Discover a curated roundup of must-see vintage Craftsman house plans. Perfect for those interested in classic design, renovation, or new builds.
1920
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.
These gorgeous vintage home designs and their floor plans from the 1920s are as authentic as they get – from sweet little retro bungalows to cool Colonials.
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.
The Raggedy Ann doll, in her humble glory, has stood the test of time. Let’s take a look back at her history!
If you need a book, you used to need to look for the most important item in the library — the vintage card catalog.
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.
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!
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.
These retro refrigerators were a dream come true for homemakers. Take a look back at these old-fashioned kitchens and their cool appliances!
This collection of vintage Girl Scout uniforms, badges and insignia represents a century of tradition, friendship and — most of all — girl power.
From uprights to baby grands & more, these antique pianos are works of art!
Booze-free beverages were all the rage after prohibition kicked in, so from a huge collection of vintage mocktail suggestions, we found these 30 fruity 1920s non-alcoholic drink recipes that would still work well today.
Felix the Cat cartoon: How the world’s first famous feline charmed the world in the 1920s and beyond
Felix the Cat was a black and white cartoon character who first appeared on movie screens way back in 1919. Created by Pat Sullivan and
Here is a collection of 24 colorful vintage Easter cards from the early twentieth century!
See the surprising reasons so many old silent movies have completely disappeared — leaving us to wonder what cinematic treasures have been lost to the ages.
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!
When was Prohibition, why was it even a thing – and why did the alcohol-free social experiment fail?
When was Prohibition and why didn’t it work? Here’s the story of how it not only didn’t do what it intended, but introduced a cascade of other problems, too.
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.’
Check out these photographs and illustrations that show off some of the most popular styles of 1920s lingerie – and that’s not like much you see today.
If you have ever thought that 1920s shoes for women were pretty much all the same, think again! There was practically a shoe style revolution between WWI and the Great Depression. Take a look here.
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!
Back when recipes were usually handwritten, vintage recipe boxes were a happy homemaker’s most valued possession. Take a peek at some retro recipe holders here!
While it’s not unusual today for a child’s growing up to be well-documented, a chronological series of vintage baby pictures like these were a rare advantage in the early 20th century!
The Life Savers candy brand has been around for more than a century! Here’s a look back at how the little sweets with a hole became so popular, and the many flavors they have made over the years.
Back when cheap Halloween party decor was a distant dream, people had to make their Halloween decorations the old-fashioned way: by getting creative. Ghoul School 1919 is now in session!
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!
The insights and inventions of Dr George Washington Carver – which he gave freely to the world – revolutionized the South, and helped millions out of poverty.
How can you make use of all those fresh summer berries? We looked to the experts of the past to find delicious old-fashioned ways to preserve raspberries so you can enjoy the fruit all year long.
A bouncy new baby is wonderful – but quite a burden, too! In the early 20th century, baby window cages like these were promoted as making babies more fun since they were easier to care for.
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
Today’s Dodge automobile brand started making cars branded Dodge Brothers back in 1914.
100 years ago, famous actress and soprano Lina Cavalieri said she thought women would rather have beautiful necks than almost any other feature, and offered her tips on how to improve the curve and beauty of the neckline.
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!
Here’s a look back at some of the greatest examples of fashionable gowns and flapper-style vintage dresses from the Roaring 20s that would be at home on the set of a Great Gatsby movie!
Antique travel trunks like these were like super-extra suitcases that offered more than just space for clothing that helped people easily pack and organize entire outfits, right down to the accessories. Here’s a peek!
Warm up with a look back at 30 different beautiful vintage fireplaces that were once found in homes across the US.
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!
We’ve collected various 1920s makeup tips that millions of flappers used to get fabulous and rebellious for a night of jazz clubs, speakeasies and dancing.
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!
It was on that memorable day in telephone history – June 2, 1875 – when Bell and Watson were testing a number of transmitters, connected by a single wire to a corresponding set of vibrating reed receivers, that the first sounds were transmitted electrically.
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
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!
Who was Uncle Wiggily? Find out more about the author of these serials and Uncle Wiggily books, see examples of the characters and artwork, and look back at a copy of ‘Uncle Wiggily and His Friends’ that was published in 1955!
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!
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.
