Anyone can tell you that the world has changed a lot in the past hundred years. But you don’t need to go that far back to see significant change. Going back fifty years, or even twenty years, can also reveal a startling contrast with the present day.
Let’s delve into some random photos from the past.
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“Found this old picture of my dad from back in 1976. I feel like the picture captures an awful lot and tells a story.”
I love his pose in this photo. You can just feel the frustration and regret over selling his ride.
“My grandmother Nancy on her honeymoon near Capitan, NM. Taken by my grandfather on a Kodak Kodachrome, 1949.”
There’s something about Kodachrome photos that just brings a scene to life, even if it’s from the distant past. The colors really pop in this one.
“I just got my first apartment so I thought I’d post this pic of my dad in his first apartment in 1989.”
OP’s dad is bringing a real Max Headroom energy to this photo. I guess the experience of getting your first place has always been a strong vibe.
“Man experiences irony, 1966.”
Here’s a big difference between the ’60s and today: today, you never see pickup trucks that are randomly hauling a billion tires around. I guess Big Tire has overtaken the tire-hauling game. Perhaps it’s for the best.
“Uncle Paul waking grandparents after his 6am wake ‘n’ bake, 1970s.”
I think every family has an Uncle Paul. This photo shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Side note: I really want this bedroom, even if it means Uncle Paul will wake me up now and then.
“My Grandpa with my 2 oldest aunts, 1977.”
It’s grandpa, riding in a rollercoaster car that’s far too small for him, with no apparent restraints in place, flipping the double bird to anyone who’s looking. This photo is freedom in a nutshell.
“Mom and pops back in the ’60s.”
This could almost be a movie poster for a slightly mod-themed James Bond film. It looks like he’s holding a gun, but it’s actually some kind of archaic camera from back in the day.
“My mom, Japan, 1966 – Taken by my dad.”
There’s something haunting about this photo. Even though it was taken using color film, there’s a kind of haze that makes it look older than it really is. In any case, it’s a great photo.
“Christmas morning 30 years ago, when my brother and I received a NES.”
For a lot of kids who grew up in the ’80s, pics like this represent the pinnacle of what Christmas could be. There’s no high quite like being a kid and unboxing a Nintendo on Christmas morning.
“My father and I carrying the 1984 Olympic torch.”
This photo is definitely frame-worthy. It also shows the difference between 1984 and today in the form of the police car. Vehicles were so boxy back then, and in a few short years they’d look very different.
“Outside Dave’s Art Pawn Shop in Dallas, TX, prepared to go in and videotape my then boyfriend’s band with my GIANT camcorder. As you did in the summer of 1991.”
Home video cameras back in the ’90s filmed in potato quality, weighed a thousand pounds, and cost a thousand dollars, so of course everyone had one.
“Me 30 years ago (1991). I took 2 years of my life to travel the United States from Alaska to Texas in my old 1950 chevy truck pictured there.”
“Some of my most fond memories were being on the road during that time in my life.”
This is the kind of photo that memories are made of. Thirty years ago, he still clearly remembers it fondly.
“My aunt and uncle in the ’60s.”
The trappings of this photo root it in a different era: the hairstyles, the stubby bottle of beer, the skinny tie and the black and white aesthetic. It looks like it came straight from the set of Mad Men .
“My grandma hanging out with Albert Einstein in her backyard. Taken around 1945.”
Here’s one big difference between the past and the 21st century: in the 21st Century, you can’t expect Albert Einstein to just pop around and pose in your backyard for a casual photo.
“1990 3rd grade photo.”
I remember B.U.M. Equipment. The name always seemed stupid and the brand didn’t resonate with me. That’s my way of saying that I was never cool enough to rock it back when I was in the third grade.
“My great grandfather, who fought in the Mexican Revolution, pictured here in the early 1980s.”
Wars are typically fought by young men. If they survive the conflict, they go on to see the world change in big ways. Think of how much this man saw between the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s and the 1980s, when this pic was taken.
“My boyfriend back in 1991. As you can see he had a troubled past.”
Kids love hamming it up for photos, using whatever props are available. In 1991, this photo was good for a laugh. In 2021, I think it might bring Child Protective Services around.
“My grandma and great aunt (’50s).”
There’s twinning, then there’s this. I’m guessing these two sisters are also twins, which explains their identical appearances, but their matching Christmassy outfits bring things to another level. It almost looks like Photoshop.
“Me in the ’90s hitting my peak coolness.”
If you weren’t wearing a Mighty Ducks of Anaheim or San Jose Sharks hat back in the early ’90s, were you even cool at all? The answer is simple: maybe, but you’d be cooler with a hat.
“In Germany with my dad around 1970.”
You can see fashion eras colliding with the dad in this pic. The tight, tailored look of the ’60s is still present, but his pants are also rather roomy at the bottom. In a few years he’d probably be rocking bell bottoms.
