55 vintage photos show what life looked like in the 1920s

Darcy Schild,Mykenna ManieceJun 5, 2024, 23:39 IST

Women at a café in Paris, circa 1920.Branger/Roger Viollet via Getty Images<ul class="summary-list"><li>It's no secret that people's day-to-day lives in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/1920s" rel>1920s</a> were very different than they are now.</li><li>Prohibition, the 19th Amendment, and the Harlem Renaissance were key points of the decade.</li></ul>It may be hard to believe, but the start of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-roaring-20s-rapid-growth-stock-market-analysis-ed-yardeni-2024-1">Roaring Twenties</a> was over 100 years ago.The 1920s brought amazing artistic, cultural, and technological advancements in the form of Jazz, new voting rights, radio, and more. But while the decade is best known for its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-of-1920s-roaring-twenties-parties-fashion-2021-5">glitz and glamour</a>, there's a darker side to its history, too, that includes many of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-segregation-looked-like-jim-crow-era-america-2023-3">same societal issues</a> the world continues to grapple with, like racism, sexism, and wealth disparities.Take a look at 55 vintage photos that show society's immense progress, the simple pleasures we all still enjoy, and where we can look to improve in the next century to come.

The Roaring Twenties marked a new era of automobile advancements, with stylish vehicles becoming an iconic part of the decade.

A woman with a Chrysler vehicle, circa 1920s.Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Long before Uber and Lyft, cabs were classy vehicles.

Cabs looked a tad different than they do now.Dick Whittington Studio/Corbis via Getty Images

The Model T vehicle defined much of the 1920s — it was sold until 1927.

A Ford Model T descending a hill in San Francisco, circa 1921.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Luxe fabrics, flapper girl silhouettes, and art-deco style dominated the fashion world in the '20s.

A woman wearing a fur coat and hat in the '20s.Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

Prohibition banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol within the US until 1933.

People by a Prohibition sign reading, "No booze sold here."Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

Prohibition led people to create speakeasies, or secret bars where they could drink in private.

A speakeasy cellar, circa 1920.Bettmann / Contributor

Suffragettes rallied for women's right to vote in America.

A flag and ballot box supporting women's suffrage.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Suffragettes throughout the US celebrated the victorious moment the 19th Amendment was ratified.

Women wave American flags to celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty

In the 1920s, drugstores weren't only places to pick up prescriptions — they were also soda and candy counters.

Frankfurt Pharmacy in Rosemead, California, in 1927.Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

General stores were the go-to spots for workers, food, and household items.

A group of people gathered in a small general store, Utica, Mississippi, circa 1920.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Schools for young students around 1920 were typically large classrooms that fit as many pupils as possible.

Young students in a classroom, circa 1920.JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

The Roaring Twenties saw the birth of historic figures, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in 1926.

Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) with her grandmother in 1929.Edward G. Malindine/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Prominent civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was also born in the 1920s.

Martin Luther King Jr. delivering a speech at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in 1967.Michael Ochs Archives/Stringer/Getty Images

A hundred years ago, the Charleston was the dance of choice.

The iconic Charleston dance move.Bettmann / Contributor

The famous Charleston dance came from a song in the Broadway show "Runnin' Wild."

A group of girls dancing in Harlem, New York City, circa 1920s.NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Jazz music was the most popular genre of the decade.

American jazz musician Louis Armstrong poses on stage with a band for the WMSB radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1920s.Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

The genre was a key feature of the Harlem Renaissance, which encompassed music, literature, and art created by Black Americans.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in Chicago circa 1923. The band included Honore Dutrey, Baby Dodds, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin, Bill Johnson, and Johnny Dodds.JP Jazz Archive/Contributor/Redferns

However, throughout the 1920s, Black people continued to face barriers like segregation, discrimination, and even violence.

Segregated waiting rooms in Rosslyn, Virginia, circa 1928.Bettmann/Contributor

Other minority groups also faced discrimination. Below are Japanese "picture brides" who immigrated to the US in 1920 to marry American men as a result of exclusionary immigration laws.

Japanese picture brides having their passports investigated by members of Congress in 1920.Bettmann/Contributor

Other minority groups also faced discrimination. Below are Japanese "picture brides" who immigrated to the US in 1920 to marry American men as a result of exclusionary immigration laws.

The year 1920 also saw the first Olympic Games since before World War I.

Swimmers at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

Back then, sporting equipment like tennis balls, footballs, and other athletic gear was often handmade.

Workers carried freshly manufactured tennis balls.General Photographic Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In the 1920s, athletic wear was very different from the nylon pants we're familiar with now.

A football team lined up for a portrait in Winchester, Kentucky, 1921.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Gym class appeared much more elegant in the '20s than it is today.

