a lot of us have misheard the lyrics, so we’re singing them wrong – sometimes hilariously so.
Want to remember to remember? Our weekly newsletter shows you the latest vintage, old-fashioned & historic stuff that we have published or refreshed during the past seven days. Sign up here.
ClickAmericana.com is made with ★ and ♥ by Synchronista LLC | © 2011-2021
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis.
Don’t miss out on the latest and greatest vintage stuff!
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here.
