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.
1961
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.
As charmingly retro as they seem, small striped outdoor tents (also called palmetto or lawn tents) were nothing new in the 1960s and 1970s — in fact, they have been used for centuries.
These old-school Ford Ranchero pickup trucks weren’t styled like all the other pickups, because they were meant to combine passenger-car comfort with driving ease.
These fab retro 60s ice cream flavors may surprise you! You’re about to see a lot of vintage ice cream flavor (and color!) combinations you used to be able to get at the store, but don’t see much today. Take a look!
If the best colognes for men in the middle of the last century were the most popular and heavily advertised, well, we’ve found a few of them for you here!
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!
Since modern and space-age decor is timeless, you’ll find these acrylic chairs are still in production! We’ve featured 14 of our favorites that you can find on sale today.
Why stop the party to mix drinks, when you could have the perfect booze blend ready to go? That was the theory behind the retro ready-made canned cocktails and bottled mixes that were popular in the 60s and 70s.
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
This retro recipe for the catsup-based Imperial salad dressing is a little more complicated than making a basic vinaigrette, but the results earned it a spot in many recipe collections over the years. Here’s how to make this kicky classic!
If you love the mid-century style, or want to re-create that beautiful vintage backyard feel, get 47 of the best old-fashioned patio, deck & porch ideas here for a little retro inspo.
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.
Vintage 10-speed bikes like these were popular bicycles during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Although designed for speed and performance, they were popular with everyday folks who just wanted to get out and ride.
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.
The freshness of growing plants and striped shades on this peppermint-striped sun porch created a relaxing view from a simple but formal dining room.
First of all, there was the focal point of this stylish contemporary 1960s living room: the stone fireplace wall with floor-to-ceiling plants growing on either side of the hearth.
A two-sided stone fireplace sat between this renovated home’s solarium and game room. It featured a modern style molded plaster hood, and an elevated round marble hearth.
The light & spacious 60s living room, although not formal, had a casual dignity about it. Its open spaciousness was enclosed by a simple structure built predominantly of wood and stone.
From the sixties: You will be delighted at the wide variety of things to do and see all year ’round in Outdoor Mississippi. Hundreds of lakes and rivers, five huge reservoir playgrounds, fourteen state parks and, of course, the glamorous and famous Gulf Coast.
Drapes, sheers and aluminum window blinds were the window treatment trends of the 60s and 70s, but some people got way more creative. Get some inspiration from this unique mid-century window decor.
As it appeared in this 1960s show home, the elegant modern master bedroom suite had an emphasis on relaxation, purposely making space for things like quiet conversations by the fireplace.
This eclectic and oh-so-hip white modern living room would have been pretty basic but for the extra colorful decorative bursts here and there.
Brown was considered a popular midcentury modern color, so Bloomingdale’s put together this contemporary 1960s living room decor that made the most of the rich tone.
Each bed in this cute and colorful retro children’s bedroom with 4 bunks had its own storage area, while still giving everyone their own space.
A wall of books in this retro dining room library created a warm mood. But what was even more eye-catching than the books? The blue and white canopy hung over the table.
Situated at the bottom of a staircase, this clean & elegant hallway decor featured both Colonial and classical Greek-style elements.
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!
What’s the difference between linoleum and vinyl flooring? Although we often use these terms interchangeably, linoleum and vinyl are actually two distinctly different flooring products.
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
From those using flamboyant fabrics to the more sedate styles, here you can peek inside houses from back to the sixties and check out these once-fashionable retro curtains & drapes!
Most of these abandoned malls exist as ghost towns, if they continue to exist at all. Take a peek inside some abandoned malls and learn the history of their demise.
Indoor malls might be fading, but what hasn’t faded is our fondness for this vintage relic. Take a nostalgia trip back with us to some of the best indoor malls of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Called ‘the world’s greatest toy catalog,’ vintage FAO Schwarz toy catalogs like this gives you a peek at what children of all ages loved to play with back in the sixties.
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.
Hide-a-bed sofas turned a regular couch into a guest room overnight. See vintage styles and ads from the 1940s through the 1970s.
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.
The best way to gift-wrap a bulky or odd-shaped kitchen appliance or utensil is – don’t! Give it a fanciful shape, instead – with Christmas paper, ribbons, ornaments and more.
