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.
1959
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.
As you prepare for your Easter celebration, check out these vintage Easter egg decorating ideas! There are probably a few you remember… and maybe one or two you haven’t seen!
A central feature of this impressive mid-century modern living room was the huge, two-story fireplace that reached right up into the very peak of the vaulted ceiling.
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.
Here’s a gorgeous home from 1959 that featured a conversation pit by a fireplace – one example of a luxurious vintage midcentury modern home admired all these decades later.
If you were looking for some stereotypical midcentury modern kitchen decor, this little kitchen from 1959 pretty much had it all.
Porch dining – well, almost! A cheerful wallpaper mural gave this eating area off the kitchen an outdoor feeling, and the charm of a Parisian sidewalk cafe.
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.
Revisit the picture-perfect view of the ’50s with the Cleaver family, and their oh-so-retro daily ups and downs on the classic TV show, ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ You’ll also find out how Alfred Hitchcock was involved with this success story!
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.
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!
Flash back to 1960 with the Scholz Mark 60, a prefab mid-century modern home! From the blue bathroom to the wooden wall paneling, every inch of this house screams retro
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.
Beaded curtain comeback? They’ve been here for years Beaded curtains have been in use in Asian culture for over 2,000 years, gracefully partitioning spaces with
Raise a glass, retro-style! Get Glacier highball, Christmas sparkler, Kris Kringle punch & vintage holiday punch and classic cocktail recipes for a holiday party
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
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!
The official pictures of kids with Santa – once called ‘sitting on Santa’s lap’ – has been around for generations. Here’s a look back at this Christmas ritual!
See how to make a vintage charcuterie board made with retro-style cold cuts along with 1950s nibbles, like casseroles, old-school salads and more.
In these recipes from the 1950s, find out how to make classic gingerbread cookies — pretty decorated cut-out Christmas cookies with that famous spicy flavor.
Remember apple head dolls – the early American craft with folk art roots that became popular again in the ’60s and ’70s? Find out how to make these shrunken apple dolls, and more about the art of dollmaking.
What is a tomato soup cake? Find out with these vintage recipes for what was really a classic spiced cake – although with one unusual addition: a can of regular tomato soup.
Take a look back at these vintage Hide-a-Bed sofa models – fold-out beds tucked into a couch to sleep guests – no spare bedroom needed.
Whether you’re a nostalgia buff or looking for Christmas door decorations for your mid century home (or both!), we have some fun and festive ideas!
If you were a mid-century suburban kid you likely had a tubular metal swing set like one of these! Check out this nostalgia trip back to the backyards of your childhood.
These vintage dining room sets from the 40s & 50s – bright, cheerful & compact dinettes – were the perfect fit for small post-war houses. Take a look!
Thanks to a simple, happy collaboration between a kid and Mother Nature… we have popsicles! Here’s a look back at the frozen treats we’e enjoyed over the decades.
When you were a kid, there was nothing else like the joy of old-fashioned treehouses or forts: a little getaway that you built (maybe with some help) that could be a clubhouse or castle or spaceship or simply a place for a little peace and quiet.
Dragnet was one of the original police procedurals, which began as a radio show, then as a (now-iconic) TV show from 1951-1959 — later followed by a faithful reboot from 1967 to 1970. They all starred Jack Webb as police sergeant Joe Friday.
Follow us backward through time, and check out dozens of the old roller skates that were so well-loved in the heyday of roller skating!
This vintage easy pumpkin chiffon pie features a no-bake filling – and is made completely from scratch. Make it in just 9 easy steps, illustrated here!
See how Vintage Kool-Aid soft drink mixes looked over the years, along with all of the flavors they’ve made so far. Plus, see the Kool-Aid man break down some walls!
Remember retro Halloween costumes like these, from back when all the kids were wearing cheap and ill-fitting Hulk, Wonder Woman, and Bugs Bunny costumes from the drugstore or made their own creations?
Kellogg’s Concentrate cereal debuted in 1959. Despite being nutritious and not sugary, commenters here make it clear that people loved the stuff!
With these vintage Disneyland tickets, visitors could enjoy their choice of dozens of Disneyland rides and attractions in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Adventureland.
Based on one of the many traditional needlework crafts, these vintage needlepoint designs might just inspire you to get creative in all-new ways!