People throwing balls in sync in a 1920s gym class.Time Life Pictures/Mansell/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Cities were changing in the Roaring Twenties, with public transportation advancements giving people new ways to commute.

A London Underground entrance.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Beyond underground trains, rail trains were also a central part of life in the 1920s.

Rail trains were a popular mode of transportation in the 1920s.JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

Train travel in the 1920s was often comfortable and glamorous compared to the cramped cars that many commuters know today.

Commuters on a train, circa 1920s.Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

However, much of public transportation has stayed the same over the decades, like the realities of crowded bus and subway stops.

Waiting at the bus stop.Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images

Fire engines in the 1920s looked much more ornate than today's modern, large trucks.

Firefighters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1920.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Horse races were a ritzy leisure activity that often involved fabulous outfits and hats.

A woman wearing a voluminous feather hat at a horse race.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

In the 1920s, a trip to the fair became a popular pastime. Fairgoers could go for a spin on the carousel ...

People enjoying a fair attraction, circa 1920.Central Press/Getty Images

... or make a go-around on bumper cars.

People ride bumper cars, circa 1925.Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images

Coney Island in Brooklyn represented a new era of entertainment at the turn of the 20th century in America.

Advertisements at Coney Island, circa 1920s.Irving Browning/The New York Historical Society/Getty Images

Here, groups of couples competed in a dance contest at the Coney Island boardwalk.

People dancing at the Coney Island boardwalk, circa 1928.Bettmann / Contributor

Here, women competed at a patriotic-looking beauty pageant at Coney Island.

Women at a Miss Coney Island pageant.Bettmann / Contributor

Long before the days of Instagram, photographers captured the moment at county fairs.

All smiles at a county fair, circa 1920.H. Armstrong Roberts/Retrofile/Getty Images

Spending time at the beach in the '20s sometimes meant catching shrimp with huge nets, apparently.

A family at a beach around 1920.The Montifraulo Collection/Getty Images

Silent films dominated the movie industry in the 1920s ...

The filming of a German silent film in the 1920s.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images

... but the decade also saw the transition to the "talkies," or movies with spoken dialogue.

A scene from "The Jazz Singer," 1927.John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

As film began to include sound, musical movies captured the hearts of audiences.

A shot from the filming of a movie with dancers, circa 1920.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Vaudeville, which consisted of short acts of dancers, musicians, magicians, and comedians, was also a popular form of entertainment throughout the 1920s.

The Dolly Sisters.adoc-photos/Corbis via Getty Images

Leo, the lion that became a symbol of MGM Studios, made his debut in 1927.

The first MGM lion was named Leo.Bettmann / Contributor

Circus shows also featured animals 100 years ago.

A woman is held up by elephants at a circus in 1926.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images

In recent years, changing attitudes toward animal rights, as well as high operating costs of shows, and declining attendance rates, have led to the demise of the circus.

Women outside of a circus in New York.Bettmann / Contributor

In recent years, changing attitudes toward animal rights, as well as high operating costs of shows, and declining attendance rates, have led to the demise of the circus.

Before modern conveniences like central air conditioning, people found creative ways to stay cool in the summer, like this group of women who appeared to be sitting on a chunk of ice.

A group of women on a golf course, circa 1920.Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Before modern conveniences like central air conditioning, people found creative ways to stay cool in the summer, like this group of women who appeared to be sitting on a chunk of ice.

Any curiosity about what was going on in the world required a look at the daily newspaper.

Josephine Baker reading a newspaper in 1928.Bettmann/Contributor

The world's first commercial radio broadcast was made in 1920.

Frank Conrad, the founder of KDKA radio station.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

Throughout the decade, radio continued to grow as a pivotal technology that changed the way people received the news, communicated, and connected with pop culture.

Rufus P. Turner was a student at the Armstrong Technical High School.Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Wedding-dress styles from the '20s included ornate headpieces.

Brides and grooms gathered in the St. George Church on Christmas Day in 1920.Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Cruise ships in the Roaring Twenties were often extravagant.

Passengers dance on the Saturnia ship.Touring Club Italiano/Marka/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Telephones looked just a tad different from the smartphones we know today.

A woman uses a mobile-type telephone in London, circa 1920.Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Being a switchboard operator was a common job for many women in the early 1920s.

Telephone switchboard operators, circa 1920.GraphicaArtis/Getty Images

The shift from rural to urban living was prominent in the 1920s.

Aerial view of lower Manhattan, New York City, 1923.FPG/Staff/Getty Images

Kitchen appliances were much different than they are now.

