Life before the digital age has become a distant memory for many who lived it. Thankfully, we have photographs to remind us about those simpler times.
Today, we’re not just doing any other throwback. We’re winding back the clock to the 1890s to give us a glimpse of how massively different things were. These antique snapshots are from a Facebook group aptly named “Photographic Traces from 1890 until 1950.”
If the group name isn’t enough of a giveaway, expect to see historic pictures of a tattoo parlor in the 1930s, a dance class in the 1900s, and a rare image of the ever-stunning Marilyn Monroe in a potato sack dress from the early ‘50s.
Enjoy scrolling, as these vintage photos may also enthrall you.
#1 Angela Lansbury ('princess Gwendolyn' And Her Hamburger....) Eating With Basil Rathbone ('sir Ravenhurst')
Image credits: Chantal Viellard
#2 1942 - Navajo Mother, Rose, And Her Son Ben Chee Henry, Canyon De Chelly, Arizona
Image credits: Chantal Viellard
#3 A Young Berber Girl With Her Traditional Regalia, From The Ouled Nail Tribe, Algeria, North Africa. Photography By Lehnert-Landrock, 1905
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. Everyone enjoys a trip down memory lane, even if that journey goes back to a century ago. It’s also why the vintage aesthetic is a popular photography trend, so much so that digital cameras have retro filters.
According to wedding photographer Lena Christine, the use of vintage and film “taps into our yearning for the good old times.”
“The grainy texture, muted tones, and soft focus of images invite us into the past the way we experience an old family album,” she wrote in an article for her website.
#4 On Easter Morning In 1941, A Group Of African American Boys Dressed In Their Finest Clothes Gathered On The South Side Of Chicago, Posing Atop A Parked Car
Image credits: Smith Jamie
#5 Marilyn Monroe In A Potato Sack Dress (1951)
Image credits: Iny Vaini
#6 "The Forbidden City." San Francisco's Chinatown's World Famous Nightclub, Mai Tai Sing And Her Chorus-Line Dancers In A Publicity Shot For “Holiday Magazine” In 1948
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
Vintage photography can also be an excellent storytelling tool, which is why Lena uses it for engagement photo shoots. As she explains, the intention is to “create a timeless narrative” and transport the couple back into the moment for each photograph.
“Film aesthetic invites us to slow down, to appreciate simplicity, and to connect with the human experiences that lie within each frame,” she wrote.
#7 Portrait Of A Oilof Family ('oilof' Is An Old Spelling For Wolof), Captured By French Photographer Emile Noal (1868-1903) Between 1890-1900 In St-Louis, Senegal (West Africa)
Image credits: Chantal Viellard
#8 A Reflection Of Notre Dame Cathedral And A Sitting Dog Photographed In 1958 By Inge Morath In Paris, France
Image credits: Charles Ramos
#9 Martin Imboden. The Dancer Manon Chaufour 1930
Image credits: Béa van den Bossche
You don’t need to be a seasoned photographer to take awe-inspiring vintage photographs. However, you will need vintage equipment to capture the authenticity.
According to photographer Jennifer Froula Weber, one way to do so is by using point-and-shoot cameras that predate the 1950s. Expired film from decades ago is another great option.
#10 Unknown Photographer. School Teacher At Her Desk 1899. Cyanotype
Image credits: Lise Baladanté
#11 1890s - Tibetan Lady Ani Chokyi By Photographer Thomas Parr, Darjeeling, India (Albumen Print)
Image credits: Chantal Viellard
#12 Arnold Genthe- Edna St. Vincent Millay ( 1914)
Image credits: Donny Backes Jr.
But of course, we now have technology at our disposal to manipulate images and make them look a certain way. However, overdoing it may ruin the aesthetic you’re looking for.
Photographer Paige Mercer advises sticking to minor adjustments, such as adding a hint of warmth or lowering the dark spots. You can also increase exposure by a small notch to achieve a rustic look with lens flares and light leaks.