Dating tips for teen girls in the 1950s: Seventeen magazine’s ‘How to chase men ’til they catch you’
How to chase men till they catch ’em was something every teen girl should know… or so said the 1950s editor of Seventeen magazine. Here are her tips on how to flirt & behave, just for the gals.
See what was needed to put you in the running for a coveted stewardess job back in the ’50s and ’60s! Some requirements were grounded in reason, but many were just plain sexism in action.
Vintage Fenton glass – candy dishes, bowls, vases, lamps, baskets and more – came in milk glass and in radiant colors.
When the now-classic Disney film Sleeping Beauty came out at the end of the 1950s, moviegoers around the world were enthralled by the technicolor wonder, created by hundreds of artists over the course of six years. Find out more here!
Vintage book clubs have been around since before the Depression – and while the titles have changed, the concept behind the membership isthe same. Here’s a look back!
Starting back in the ’50s, women were encouraged to start their own businesses, hosting Tupperware parties, and demonstrating how to use those popular plastic containers. Here’s a look back!
If you look back at old home photos and these vintage sculptured and textured carpets were seen – three-dimensional carved or twisted patterns – you can pretty much bet you’re looking at decor from the middle of the 20th century.
These old Plymouth Suburban station wagons from the ’50s were big and long with rear-facing back seats – and even had fins. Check ’em out here!
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!
See several old brands of bottled 1950s orange soft drinks and sodas here! Some were sparking, but several of the fruity drinks were non-carbonated – and none were diet.
For decades, it was considered inappropriate for TV or movies to show a married couple sharing a bed. But did married couples really sleep in separate beds back in the ’50s?
Check out these fantastic vintage 1950s bathroom floors created with vinyl and linoleum, which range from simple to truly one-of-a-kind retro home decor!
The classic ’59 Buick cars were said to be the clearest and cleanest example of a new styling trend that would be popular for years, and had editors name Buick ‘best looking overall’ of all 1959 cars.
What were popular ’50s floors like? They might have bold stripes, checkerboard squares, or many other classic and creative ideas. Take a look back!
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.
Though the name might not be up there in lights as bright as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry, Bill Haley & His Comets certainly deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. Here’s why!
Take a look back at the kind of aisles, counters and checkouts American shoppers used to encounter at vintage 1950s grocery stores when shopping for food, toiletries and more!
Red, pink, gold & beyond – See the top vintage nail polish brands and colors from the 20th century, with shades & styles from decades ago – see how manicures have changed over the years!
Vintage bumper stickers have been a common sight for decades, and were more than just a decoration on the back of a car or truck – they were there to make a statement. Here’s a look back at a few!
With vintage beauty cases and old-fashioned train cases like these, women could be sure their hair was in order, their noses were powdered, and lipstick was in place – all to maintain a ‘proper’ look when traveling.
George Burns & Gracie Allen were not only married in real life, their work from the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s made them one of the biggest comedy duos in Hollywood. Meet the wacky couple here!
Try these old-fashioned buttermilk coolers with easy recipes that are fast to make, delicious, and a cool alternative to plain fruit juice, soda, punches or milkshakes.
What did kids – and adults – eat in the mornings back in the fifties when eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes weren’t on the menu? Take a look back at these popular vintage 1950s breakfast cereals to get a glimpse into the options people had back then!
Here, take a glimpse into the past and admire some of the timeless classic 1950s Studebaker cars, like the Presidents, Commander, Conestoga, Hawk, Broadmoor and Clipper.
Here, see 15 ways homeowners and interior designers back in the 1950s used colorful vintage vinyl floor tiles to create trendy square patterns using a variety of colors, sizes and styles.
Who remembers this long-running old ad campaign, showing how vintage Jergens Lotion helped with ‘detergent hands’ – dry, reddened skin from hand-washing dishes?
Pineapple juice is more than just a drink on its own. It can be used in a variety of recipes – from party punches to zesty meat marinades. Take a look at some vintage pineapple juice recipes and ideas here!
Tang orange drink mix was advertised as a ‘new breakfast drink discovery’ when it was introduced in the ’50s, and went on to become a part of pop culture history – especially once NASA and Mrs Brady got in on the action.
These vintage Rig-a-Jig toy sets were popular back in the fifties, and were sort of a hybrid of TInkertoys, Lego and an Erector Set. See how they worked, and what you could create with them, here!
One of the most beautiful – and most imaginative – passenger centers in the world was unveiled when Trans World Airlines opened its iconic sixties modernist masterpiece – the TWA Terminal at JFK airport in New York. See it being built here, and how it looked in the early days.
