See how families managed the grocery budget in the 1950s, and what their practical, everyday habits reveal about shopping, saving and running a midcentury kitchen.
Vintage money & work
See vintage mail carriers, wagons, bicycles, and early delivery vehicles — and discover how the postal system kept America connected.
These silent movie stunts from the 1920s were real, dangerous, and wildly risky — long before special effects made things safe and easy.
See how Schlitz beer shaped American culture through vintage ads from the 1880s to the 1970s, from purity claims to backyard party scenes.
Delmonico’s during the Gilded Age helped turn fine dining into a spectacle Starting in the 1820s as a modest downtown confectionery, New York City’s legendary
See how the cash register changed 1950s and 60s grocery stores and retailers with automatic change-making machines that sped up checkout and cut errors.
Step inside a 40s beauty salon and see how women stayed stylish during WWII with perms, waves, manicures and more in our vintage photo story.
To most American women in the 1940s, lipstick was a form of clothing – without it, they felt undressed. So how is lipstick made, anyhow? See some makeup laboratories and factories from the forties!
Take a look back this collection of old office cubicles and company layouts from the 1970s to see what it was like to work in America’s corporate 9-to5 world a few decades ago.
Who remembers Peter Coddle, Shoot the Hat, and Snap? They were antique board games that provided hours of entertainment before radio and TV. Find out more here!
Starting back in the ’50s, women were encouraged to start their own businesses, hosting Tupperware parties, and demonstrating how to use those popular plastic containers. Here’s a look back!
When you look back at how people talked about and used computers in the 1960s, it’s easy to get a feel for how exciting the technological advances were at the time. It was a whole new wild frontier.
Mme Demorest’s 1862 sewing patterns gave women a better way to make clothes at home, and helped launch a new kind of fashion business.
Here’s a look back at snow removal 100 years ago, so you can see how much work went into clearing cities after blizzards and other big winter storms.
Here’s a look back at the history of the multi-talented entertainer Gene Kelly, the award-winning star of the ’40s, ’50s & ’60s.
See what was needed to put you in the running for a coveted stewardess job back in the ’50s and ’60s! Some requirements were grounded in reason, but many were just plain sexism in action.
See the quirky history of vintage Taco Bell — from a tiny taco stand to a fast-food empire — and see vintage photos, ads and articles from the past!
Take a look back at vintage Pizza Hut restaurants, and some of the popular foods they served over the years – plus find out the history of the chain!
What did vintage Target stores look like? Take a look back here at dozens of in-store pictures from the company’s start in 1962 through the end of the 20th century!
College costs in the ’50s and ’60s were significantly lower than today’s — see how tuition, room and board compared after adjusting for inflation.
Labor Day is unlike many other patriotic holidays, as it glorifies no armed conflicts or battles of man’s prowess over man. Here’s a look back at the history of Labor Day.
Old paper welders were small metal presses that essentially embossed two or three pieces of paper together – no staples or paperclips needed. Here’s a look back!
When the newspapers first reported on the 1929 stock market crash, nobody knew what was coming. See these Great Depression newspaper headlines for how it began.
These vintage tips to identify antique silver come from the 1940s – and include diagrams, descriptions and photos of lots of vintage silverwork.
When you look back at these old photos of skyscraper construction, you’ll see men way up high without harnesses, walking along beams suspended hundreds of feet above the street, and swinging on cables.
Use our inflation calculator to see how prices have changed over time. Discover the value of money across decades with this easy-to-use tool.
During WWII, countless products were limited in order to help meet the demands both of the military and the citizens back home. Here’s a look at what those war ration books and rationing stamps looked like.
To help you remember the heyday of the Xerox, check out some vintage copy machines here – and be grateful that email and scanners have made running a business nowadays so much simpler.
Was Red Lobster restaurant where you got your first taste of seafood? The first Red Lobster restaurant was in Lakeland, Florida, and opened its doors
The insecticide DDT was introduced in the 1940s, and originally thought to be safe for people and pets. It was marketed with happy cartoon characters and family-friendly products, but, as we eventually discovered, the poison was bad for people and animals, too.
Take a look back at vintage Wal-Mart history, from a modest 5 & 10 store to a global retail behemoth, through innovations and key moments that redefined shopping and turned into today’s massive Walmart chain.
This 1950s office furniture checked all the boxes of business desk design of the era: modernist styles, contemporary materials, muted colors, and no-nonsense simplicity.
