Building the Statue of Liberty took years, and it wasn’t easy! Look behind the scenes into how it was done, plus see close-up shots from renovations.
1887
See how gazebos became one of America’s favorite outdoor retreats with a look back at some vintage styles and backyard designs!
These vintage tips to identify antique silver come from the 1940s – and include diagrams, descriptions and photos of lots of vintage silverwork.
Explore how vintage drugstores and the pharmacy apothecary once sold not just tonics and elixirs, but also narcotics like cocaine & heroin with ease.
Toby Jugs came to America in the 1700s and quickly became a favorite collectible. Check out these examples of the art form!
Before the advent of modern refrigeration, there was the charming, wooden icebox in the corner of the kitchen – the epicenter of cold storage from the mid-19th to early 20th century.
Have you ever marveled at the charm and character of antique secretary desks? Let’s take a dive into the world of these stunning, multifunctional pieces!
As long as antique buttons have adorned our clothing and shoes, people have been collecting them. Made from a multitude of materials – from metal to bone, wood to plastic – buttons are miniature pieces of everyday history.
Have a look at beautiful vintage landscape photography featuring various natural wonders of the US — as seen around the turn of the last century.
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!
In the world of modern technology, it’s easy to take the humble typewriter completely for granted. But have you ever wondered who invented the typewriter – and how it introduced a new role for women in the workforce?
Marshall Pinckney Wilder was a hugely successful comedian during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Find out how the Homestead Act of 1862 helped shape American society in dramatic ways by playing a vital role in the settlement of vast US prairie lands.
If you’ve ever bought a pricey bottle of flavoring, you may have wondered: How can you make your own homemade extracts for less? It’s probably a lot easier than you think.
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.
To a generation raised on instant mixes, old-fashioned chocolate pudding recipes like these may seem unnecessary. But considering the dessert’s enduring allure, why not try a classic version?
The Christmas decorations in Victorian churches could be extremely lush Victorian Christians were faithful practitioners of their religion, and took special care decorating their churches
Here’s a look at the clothing boys and girls wore in the winter during the 1890s – and how you might have seen those Victorian-era children dressed up for Christmas and the other holidays of the season.
Um, our ancestors were weird, y’all. Maybe we’re just missing some context that would make these bizarre Victorian Christmas cards make sense?
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.
These vintage selfies, several of which date back to the 1800s, prove that the desire to capture our own images has been around for a long time. Here’s how people took self-portraits with old cameras long ago!
Here’s a look back at 100 years of vintage Fostoria glass – from candelabra to stemware, in clear crystal or a rainbow of colorful hues – that people have been using and collecting for generations.
More than 100 years ago, see how antique baby carriages like these were styled with beautiful designs, made from wicker, metal and wood – sometimes embellished with wooden spindles and woven reeds.
Take a look back at these adorable antique baby portraits from the 1800s, captured in these pictures on cabinet cards, cartes des visite, and other antique photographic prints from long ago.
Antique early American weathervanes shaped like horses, cows, deer, roosters, angels, ships and even fish were hammered in metal and used as much to decorate rooftops as to note the direction of the wind
These vintage images of the 19th century San Francisco skyline vividly portray how the California city by the Bay changed over a few short decades in the 1800s. Take a look back at how the city grew and grew and grew.
Look at some of the loveliest old Victorian hairstyles for women, from back when they were called coiffures, and when getting the perfectly elegant look took hours to manage.
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.
More than 100 years ago, Victorian corsets were practically required for women – to emphasize certain parts of the body, and to minimize others. Here’s a look back to what ladies back then were wearing!
The president’s walk across the bridge with cannon accompaniment from forts and ships The big bridge open: Two cities join in making a mammoth holiday
See old Phoenix, Arizona as it looked back in the 1800s and 1900s, when the city’s population was low and there were plenty of wide-open spaces.
The invention of the dishwasher was a kitchen game-changer, and cleanly earned its inventor, Josephine Garis Cochrane, a spot-free finish in history.
Take a look back at more than 100 antique stickpins, from the simple gold and silver pins to those with pearls, diamonds, opals and other precious gems.
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.
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!
Bloomingdale’s originally opened in 1861 when the Bloomingdale brothers began by selling hoop skirts on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Then in 1872, the two opened
In these antique Victorian engagement rings, in addition to diamonds, you’ll also see the brighter hues of rubies, emeralds, sapphires and turquoise.
Vintage wedding dress fashions from 1846 19th-century Victorian wedding dresses (1850) Bride from the 1800s The Diamond Wedding at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, October 13, 1859
The Victorian-era Cliff House This early version of San Francisco’s Cliff House was destroyed by fire in 1894 A later version of the first Cliff