On this retro recipe for French’s Good and Plenty Pizza, the crust is tangy thanks to adding mustard to the biscuit mix – and the thick tomato and meat filling gets a little bonus mustard, too.
Trans World Airlines, better known as TWA, was one of the major US airlines, moving millions of people to destinations around the globe. Find out the history of TWA, and see this collection of vintage ads to see how exciting flying used to be.
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!
The Campbell Kids appeared in Campbell’s Soup advertising for decades, always with those little round faces. Here, see dozens of vintage toys, cups and more with their images, find out how they began, and meet the artist!
When post-WWII prefab housing was becoming passe, in the ’50s, a new version of the prefab home emerged – the kind of upper-middle-class home with many mid-century modern design ideas that would become popular over the next decade.
The original vintage Slinky toy was an all-metal spring that thrilled kids by ‘walking’ down stairs. Invented by accident back in the forties, it’s one of the classic toys that has stood the test of time.
Bubble Up lemon-lime soda had its ups and downs since the brand was registered back in the 1920s, but it never got ahead of 7-UP, or could compete with the likes of Sprite and Teem. Find out more about this retro soda here!
Years ago, old-fashioned clock radios like these were on pretty much every bedside table around America, both lulling us to sleep with music and radio shows, and getting us up for work in the morning.
These vintage Lady Buxton wallets came in classic designs made of leather and leather-like materials, many having a small unique design feature to set them apart without being ostentatious.
The basic concept hasn’t changed much in 100 years, but vintage Erector Sets like these are still popular, still inspiring creativity, and still being used to build everything from mini roller coasters to motorized robots.
The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955, and quickly became a favorite with car buyers… but that didn’t stop Ford from making a lot of changes to the model during those first five years. Here’s a look!
Take a look back at some Pontiac Bonneville automobiles, and see how they changed from the fifties to the end of the 20th century.
Here, see some of the colors – like pink and blue – and styles of the most popular vintage 1950s saucepans and kitchenware from the middle of the 20th century.
They toasted! They cooked! And, most important of all: these vintage toaster ovens warmed up TV dinners without needing to heat up the full-size oven. See how the little kitchen appliances evolved over the years, right up through the 1980s.
In the past, a few products – like Borden cheese – made it so their glass jars could be reused later as party or hostess glasses. Since people collected them, it was a smart use of double-duty packaging.
See several vintage ways to decorate mid-century entrance halls & foyers – using authentic 1950s and 1950s finishes and colors that made them as practical underfoot as they were pleasing to the eye
Jolly Time popcorn is an American company that got its start in 1914. Ten years later, they hit on the idea of selling their popcorn in cans to seal in the freshness so every kernel would pop.
Starting before TV was a really big thing, the old CBS Radio shows filled the airwaves with audio-only entertainment and news of every kind. Here’s a look at some of the programming!
Originally envisioned as a beer garden, this Florida destination has grown and grown. Here, see what the famous vintage Busch Gardens amusement park was like from the 1950s right through to the 1990s.
Check out some of the vintage Cessna propeller planes you could buy back in the fifties, sixties and seventies. They were popular for business use, but were also owned by celebrities and hobbyists.
They’re the treats you probably always wanted your mom to buy — old-school cookies, including both classics and long-forgotten brands. Here’s a look back – see how many you remember!
Although tile was available in a range of hues, when it came to creating the vintage 1950s bathroom tile design ideas homeowners wanted, the most popular colors were the ones shown here.
See a Scholz Mark 58, a marvelous mid-century modern home built in 1958. From the blue bathroom to the wooden wall paneling, every inch of this reinterpreted California Ranch house screams retro… and we love it.
When you think about vintage Hostess snacks, do you start to crave Twinkies, fruit pies, Ho-Hos, Ding Dongs, or just some slices of squishy Wonder Bread? Revisit your favorites here!
From the middle of the 20th century, see some classic and some creative vintage 1950s kitchen tile design ideas that were popular decades ago!
When vintage Dial Soap debuted in the late forties, one of their selling points was ‘Dial smells good — not strong, not sissy.’ See how the product – and the message – changed over the years!
First entering service with Eastern Air Lines in 1959, the Lockheed L-188 Electra was a leap forward in airline technology when it appeared. But the planes had a fatal flaw.
