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.
1945
Check out some vintage 1940s birthday cards – along with old-fashioned greeting cards for Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween and beyond.
Find out about the famous B-17 Flying Fortress planes from WWII – how they were invented, built, tested and used – and what happened to them after the war was finally over.
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!
When you look at these vintage Longines watches, think back to the era when wristwatches were as ubiquitous as our phones today – and almost as important.
Look back at the experience passengers in the thirties, forties, fifties and sixties could expect when they sailed the high seas in high style on these fabulous old cruise ships.
The Allies weren’t just trying to create the very best WWII fighter planes that they could – they were also constantly evaluating what the Nazis were using. Here’s a look.
Here, check out 22 vintage kitchen design ideas – from funky fridges to creative cabinetry – plus other retro appliances and home decor we don’t see very often nowadays!
These beautiful women’s shoes from the 1940s – pumps of leather and suede, high heels in white & black, blue and red – would still make a stylish statement today.
In Gaby, playing off one of the more haunting love mix-ups of World War II, a French-born dancer in London (Miss Caron) meets an American soldier. Then he is sent overseas, and soon presumed lost.
While orchestra leader Glenn Miller himself disappeared, his music has done rather the opposite – reaching and speaking to generations well beyond his untimely death during WWII.
Dorothy Lamour, American actress and singer, wasn’t just a star on the screen – she also threw her weight behind numerous WWII war bond sales efforts, and topped those charts.
Take a look back at these vintage jewelry boxes that were so popular, including some with fold-out storage and – of course – spinning ballerinas.
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!
What is VJ Day? It means “Victory in Japan” day – the celebration that marked the end of WWII when Japan finally announced its surrender to Allied forces in the summer of 1945. Here’s a look back.
Here is a collection of tips from the past, for researching your past – namely, how to start a genealogical record for your family. Get ideas for tracking down your ancestry here!
Take a few minutes to reflect on the awesome and terrifying power unleashed on the world in the summer of 1945 during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki while remembering the lives lost – and those possibly saved.
What can you make with Spam? According to these retro Spam recipes – what *can’t* you make with it?! Check out these easy vintage how-tos here.
Here, take a look back at old Lake Tahoe – the big, beautiful lake that has been a popular vacation spot for generations.
In the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, old-fashioned maternity wear existed – but its main job was to help the mom-to-be hide her pregnancy. Here’s a look back at fashions to help women camouflage that bump!
See vintage car wreck photos of 35 of old auto accidents and crashes from the 1910s to the 1950s – before standardized seatbelts and airbags.
See some of the dozens of the most popular vintage board games from the ’30s & ’40s, including Camelot, Ro-Nock-O, Crow Hunt, Senet and more old-fashioned fun.
Women’s Army Corps recruitment ads and posters during WWII tempted the ladies with things like, ‘Are you a girl with star-spangled heart? Join the WAC now! Thousands of Army jobs need filling!’
Albert Einstein was a man whose life, philosophies, discoveries and theories changed the way we looked at the world, and at life itself. Find out about him here.
These 60+ vintage patio furniture sets – charming tables, chairs, chaises and more – were as popular in the 1940s through the 1970s as they are now.
Take a look back at how America – and the world – celebrated Victory in Europe Day, meaning World War II was nearly over.
The Andrews Sisters were three little girls from Minneapolis, who resolved when young that they were going to be the greatest girl singing trio ever. And they were.
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.
Take a look at more than 40 vintage ’40s hairstyles – long hair and short cuts, curled and waved, with and without hats – and see what was fashionable!
Years ago, the United States Brewers Foundation ran a series of kindly, old-fashioned ads for beer, all with the tagline ‘Beer belongs – enjoy it.’ Here’s a look back.
With a blinding flash of light, 100,000 people or more were killed instantly when the United States dropped a bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945.
In that old expression, ‘You don’t know s*** from Shinola?’ — what the heck are they talking about? Find out here.
Creamed chipped beef – dried beef with white gravy – is also known as “s**t on a shingle” (SOS), and was often served to troops during World War II.
Treet is the meat (1945) The meal-ready meat most folks like best! Yes! Treet is the Meat! More people choose Treet than any other meal-ready
What were mutts and pedigreed pups eating in the ’40s-’80s? Here’s a look back at vintage dog food print ads & TV commercials you might remember.
Through the 40s, 50s & 60s, you’d see a new set of vintage calendar girls & pin-ups in garages, diners and dens each year. Take a look back!
Betty Grable’s legs: They have now achieved the stature of a major Hollywood landmark LIFE – June 7, 1943 No one since Paavo Nurmi has
See original vintage headlines, news stories, photos and more from the Japanese attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor, marking the American entry into WWII.
Love those classic cocktails? Get the recipes here for some of the finest from the 40s: Gin Rickey, Creme de Menthe Frappe, Hot Toddy, Side Car, Pink Lady, Stinger, Champagne Cocktail, Manhattan, Daiquiri & more!
To help keep an eye on the war, during both WWI and WWII, the Navy asked to borrow binoculars from American citizens, paying them $1 per pair – which was much cheaper and simpler than buying new optics for the military.
Find out about the teen marriages of Sonny Wisecarver – aka “The Woo Woo Kid” – who went on to inspire the 1987 movie ‘In the Mood,’ starring Patrick Dempsey.
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.
Find out more about World War II’s important military offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, and see several pictures from the snowy scene.
After World War II, when the railroad companies had to transport troops around the country, they upgraded the service. Here’s a look back at some of what the railroads were offering to entice passengers back in the late 1940s.
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.
What does it take to be a tip-top vintage full-service gas station service attendant during the 1940s? Find out how customer care went beyond ‘Shall I fill it up with Super Special?’
I’d love to know you better ’cause… (1946) I like “smooth” men who keep presentable longer with Mennen Brushless Shave Cream I’ll wait until you call
It is useless to deny that motion picture stars have been getting the best of it (as to immunity from draft). Some have been given special deferments and choice assignments and have been allowed extra months to finish pictures before having to report for active duty.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr has hit in fact on a true science-fiction subject. As an American prisoner, in German hands, he was a witness to the Dresden holocaust, that appalling Day of Judgment for thousands — although who deserves to be judged by whom is less obvious than you may think.
Once electrical power became widely-available in homes, vintage vacuum cleaners debuted, including ones from the famous Hoover brand.
The 1942 Indianapolis 500 was canceled in December 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor — and by late 1942, all motor racing in
Take a look back at these simple spring makeup tips from the 1940s, and find how to get that old-fashioned kind of beauty.
If men “hate the sight of you” read this (1930s) Good news for thousands of girls who have no sex appeal (1940s) Don’t be skinny!
Six photographers were brought into Franklin D Roosevelt’s office on the afternoon that the Brazilian Trade Agreement was to be signed in 1935. Here’s what
Greetings from California visitor postcard Retro ’40s postcard: Greetings from San Francisco, California Main scene of Fisherman’s Wharf “When the Golden Gate is golden”, San
What happened to Shirley Temple when her movie star career waned? In 1946, Temple made an effort to recapture that Hollywood magic once again.
California’s versatile, economical wines are for all America, anytime… Let wine spark up your mealtime, every day.
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
Here’s that new ”morning freshness” idea you hear so much about these days… What they do is take a cup of new, improved Ovaltine each night at bedtime…
Here’s a look back at some vintage pictures of newborns, babies and toddlers from the 1940s & 1950s. Along with those, you will also see
