The past century has brought unprecedented change to nearly every corner of the globe, and these captivating photos offer a glimpse into just how much our world has evolved. From bustling city streets in the early 20th century to the transformative rise of technology, transportation, and culture, each image captures a moment in time that reflects societal shifts, progress, and resilience. Some photos reveal familiar places in their earliest days, while others depict lifestyles and traditions that are now rare or nearly forgotten. Together, these snapshots from 50 to 100 years ago tell a powerful story of growth, innovation, and the relentless march of time, allowing us to reflect on how far we’ve come and what may lie ahead.
The online community is called The Way We Were and its 529k members regularly share vintage pictures showing what normal everyday life was like back in the day, giving us a unique glimpse at just how much some things changed throughout history
#1 Teddy Girls In 1955 – Their Subculture Centred Around A Still-Bomb-Damaged London
Image Source: CourtneyFish-Lately
#2 “World’s Largest Log Cabin”. Portland, Oregon, USA, 1938. Built In 1905, Burned Down In 1964
Image Source: Pavel-Romanov
#3 Teenage Sisters Gertrude And Ursula Falke. Germany, 1906
Image Source: frosty1965
#4 My Aunt Estie, Who Passed Away Today, High School Graduation, The Bronx 1945
Image Source: apikoros18
#5 My Parents In The Mid 1940s. I’ve Always Loved This Picture
Image Source: MargieVH
#6 Rescuing A Horse That Fell In The Canal. Amsterdam, 1929
Image Source: 5_Frog_Margin
#7 Glorious Kodachrome Shot Of A Lady All Dressed Up On Her Car. Guessing It To Be 1950s?
Image Source: CourtneyFish-Lately
#8 Me Circa 1965 In A Suit And Bow Tie Made By My Mom. She Made All Our Clothes Back Then
Image Source: trophyguy
#9 Kids Protesting The Dst. New York, 1939
Image Source: frosty1965
#10 The Fate And Feet Of Three Chinese Girls – A Bare Footed Slave, A Girl With Bound Feet, And A Christian With Unbound Feet – Ca. Early 1900s
Image Source: nashamagirl99
#11 Portrait Of A Young Woman From Denmark. Photographed In 1895
Image Source: littlefairywingz
#12 Mother And Son. Lisdoonvarna, Ireland C. 1890
Image Source: oldsoul8789
#13 ‘i Love You So Much!’ Boy And Dog Circa Mid 1950s
Image Source: MyDogGoldi
#14 A Photo Of Central Park In NYC During The Great Depression (1933)
Image Source: BufordTeeJustice
#15 In Paris, 1966. Photographer: Jack Garofalo
Image Source: Paul-Belgium
#16 Jaws Inspects The Halloween Loot, 1976
Image Source: Slow-moving-sloth
#17 Rural American Life In The First Half Of The 20th Century, By Mike Disfarmer, Whose Life Was A Mystery, And Whose Work Was Only Discovered Posthumously
Image Source: satsumasilk
#18 My Sister And I With A Friend’s Pet Dik-Dik, 1968
Image Source: mks113
#19 Me Circa 1968-1969. Those Sideburns Though
Image Source: akal192
#20 My Jute Weaver Great-Grandmother And Children (Including My Granny Standing At The Back). Dundee, Scotland 1915
Image Source: Hondo_Bogart
#21 1976 vs. 2018; 42 years and we’re still going strong
Image Source: NoBallsNoBabies
#22 My dad would have been 71 this month, we lost him last year to cancer. This is him at a rugby match in the 1970’s.
Image Source: WineAndTherapy
#23 My Dad died this week, and I was going through photos for the memorial slideshow. Here are my parents in a very early 70’s kitchen, but mostly I really like how they are looking at each other.
Image Source: SusanaChingona
#24 Mom and me on my ’71 CB750, on a summer afternoon, so long ago . . . (1972)
Image Source: [deleted]
#25 My mom would have been 82 years old today. Happy birthday Mom.
Image Source: edmanet
#26 My 98 year-old Grandmother passed away last week. Here she is in Chicago around 1940 living it up!
Image Source: Dupree9973
#27 My Grandpa with his first child, 1957. He passed away yesterday, April 26, aged 91.
Image Source: Planejet42
#28 My sis and I, 1962-ish… On the back it says “Doing the Twist”
Image Source: stevenmspinks
#29 My dad’s total cost for a semester of college back in 1970. Would be $250 today!
Image Source: [deleted]
#30 My Grandpa’s schoolhouse in Texas ca. 1930’s. He was always embarrassed of this picture because he was too poor to afford shoes.
Image Source: thenewfrost
#31 Gym aboard The Titanic, 1912
Image Source: doogbynnoj
#32 My grandfather and his horse, Ruby. 1940’s
Image Source: letstalkab0utit
#33 Police officer unaware of the imminent danger, Chicago, 1959
Image Source: Slow-moving-sloth
#34 Vintage photo from a family album, Freeport, IL
Image Source: Darkwater64
#35 My grandfather passed on Friday. Here he is with my grandma on their wedding day, 1948
Image Source: grundlegasm
#36 A bread delivery man with bags filled with baguettes on a snowy street in Quebec in 1977
Image Source: ExploreMoreMysteries
#37 My grandfather taking a girlfriend rock climbing in the 1920s
Image Source: deadspaceornot
#38 My great grandmother with one of her paintings [Philadelphia, 1940s]
Image Source: Yoojay
#39 In 1978, when you got a color TV you posed by it.
Image Source: Imgur
#40 Staff at a Burger Chef circa 1975.
Image Source: AxlCobainVedder