Sambo’s Restaurants were popular in the ’60s and ’70s. But as much as people loved the diners, the company name was always a problem. Here’s why.
When it comes to the fascinating saga of American fast food, the tale of Roy Rogers Restaurant chain is a true standout. Check out these old photos from decades past.
Throughout the 20th century, the nursing profession and vintage nursing uniforms evolved in step with society.
Check out the history of Delta Airlines — from a 1920s crop dusting operation to a global aviation leader through vintage articles, ads and photos.
The invention of vintage ballpoint pens revolutionized the way people wrote — and largely marked the end of the era of fountain pens.
New York City’s luxurious old Waldorf-Astoria hotel was among America’s first big hotels. When it was built during the Victorian era, it was considered the finest hotel in the world – and soon became the most famous, too.
You’ve probably never even heard of her, but in her day, “Dead Shot” Mary Shanley was truly a legend. Shanley was a trailblazing female police
First flying in the 1960s, the famous Boeing 747 airplane was not only bigger and more powerful than any other plane, but was a major technological marvel. See the jets inside and out, and how they looked during construction!
The man behind the famous Hell Gate Brewery, George Ehret, wasn’t just a business success — he was a success as a human. Find out more about his story!
1980s Microsoft was still growing in 1982 — see how its early software, tools and ads helped shape the future of personal computing.
Why can’t we have a milkman? Judging from the blissed out faces featured in these 1950s dairy ads and other milk bottle photos, we’re missing out big time!
Most of these abandoned malls exist as ghost towns, if they continue to exist at all. Take a peek inside some abandoned malls and learn the history of their demise.
To this day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York on March 25, 1911, remains the deadliest industrial disaster in the city’s history,
Some of the most iconic images of the Great Depression were the migrant mother photos of a woman named Florence Thompson, taken by Dorothea Lange. While one picture was famous, there were several other shots taken at the same time. See them here!
ternational long-distance phone calls for ‘only’ $12 for the first three minutes? And this old ad said that price was low. See more about what it took to dial abroad back in the sixties here!
Take a glimpse into what the famous old Macy’s department store looked like just over a hundred years ago – and how it offered its customers a shopping experience like no other.
Trans World Airlines, better known as TWA, was one of the major US airlines, moving millions of people to destinations around the globe. Find out the history of TWA, and see this collection of vintage ads to see how exciting flying used to be.
While millionaires are seemingly everywhere in the 21st century, just about a hundred years ago, folks with that much money behind their name were few and far between.
For years, electricity was produced by burning coal because few options existed? Peruse these vintage ads to see how the pro-fission profession once professed their preference for the promotion of nuclear power.
While popular cartoon kids talking about life insurance and IRAs might not seem like a natural match, in the ’80s & ’90s, the combination was a hit. Take a look back here!
The demand for ’60s computer programmers was huge as business, industry, science, education and government all raced to reap the benefits of new technology. Here’s a look!
In the ’70s, there were millions of people using Vintage CB radios – having a world of conversations and learning about the important reasons to keep citizens’ band radio active.
The woman on the iconic ‘We can do it!’ posters from the 1940s encouraged women to join the WWII workforce – and they did. Here, see 46 real-life Rosie the Riveters who built bombers and transport planes.
United States astronauts who go to the moon may wear headgear designed and produced by a ladies’ milliner.
If you’ve been on social media and have been seeing the term ‘sea shanties’ a lot lately, get the basics here about these old songs that have been around for centuries.
This article bids adieu to the man whose name countless millions of people have worn: the one and only Levi Strauss, creator of Levi’s riveted denim blue jeans. Find out more about the man here.
This first Piggly Wiggly went to Memphis, Tennessee in 1916. Not only was it the first PW shop, it was also the first self-service grocery store in the US. Look inside here!
See vintage 1960s IBM electric typewriters, including the Selectric with swappable round print heads
Vintage IBM electric typewriters from the ’60s, like the Executive and the Selectric, were marketed to help executives – and secretaries – manage an increasing business workload at a time when more and more white collar jobs were being created.
It’s not often you can discover long-lost information about somewhere like New York City’s PJ Clarke’s saloon/restaurant. How much more could there be left to learn about a piece of living history?
American Airlines was one of the first companies to offer passenger flights in the US. The industry’s biggest success came after WWII. Here’s a look at the history of the airline’s first decades!
Starting in 1914, there was a lot of hype about Old Gilbert, Arizona, a little town near Phoenix: ‘the fastest growing and most prosperous community in the Southwest.” See how it’s grown!
