Take a look back at the evolution of Thanksgiving traditions — and holiday meals — from the 1940s through the 1990s, plus see how the best parts of the past have influenced our modern-day celebrations!
1911
Discover a curated roundup of must-see vintage Craftsman house plans. Perfect for those interested in classic design, renovation, or new builds.
Try not to be too creeped out by this collection of vintage Halloween party ideas spanning over a century!
Old-fashioned candy in the US traces its roots from luxury 1800s treats to timeless favorites. Explore how these sweets have captivated generations.
Explore how vintage drugstores and the pharmacy apothecary once sold not just tonics and elixirs, but also narcotics like cocaine & heroin with ease.
The invention of the Ferris Wheel was a jaw-dropping innovation of its time! Find out the history of the Ferris Wheel ride we now know so well, plus see pictures of the HUGE first one.
When teddy bears hit the market, the craze for these soft, comforting companions was instant and universal. Here’s a look back at the remarkable history of the teddy bear, and see lots of adorable versions through the years.
Light up your memory with some some great old home décor – more than 200 antique and vintage table lamps from the beginning of the twentieth century to its end!
Toby Jugs came to America in the 1700s and quickly became a favorite collectible. Check out these examples of the art form!
For decades, Cracker Jack has been more than a just a popcorn and peanut snack. Thanks to the famed Cracker Jack prizes, it’s also a treasure hunt in a box! Find out more about this peak Americana treat.
Before air conditioning and refrigerators existed, see some of the ways people managed to stay cool in summer during the great New York heat wave of 1911!
Millions know ‘Say, Say, Oh Playmate’ – also known as ‘Playmate’ – but few today know much about the rhyming song & hand clapping game. Find out more here!
The book “Little Folks of Animal Land” by Harry Whittier Frees was released in 1915, and featured mostly kittens and puppies in various human scenarios. Take a look!
See what it looked like inside the Titanic – the interiors of fancy lounges, dining rooms, first-class cabins and other luxurious delights – before the ship sunk to the ocean floor on her maiden voyage in 1912.
From awful double entendres to horrible diseases to the just plain bizarre, here are some vintage bad product names that used to appear on grocery store shelves.
Throughout the 20th century, the nursing profession and vintage nursing uniforms evolved in step with society.
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.
Revive Edwardian elegance with these 1910s home decor tips provided by a design expert from the era.
What can you make with green tomatoes? Here’s an old-fashioned recipe for fried green tomatoes, plus 10 more ways to use them!
Check out these silent movie title cards were created as movie theater etiquette notes, reminders and announcements that preceded a film that really are snapshots in time.
From uprights to baby grands & more, these antique pianos are works of art!
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.
Here is a collection of 24 colorful vintage Easter cards from the early twentieth century!
New York in 1911: Watch Edwardian New Yorkers come to life in this amazing rediscovered film footage
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have lived a century ago, or to have wandered the streets of a much younger Manhattan, you will be amazed by the footage in New York 1911!
Have a look at beautiful vintage landscape photography featuring various natural wonders of the US — as seen around the turn of the last century.
Here’s a sweet selection of vintage Valentine’s Day cards – little love notes people sent to each other by the millions around the early part of the 20th 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!
Here’s an old-fashioned hot cross buns recipe from the 1960s, plus two more from 1912, so you can pick your favorite way to make some classic Easter buns with real vintage flavor.
Based on the state of plastic surgery in the 1920s, and with regular improvements in science, one journalist suggested in 1922 that soon women wouldn’t have to age – ‘I mean shriveled or waddling old and all that.’
Marshall Pinckney Wilder was a hugely successful comedian during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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.
Vintage circus posters are a fantastic way to get a glimpse into the world of the old-fashioned circus and all the excitement it offered!
Take a look back in time at some vintage postcards sent by people in the first two decades of the 1900s to wish friends and family a happy new year!