Annie Oakley wasn’t just the best female sharpshooter – she was THE best. She once sent a shot right through the bullseye, then someone bet she couldn’t shoot through the hole she had just made. Guess what happened next?
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.
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.
Remember when every girl wanted a Lane hope chest? See 20+ vintage hope chests from the 20th century
Way back when, it’s what every girl wanted: A cedar-lined Lane hope chest for linens and her trousseau. In upper-middle-class homes, giving a teen cedar chest was a longstanding tradition — and practically a requirement for marriage.
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!
Gorgeous, graceful old-fashioned decorative iron porches & balconies, crafted from intricate metalwork, adorn many homes and other buildings in the Southern states. Here, take a look back at some stunning examples!
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.
See how old El Paso, Texas — the city that sits right along the border of Mexico and the state of New Mexico – looked more than 100 years ago, when the population was about a tenth of what it is now.
The word ‘flapper’ as used today in reference to a woman from the 1920s, has a much broader definition than how the term was originally used. So what is a flapper, then? Find out here.
Although the most popular vintage 1920s hairstyles were dominated by the bob cut, there were lots of different ways to style bobbed hair. Here’s a look back at short and long haircuts (plus old-fashioned styling tips) from the flapper era!
If you don’t know your dingledangler from your Kluck from your zoozer, you’ll want to know this Flapper slang from the 1920s!
Here, see two articles from the twenties about old-fashioned train & travel etiquette from the 1920s. They as much tell people what to do as what not to do when traveling the country by railroad.
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
Have you ever thought about using some of the millions of pine needles that fall off the trees to make something useful? Here are more than 20 vintage pine needle crafts & decor ideas!
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.
If you’ve ever wondered what it might have been like to walk the streets of a major US city a century ago, here, take a peek at the streets of old Washington DC as they were back in the twenties.
Back in 1920, lots of people – including media and leading scientists – thought there was an active society on Mars, and that the Martians wanted to talk to us. Find out why they believe that here.
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!
Early in the 20th century, people started moving from the city out to the suburban districts and small towns. See some classic All-American suburban houses from that era here!
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.
Tiddlywinks (originally Tiddle-dy Winks) seems like a simple kids’ game… but there’s a lot more to it! Find out about it – including how to play – here.
Keds vintage sneakers made their debut in 1916, and are still a widely-recognized brand more than a century later. Here’s a look back at some of their most popular footwear fashions from decades past!
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.
Inventor Thomas Edison’s mansion home in New Jersey housed both new inventions and priceless antiques – and was where his children were born, and where he died.
Here are vintage autographs of eleven lost music legends, many gone far too soon. How many of these signatures do you wish you had?
See vintage car wreck photos of 35 of old auto accidents and crashes from the 1910s to the 1950s – before standardized seatbelts and airbags.
What’s the history of Necco Wafers? Here’s a look back at how a company made the candy such a big hit that it would be on shelves for the next 100 years.
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.
From the crank or self-starter pedal to the spark and magneto, here are some of the basics you would have needed to know to drive a car back in the 1920s.
These beautiful antique silhouettes were cut by hand by artist Eveline Maydell, whose portrait clients included many of society’s wealthiest men and women.
These gorgeous illustrations of vintage fairies and other fanciful creatures were featured in magazines during the 1920s.
The flavor of homemade caramel syrup depends entirely on how caramelized the sugar was before water was added. But when you get it right, you end up with an amazingly complex and sweet syrup to pour on desserts and use in a variety of ways.
The 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people – the majority of deaths from pneumonia following an attack of influenza.
See dozens of styles of antique jewelry from 100 years ago and more – including gold and silver bracelets, rings, necklaces and other beautiful pieces.
These beautiful antique kitchen ranges from the ’20s & ’30s were huge and heavy. They still came in several different colors thanks to a porcelain finish.
If you suspect that you are too fat or too thin, there are several simple rules that you can follow to find out your ideal weight… according to society in 1920.
Here’s a look back to the most beautifully stylish vintage 1920s dresses and other clothing for women from the roaring twenties – and how to choose the finest fashions.
Radium earned Marie Curie worldwide fame, and changed the face of medicine. Here, she describes how this historic scientific discovery was made.
Find out why vintage Iver Johnson safety revolvers were said to be safe – including a little demonstration with a hammer.