#13 Paul Almasy. Young Reader In The Park Of The Champs Elysées. 1947
Image credits: Lise Baladanté
#14 A View Of The Acropolis Of Athens, Greece In 1860
Image credits: Kostas Pikoulos
#15 La Mariée De Notre-Dame, 1949
Image credits: Βαλεντίνα Αναγνώστου
We’d also like to hear from you, our readers. What about vintage photographs draws you in? Is it about the nostalgia or the different feel that they bring? Let us know in the comments below.
#16 The 20's Fabulous Rózsika And Janka Deutsch Aka "The Dolly Sisters" Were Hungarian-American Identical Twin Dancers, Singers And Actresses, Famous Stars Of The World Famous "Ziegfeld Follies" And The "Folies Bergere" In Paris
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#17 Bassano Ltd. The Model Andrea Mijinska 1930
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#18 Dorothea Lange - Young Family Hitchhiking On U.S. Highway 99 In California
Image credits: Donny Backes Jr.
#19 Robert Doisneau. The Lovers, Opera, Paris 1950
Image credits: Béa van den Bossche
#20 Paris Opera, 1949
Image credits: Βαλεντίνα Αναγνώστου
#21 1933, Paris - Dutch-Javanese Model Catharina 'Toto' Koopman
Image credits: Chantal Viellard
#22 Korean War Kiss-Goodbye, Los Angeles, September 06, 1950
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#23 Lewis W. Hine - Albanian Woman, Ellis Island (1905)
Image credits: Donny Backes Jr.
#24 Harriet Hoctor (1905-1977) ♥️ American Ballerina, Choreographer, Actress And Dance Instructor In A Back Bending Pose As A Question Mark For A 1925 Photograph By Bloom Studio Of Chicago
Image credits: Charles Ramos
#25 J. Lacroix. Good Night 1901
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#26 The Actress Myrna Loy In The Barbarian Directed By Sam Wood In 1933
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#27 Edmund Kesting. Portrait With Shadow 1930
Image credits: Lise Baladanté
#28 Mrs Marlene Dietrich, Photography By Wolff Von Gudenberg In Berlin, 1929
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#29 Actress - Model Helen Bennett In A "Spider" Dress, 1939
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#30 Alfred Stieglitz. The Cards's Players 1894
Image credits: Izoa Lavalle
#31 Albert Einstein Joue Avec Son Violon Adoré, 1941
Image credits: Iny Vaini
#32 Lee Miller. Self-Portrait, 1932
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#33 Adolf Miethe. Woman By The Sea 1903. Autochrome
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#34 Bassano Ltd. Gabrielle Ray 1910
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#35 Isidora Duncan's Dance Students, Early 1900s
Image credits: Βαλεντίνα Αναγνώστου
#36 Chorus Girl, 1933 By James Jarché
Image credits: Béa van den Bossche
#37 Actress Myrna Loy In "The Mask Of Fu Manchu." 1932
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#38 Amy Peterson's Portrait Of A Champagne Inspector, Wearing A Special Mask To Protect Against Accidental Discharges
Image credits: Francis Sistiague
#39 Jacob Merkelbach. Portrait Of A Woman In Red Dress 1920s
Image credits: Lise Baladanté
#40 Beatriz Michelena, Mignon, 1914
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#41 Dora Kallmus - Arthur Benda Modèles Nus Aux Accessoires (Margot Di Tisoni, Lotte Heurs, Toni Rippel), C. 1925-1935
Image credits: Jack Haze
#42 Cette Italienne Inspecte Curieusement Le Kilt D'un Soldat Écossais. Colisée, Rome En 1944
Image credits: Iny Vaini
#43 Charles Gates Sheldon. The Boots 1920
Image credits: Lise Baladanté
#44 Subway Entrance, New York By Homer Page 1949
Image credits: Maria Alberti Vatopoulou
#45 Johannes Fischer. Double Portrait Of Egon Schiele With Cigarette 1915
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#46 Claude Cahun. Autoportrait 1929
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#47 Jacob Merkelbach. The Dancer Angele Sydow 1917-1919
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#48 Unknown Photographer. Hilde Hager's School Of Dance 1930
Image credits: Béa Vdb
#49 Guido Rey (Italian Pictorialism). Classical Costume Scene 1905
Image credits: Béatrice van den Bossche
#50 Man Ray. Lee Miller And An Unidentified Woman 1930
Image credits: Béa Vdb
