In the early 1950s, an atomic energy lab kit for kids hit the toy store shelves. The thing was *actually radioactive*. The set had real uranium ore, and children could conduct real scientific experiments. Here’s what they were like!
1954
Back in the 1920s, footwear manufacturers and merchants decided that X-ray shoe fittings could bring in lots of customers – people who would be thrilled to let a recent scientific advance help them find the perfect shoe. There was just a little problem…
If you want to serve something different this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, a retro cranberry souffle salad may be just the thing! Bring back some of the flair of the fifties with these unusual little side dishes.
More than good, Libby’s pumpkin pie is smooth, gently spicy, and perfect! Get the classic pie you love – the original vintage recipe is right here, with our very own step-by-step photos to guide you.
Candy Land, the vintage board game that made millions of kids dream of an ice cream & lollipop world
Here, take a look back at some of the game pieces, cards, and several game boards for the vintage Candy Land game. Which ones do you remember most?
If you think your quest for the best pumpkin pie recipe has only just begun, we have news for you: you’ve just found the vintage recipe motherlode. Which is the best pie? Try some and decide!
Get ready to remember some of the biggest thrills and chills from yesteryear, through these top vintage horror movies – great for Halloween or any time you want a little scare!
Ever since the 80s, the iconic conversation pit has seemed hopelessly out-of-date. Could it be poised for a comeback?
Whether you need 50s costumes for a themed party, Halloween party, or a cosplay event, here are some ideas that are perfect for the era.
If you wanted to see typical retro family cars, check out some huge classic ’50s station wagons that had fins & had rear-facing seats – including cars from Ford, Pontiac, Studebaker and Plymouth.
You couldn’t tell a 50s housewife that pastel pink washers and dryers weren’t practical, or that they wouldn’t still be fashionable in a decade. The appliances were stylish and pretty right then and there, at least to millions of women at the time.
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.
Just look at the richly-textured patterns in this mid-century modern carpet! And the vintage 3-level pile apparently offered the highlights and shadows in expensive sculptured rugs.
The history of Dr Pepper is surprisingly long – starting back in the 1800s, in fact. Here’s how the brand began and grew and grew to become one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.
How exactly did they repair antique dolls back in the 1950s and before – in the days before toys and dolls were made of plastic? Here’s a look at what went into doll construction and restoration!
Look back at these 1950s vintage portable electric hand mixers, with the kind of removable beaters that kids loved to lick to sample delicious cake batter and cookie dough.
Remember how yummy baby aspirin tasted? Flashback to those fever dreams of yore with this collection of everything vintage baby aspirin.
Peek back into the life of young Ronald Reagan in the 40s & 50s – way before he was president back when acting paid the bills, and his wife was Jane Wyman.
The people now best known as the juice and jelly people used to make popular vintage Welch’s candies like Junior Mints, Nut Fudge, Cordialed Cherries and Sugar Daddies. See them here!
The Tootsie Roll has a sweet legacy that started way back at the end of the 1800s, and continues to this day. From the early days, the unique chocolaty chewy candy was a huge favorite with kids. Find out more about them here!
Over the years and across the miles, a tricycle has been a rite of pedaling passage for generations of toddlers and preschoolers. Check out our collection of vintage pictures of old trikes
Did you know that Silly Putty was originally marketed to adults? Read on for more interesting tidbits about this fun and magical stuff!
During the height of milk glass popularity (it was a must-have in American homes from the 1920s through the 50s), 90 percent of Westmoreland’s production was the famous white glassware – and they made a lot of it.
From meat glazes to unique salads and totally vintage-style jello molds, the most iconic tropical fruit can make itself useful in so many ways. Here are some weird – and some good – retro ways to serve pineapple.
Apparently stuck for a way to make toilet paper – particularly rolls of colored toilet tissue – more attractive to ’50s housewives, advertising executives turned to the world of glamour and fashion for an assist.
Look back at adorable vintage 1950s nursery decor and furniture from the 50s, plus get advice from interior decorators about old-school baby bedrooms.
Baby Ruth candy bars – and even Baby Ruth gum – were among the most popular sweets back in the day. Right here, take a look at more than 50 years of the history of the brand.
With clean lines and gentle curves, the minimalistic mid-century modern chair will never go out of style. Make a decor statement with one of these mid-century modern armchair styles you can buy now!
Chocolate milk has been loved by kids – and, yes, adults! – since at least the 1920s. Here’s a look back at some vintage chocolate milk brands that have hit supermarkets over the years – some of which you know, but many more than have been lost to time.
This minimalist dining room’s furniture was designed by mid-century modern architect T H Robsjohn-Gibbings, one of the major influencers of the contemporary era.
In this room from the mid-1950s, a striking harlequin pattern wallpaper, as dramatic as gift wrapping, lined one side of a small dining room.
In this light and breezy midcentury modern bedroom, the bright gleam of brass acted as a foil to the rough-textured masonry walls and the matte finish of unstained, unpainted wood.
Starting around the end of the 19th century, there was a war fought not with guns and sharp knives, but with food coloring and butter knives. It was the great battle of Butter vs Margarine: Yellow vs White.
There was no question that these 1950s gloves for women were stylish – but they were also a required accessory for any proper lady. See pictures of dozens of styles, plus get vintage fashion tips & glove etiquette.
By using a colorful antique rug below a dado rail, the homeowners added so much decorative flair to this space – texture, pattern, color – and it definitely became a conversation piece.
With space-age design elements like starbursts and swooshes, and the large backplates, some of the most popular mid-century modern door knobs were absolutely iconic, and easy to recognize.
An airy, inviting and cool screened porch could become an extra living room with as much charm as any indoor space.
Decades ago, this rounded 1950s kitchen would have certainly been unique with its floor featuring a huge mid century modern graphic element.
A gorgeous layered concrete mural with artfully embedded stones made this 1950s kitchen decor truly unique. Take a look!
This luxurious bathroom-dressing room was part of a high-end master suite built back in the 1950s, and even the most practical objects were aesthetic delights.
If you’re looking to make a bedroom look a little retro, take a look at these DIY headboards with a vintage look! They may be just the inspiration you need for some old-fashioned home decor.
Want to know how to make an old rotary phone work? Here’s your handy guide, straight from the 50s!
Mid century modern kitchens were super trendy back in the 1950s! Women years ago loved their pink home decor.
Starting when vintage portable radios were finally small enough to be carried in the 1950s, through when they got almost too big to carry in the ’80s, here’s a little sound history of AM & FM radios from the days of transistors onward.
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!
Want to see what some 1950s home decor looked like? We’ve collected more than 140 mid century wallpaper samples, from classic to kitsch, and everything in between.
The history of fitted sheets: A revolution in bed-making A lot of people may be surprised to know that fitted sheets — ones that weren’t
If you’re buying a 1950s house, already live in one, or want to see how new suburban homes were designed back in the ‘Leave it to Beaver’ era, see some fantastic ’50s house plans here!
There’s a reason that advertising has evolved over the decades – and these bad vintage Christmas ads from years ago show you exactly why!
We’ve rounded up 30 dramatically different examples of 1950s Christmas tree decorations — come be inspired by these lavishly decorated Christmas trees!
This gigantic collection of vintage wall paneling from mid-century (and beyond) makes for a surprisingly delightful scroll down nostalgia lane!
That characteristic mid-century modern flair — with an abundance of color, clean lines and geometric patterns — translated perfectly in these examples of 1950s Christmas wall decorations