While books and articles on America’s slave trade can offer important historical insight, seeing ads for slave auctions casually placed in newspapers of the era really brings the brutality home.
Here’s a classic timesaving, money-saving dictating machine – the vintage Dictaphone Time-Master – plus other old dictation devices.
What’s the history of Q-Tips – the little cotton swabs found all around the world? This big brand had a little baby-sized beginning. (Also find out their terrible former brand name.)
What were vintage school and scout fundraisers like years ago? Here’s a look back at a few dozen of the things that kids used to sell – including candy & candles, popcorn & peanuts.
Henry Ford developed assembly lines for automobile factories, and mass production sparked another industrial revolution. See here how Ford churned out Model T cars!
In the ’50s, they wanted to know what secretary wouldn’t prefer a job that included one of these vintage IBM electric typewriters? Compared to manuals, they were so easy to use.
Producing by far a larger amount of copper than any other country, the United States is extremely fortunate in being able to supply to a great extent the ever-increasing demand for this useful metal.
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.
In meetings or in the classroom, a vintage overhead projector would help you show charts, diagrams, reports and drawings to the entire group at once for a simple and dramatic visual presentation.
Fax it! That phrase became as much of a cliche in the ’80s as ‘We’ll do lunch.’ Look at how vintage fax machines quickly outgrew fad status.
After the war, industry was booming, and they needed workers. This 1946 vocational guidance film gives us a little insight into the world of telecommunications at the midpoint of the 20th century, from switchboard operators to engineers.
The expensive facts: Can you afford a baby? (1976) By Richard Flaste NEW YORK — Forget, for a moment, the buzzing confusion that greets infants
Suppose you were a young woman anxious to find a husband, get married and settle down. What would be the best sort of job for you? Here’s what a survbey ?
Memo to June Graduates: Here are your choices under the draft You can take your chances, hoping you never will be called. Many are trying this.
Thomas Edison says people work too hard, but that pleasure is as necessary as food. ‘This is an electric age. The pressure was never heavier, nor the grind harder.’
Whether out for business or pleasure, a lady feels hungry after several hours. To find near at hand a clean, cozy places of refreshment — tea rooms — appeal to the soul of every woman.
California – particularly Los Angeles – is notorious for having awful traffic, but as this video and these photos from the 1950s prove, that bumper-to-bumper freeway crawl is nothing new.
See 20 vintage scenes in and around Philadelphia in the 1950s & 60s! There’s the city itself, landmarks, suburbs, skylines and more from yesteryear.
Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow grew up in somewhat of a fairytale world on television’s ‘Leave It to Beaver.’ 20 years later, in 1977, both actors talked about what it was like to be childhood stars who had to grow up and cope with the adult world.
Who invented the sewing machine? That really depends on how much progress has to be made for something to be considered ‘invented.’ Find out more!
What about pants on women in the office? An editor from Denver explained, “I think women should dress distinctively as women. They’ve gone too far in stealing men’s attire.”
It started out as BankAmericard, but then was rebranded as Visa. But changing the name of one of the first major credit cards wasn’t simple – nor was it cheap.
Shortly before her clothing line debuted – and back when her son, Anderson Cooper, was 8 years old – the multi-talented heiress Gloria Vanderbilt came out with her own print magazine: Gloria Vanderbilt Designs for Your Home.
The development of aeronautics in America as a big business proposition dates from May 21, 1927, when Col. Charles A Lindbergh completed his transatlantic flight to Paris.
These vintage Ford Econoline vans from the ’60s had eight doors and a flat floor that put every part of a load within arm’s length.
Back in the twenties, who was buying the most stuff? The people who already had fancy telephones in their homes.
President Benjamin Harrison on the obligations of wealth (1898) General Harrison addresses a large gathering at Chicago The Union League Club’s celebration in honor of
This wallet card, which was distributed to top bankers in the 1970s, offered common-sense advice and space for handy phone numbers in case of emergency.
Business Today: Publisher Lyle Stuart’s take on the world of books (1976) By LeRoy Pope – May 12, 1976 The trouble with book publishing today,
Daylight Savings Time reshaped American work and leisure in 1918. See how it was sold to the public and why it mattered.
Business builders… New prestige-styled ’58 Dodge Power Giants… 4-way leaders of the low-priced 3! That’s a lot to expect — one truck that leads all
How Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton recorded history (1893) The Herald (Los Angeles, California) December 17, 1893 “If you want to know how