How long do you need to cook your turkey? While making a roasted turkey for Thanksgiving is about as vintage American as it gets, our turkey cooking times and tips offered here are based on the most up-to-date standards.
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 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.
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.
Stained glass windows are back in style! Take a look at lots of gorgeous design examples, for churches, homes and businesses – plus get some historical perspective on stained and leaded glass art!
Weddings have changed a lot in the past century – and so have the parties for the bride-to-be! Here’s a look back at some sweet old-fashioned bridal shower ideas from the first decades of the 20th century.
100 years ago, public swimming pools were vital for summer survival After the concept of public baths faded from favor, but before post-war homeowners started
Celebrate a joyous and happy holiday with these old-fashioned, traditional Easter blessings and prayers from more than a century ago!
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.
We discovered these 22 amazing old pictures of some of the most gorgeous historical hotel lobbies from across the US. Have a scroll and step back in time with us to a more elegant era!
Crystal chandeliers have been a symbol of luxury and opulence since the 18th century. If you’re wondering what crystal chandeliers used to look like, take a peek below at these vintage photos!
Olc cash register history goes back to the Victorian era, and were used to both streamline accounting, and to keep cashiers from stealing money. Find out more here!
The Cadillac innovation mentioned herein was a two-speed rear axle, combined with a door-mounted, electrically-operated shifter which allowed the driver to change the rear axle
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,
Old-fashioned dentistry in the early 1900s had come a long way since the Wild West days, but, compared to what we have available in the 21st century, it might as well have been the Dark Ages. Take a look!
Take a look at these modest old-fashioned swimsuits for men and women, seen on real beachgoers and early movie actresses, with many high-quality and colorized vintage photos!
Look back at the fun kids generations ago had on dangerous old playgrounds – with towering structures, fast spinners, rickety rides & other unsafe old-school play equipment.
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!
By the early 20th century, materials were more readily available to make picture jigsaw puzzles – and the novelties were soon found in households across the country.
What did old New York look like years ago, after night fell? Here’s a peek at the ‘city that never sleeps’ as it appeared by the light of the moon, the stars… and the skyscrapers.
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.
For generations, mail carriers and other postal workers have worked hard to bring us letters, magazines, packages and more. Here’s a look at how they transported the mail long ago!
What was old bedroom decor like from the early 1900s? Here are some rooms from just after the turn of the century, from the simple to the super-floral.
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.
Books in a home once signaled that the residents were intelligent, worldly, and could afford to collect their favorite volumes. Look back at some vintage bookshelves from the past!
Planning a wedding with a classic old-fashioned feel? Check out this collection of beautiful vintage wedding dresses from the first two decades of the 1900s!
Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne’s death in the plane crash of TWA Flight 599 on March 31, 1931, resulted in more than just the loss of the football legend and seven others – it was a pivotal moment in early airline and aviation safety.
Through this rare collection of photographs and other ephemera, see what New York’s classically elegant old Ritz-Carlton Hotel was like once upon a time, starting when it opened in 1911.
Onboard these old Deluxe Overland Limited trains, every hotel luxury could be found – including a barber shop, valet service, a library, buffet meals, a mens’ clubroom, and a cafe dining car. Take a look!
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
What were calling cards, and how were these visiting cards used by polite society back at the turn of the century? Find out!
These charming vintage cottage home plans from 1910 show some small house styles that were popular in America just after the turn of the century.
Here’s a look back at some of the most popular automobiles for 1911 – when motor cars were still quite a novelty, and there were dozens of companies producing cars that ran on both gas and electricity.
The old-fashioned benefits of breastfeeding are many, no matter what century you’re living in. Here’s a look back at some of what experts were saying about nursing babies back in the early 1900s.
Through 75 artistic antique color covers of The Theatre magazine, take a peek back in time from the first decades of the twentieth century to see these classic actors & actresses who performed onstage more than 100 years ago
Women have destroyed the beauty of their hands by trying to transform with the scissors the blunt, thick finger ends that belong on the practical or elementary hand into the dainty or tapering fingertips.