Cozy 60s nightgowns and other sleepwear Sweetly demure in the earlier years; colorfully assertive and boldly patterned by the decade’s end… is it any surprise
Take a trip back to the 1960s with this collection of 50 far-out fashion illustrations inspired by the hippest women’s styles from between 1960 and
Check out some of the most popular classic 1960s Chrysler station wagons – Plymouth Fury, Dodge Custom 880, Valiant V-200, Dodge Dart 440, Lancer 770, Chrysler Newport & more.
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.
Here, see vintage lots of 1960s lingerie – including girdles, corselets, bras, garters, pantyhose, nylons, bras, slips, panties, underwear, foundation garments and more from vintage catalogs from the sixties!
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.
Skippy Peanut Butter paid stars like Groucho Marx to endorse it in 1960—and the ads made no effort to pretend they weren’t in it for the money.
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!
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!
Kellogg’s Concentrate cereal debuted in 1959. Despite being nutritious and not sugary, commenters here make it clear that people loved the stuff!
Take a look back to see what food shopping used to be like in these photos of vintage 1960s supermarkets – scenes of shoppers, checkouts, storefronts & more!
Based on one of the many traditional needlework crafts, these vintage needlepoint designs might just inspire you to get creative in all-new ways!
Remember these classic Fisher-Price preschool toys, like the vintage corn popper, colorful xylophone, music box TV and chatter telephone?
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.
Vintage Fenton glass – candy dishes, bowls, vases, lamps, baskets and more – came in milk glass and in radiant colors.
How were the most with-it interior design experts decorating kitchens back in the sixties? Here, see many different vintage 1960s kitchen tile designs, colors and styles.
Practical ideas to help you plan small gardens of your own – a quiet, refreshing area close to your house where you can enjoy the plants and flowers you love!
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!
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.
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!
These flavorful and colorful gelatin sugar cookies need just a few simple ingredients. Best of all, one base dough can make up to five different flavors – you choose your favorite jello mixes to stir in. Then just refrigerate, slice, and bake a fresh batch anytime!
Remember getting drinks in vintage Dixie Cups? While many of us recall them from childhood because of their cute designs, they weren’t invented simply for convenience.
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!
Five flavors of whipped gelatin form this colorful, spectacular dessert: a rainbow cake – an eye-catching red, pink, orange, green and purple layered dessert recipe!
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.
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!
Before the Pepsi company introduced lemon-lime Slice (starting in 1984), Storm (1998) and Sierra Mist (2000), they hit the market with Teem soda — a fizzy lemon-lime soft drink that seemed much the same, but with a different name.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
Take a look back at some Pontiac Bonneville automobiles, and see how they changed from the fifties to the end 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.
In the sixties, homeowners loved using tile in the bathroom, as you can see here in this eclectic collection of vintage 1960s bathroom tile design ideas!
The demand for ’60s computer programmers was huge as business, industry, science, education and government all raced to reap the benefits of new technology. Here’s a look!
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.
These pretty and old-fashioned paper Christmas ornaments are so easy to make, kids and adults can work on them together! As a bonus, they’re very cheap to create. Get directions and diagrams here.
“A frightened, crying child’s ability to dial 0 for the operator in case of emergency could save a life. Your child’s life. Maybe yours.”
Here’s a look back to some of the most colorful examples of popular Kohler bathroom suites from the 1960s and 1970s – bold blues, harvest gold, avocado green, basic black & more.
Here, see 11 of the classic 1960s Dodge Darts that were new and popular back between 1960 and 1969.
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!
Some of these classic 1960s Dodge Polara cars had aircraft-type instrument panels and switches – plus deep carpeting and a V8 that knows what get-up-and-go really means. Take a look!
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.
While the car name Rambler dates back to 1914, the name was only used for modern cars from the late ’50s until 1969. Here’s a look at some of the top Rambler cars from the 1960s – the classic brand’s heyday.
Some of the most stylish vintage 1960s shoes for women had bows, flowers, rhinestones, buckles, straps and ruffles. And don’t forget the broad, chunky heels! Here’s a look back.
Can’t you smell the warm, friendly fragrance as these caramel-y rolls come out of your oven? Try this retro recipe for fresh-baked homemade caramel-pecan harvest rolls!
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.
