Looking at old pictures can be fascinating: people dressed in what could be considered the latest fashion trends (grandpa’s pants are soooo back in style), homes and surroundings that could only be seen on movie sets nowadays, and so much more all frozen in time for us to marvel at.
Covering the good, the bad, and the ugly of life as it was, the subreddit titled ‘The Way We Were’ is a treasure trove of such moments frozen in time. If you’re a fan of time travel enabled by browsing old photographs, you ought to love today’s list, so wait no longer, scroll down to find it and make sure to upvote your favorite pictures from the subreddit.
Upon scrolling down you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with an assistant professor of history at the Department of History, Philosophy, and Geography at Columbus State University, Dr. Laura June Davis, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on the charm and significance of old pictures.
A Young Black Man, In An Act Of Resistance To South Africa’s Apartheid Policies, Rides A Bus Restricted To Whites Only, In Durban, South Africa, 1980s
Three Best Friends From Nebraska Circa 1910
My Father & Grandparents, Louisiana, 1965
Browsing through old photo albums entails more than just looking at pretty pictures. They all tell a story—be it one of an extended family or many that somehow ended up in the same bunch—and it’s the person with said album in their hands that gets to unravel it.
Nowadays, physical photo albums have largely been replaced by galleries on people’s phones or computers, or in the online world. However, that is not necessarily worse; while it is true that they don’t have the same feeling, digital albums allow more people to access them, consequently reaching a wider audience of curious humans.
And if you’re at all curious about what life was like back in the day, you ought to love the ‘The Way We Were’ subreddit, which, in their own words, covers “What **normal everyday life** was like for people living 50, 100, or more years ago”.
Tuskegee Airmen Getting Briefed Before A Mission. 1945
Flora And Sikes, 1905 – On The Back It Said “Love’s Old Sweet Song”
For people whose job it is to delve deeper into the stories of the past, pictures have immeasurable value. “Photographs are an invaluable primary source resource for historians as they provide a window into the past,” Dr. Laura June Davis pointed out in an interview with Bored Panda. “They might capture a specific event, reveal the clothing, culture, or values of the time, or put a face to a long-forgotten name. Sometimes, photographs are the only historical evidence we have of a person.”
A Black Man And A White Woman Embracing On A New York Subway – A Controversial Image For It’s Time. Late 1960s. (Image – Ernest Cole)
My Mom, An Engineer, In Her Office, One Month Before I Was Born. 1967, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Three Young Girls And A Dog Pose For The Camera. 1930