Mosey on over and meet William Cody, who was known in these parts for his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West & Congress of Rough Riders of the World exhibitions. Yee haw!
If you have a pair of vintage gloves – or even a new pair – and want to know the best way to care for these delicate and elegant classic accessories, this article is for you!
There is not a man living who does not like to see a woman in an apron. Every groom dreams of his young wife donning an apron in which to pour his coffee.
When the old Victrola record players were first introduced, those turntables were some cutting-edge tech. Here’s a look at the history of the famous Victor Talking Machines!
Our grandmothers used to take care of lace to preserve them, and we, too, can follow in the footsteps of our ancestors to keep our laces in good condition.
What kind of sweets did they enjoy more than 100 years ago — especially when ready-made candies were few and far between? People back in
No doubt that several of these vintage hairstyles for women from the 1910s could be adapted for use today, and would look as elegantly stylish as ever. Take a look!
Here are a few ideas for antique-style Christmas embroidery you can use to create small gifts. We have also included some bonus patterns, also from the early 1900s.
Long before automatic washing machines, people had to wash their clothes the old-fashioned way – using vintage washboards, tubs, hand scrubbing, and things called manglers. Here’s how they did it.
Winchester rifles for all kinds of hunting (1905) Winchester rifles are not the choice of any one special class, but of all intelligent sportsmen who go to the
Here’s a selection of vintage 4th of July postcards to celebrate Independence Day, all dating back to the first two decades of the 20th century!
These vintage tips to identify antique silver come from the 1940s – and include diagrams, descriptions and photos of lots of vintage silverwork.
Look back at what antique school supplies looked like back in the 1800s, along with popular teaching materials from the Victorian era!
After years of growth, Detroit became a major transportation hub, and many gorgeous Victorian mansions were built for wealthy residents.
A hundred years ago, needle baths were popular in hotels and luxury homes. They were like a shower, but with a few basic differences. See some here.
Nikola Tesla’s life story is notable, as he saw the world of the covered wagon turn into today’s world of electricity & electronics – and he was a big part of how that happened.
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.
Here is a collection of eight deliciously sweet homemade chocolate custard recipes from a variety of vintage cookbooks and newspapers.
Looking back at these antique kitchens from the 1900s, you may be surprised at how far we have come, and grateful for things like countertops!
Fashionable vintage parasols could include materials like lace, chiffon, fishnet, satin ribbon, and of every hue. Here are a few of the styles from long ago!
The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were the dynamic duo who took humanity’s dream of flight from mere fantasy to tangible reality. It took only 12 seconds and covered 120 feet, but the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight made the moon as reachable as sailing ships once made America. Here’s how they made history.
See 40 beautiful images from the 1910s, and get inspired by the color schemes and vintage home wall decor from more than 100 years ago!
Check out these old-time cookie recipes from the turn of the century to see what people loved to bake back more than 100 years ago!
Christmas goes to the dogs! Here are 8 adorable antique Christmas postcards with dogs, plus a tale of how some boys got together and gave their pups their own holiday party.
Old-fashioned eggnog recipes come in many varieties, so here are more than a dozen – though definitely take a look at the traditional Southern egg nog how-to, which will apparently allow the spirit of Christmas to descend upon you.
If you’d like to celebrate an proper Edwardian-style Christmas, here are lots of ideas for you! Get inspired by these recipes, decor tips, vintage images and lots more.
It seems that there are almost as many old-fashioned mint julep recipes as there are people who enjoy the cocktails. Take a look at a century of the best how-tos!
Here’s a look at a few dozen type styles from the first part of the 20th century – including a few old-fashioned fonts that have stood the test of time.
If you’re looking for a decadent heirloom dessert, here are 18 deliciously old-fashioned chocolate cake recipes to inspire you!