Women at the Soho School of Cookery in London in the 1920s.FPG/Getty Images

While much has changed in the past century, from cars and technology to pastimes, many of the simple pleasures of life have remained constant, like getting ice cream from a snack stand ...

A summer day in Paris.Harlingue/Roger Viollet via Getty Images

While much has changed in the past century, from cars and technology to pastimes, many of the simple pleasures of life have remained constant, like getting ice cream from a snack stand ...

... and catching up with good company at a café.

Women at a café in Paris, circa 1920.Branger/Roger Viollet via Getty Images

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55 vintage photos show what life looked like in the 1920s

The Roaring Twenties marked a new era of automobile advancements, with stylish vehicles becoming an iconic part of the decade.

Long before Uber and Lyft, cabs were classy vehicles.

The Model T vehicle defined much of the 1920s — it was sold until 1927.

Luxe fabrics, flapper girl silhouettes, and art-deco style dominated the fashion world in the '20s.

Prohibition banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol within the US until 1933.

Prohibition led people to create speakeasies, or secret bars where they could drink in private.

Suffragettes rallied for women's right to vote in America.

Suffragettes throughout the US celebrated the victorious moment the 19th Amendment was ratified.

In the 1920s, drugstores weren't only places to pick up prescriptions — they were also soda and candy counters.

General stores were the go-to spots for workers, food, and household items.

Schools for young students around 1920 were typically large classrooms that fit as many pupils as possible.

The Roaring Twenties saw the birth of historic figures, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in 1926.

Prominent civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was also born in the 1920s.

A hundred years ago, the Charleston was the dance of choice.

The famous Charleston dance came from a song in the Broadway show "Runnin' Wild."

Jazz music was the most popular genre of the decade.

The genre was a key feature of the Harlem Renaissance, which encompassed music, literature, and art created by Black Americans.

However, throughout the 1920s, Black people continued to face barriers like segregation, discrimination, and even violence.

Other minority groups also faced discrimination. Below are Japanese "picture brides" who immigrated to the US in 1920 to marry American men as a result of exclusionary immigration laws.

The year 1920 also saw the first Olympic Games since before World War I.

Back then, sporting equipment like tennis balls, footballs, and other athletic gear was often handmade.

In the 1920s, athletic wear was very different from the nylon pants we're familiar with now.

Gym class appeared much more elegant in the '20s than it is today.

Cities were changing in the Roaring Twenties, with public transportation advancements giving people new ways to commute.

Beyond underground trains, rail trains were also a central part of life in the 1920s.

Train travel in the 1920s was often comfortable and glamorous compared to the cramped cars that many commuters know today.

However, much of public transportation has stayed the same over the decades, like the realities of crowded bus and subway stops.

Fire engines in the 1920s looked much more ornate than today's modern, large trucks.

Horse races were a ritzy leisure activity that often involved fabulous outfits and hats.

In the 1920s, a trip to the fair became a popular pastime. Fairgoers could go for a spin on the carousel ...

... or make a go-around on bumper cars.

Coney Island in Brooklyn represented a new era of entertainment at the turn of the 20th century in America.

Here, groups of couples competed in a dance contest at the Coney Island boardwalk.

Here, women competed at a patriotic-looking beauty pageant at Coney Island.

Long before the days of Instagram, photographers captured the moment at county fairs.

Spending time at the beach in the '20s sometimes meant catching shrimp with huge nets, apparently.

Silent films dominated the movie industry in the 1920s ...

... but the decade also saw the transition to the "talkies," or movies with spoken dialogue.

As film began to include sound, musical movies captured the hearts of audiences.

Vaudeville, which consisted of short acts of dancers, musicians, magicians, and comedians, was also a popular form of entertainment throughout the 1920s.

Leo, the lion that became a symbol of MGM Studios, made his debut in 1927.

Circus shows also featured animals 100 years ago.

In recent years, changing attitudes toward animal rights, as well as high operating costs of shows, and declining attendance rates, have led to the demise of the circus.

Before modern conveniences like central air conditioning, people found creative ways to stay cool in the summer, like this group of women who appeared to be sitting on a chunk of ice.

Any curiosity about what was going on in the world required a look at the daily newspaper.

The world's first commercial radio broadcast was made in 1920.

Throughout the decade, radio continued to grow as a pivotal technology that changed the way people received the news, communicated, and connected with pop culture.

Wedding-dress styles from the '20s included ornate headpieces.

Cruise ships in the Roaring Twenties were often extravagant.

Telephones looked just a tad different from the smartphones we know today.

Being a switchboard operator was a common job for many women in the early 1920s.

The shift from rural to urban living was prominent in the 1920s.

Kitchen appliances were much different than they are now.

While much has changed in the past century, from cars and technology to pastimes, many of the simple pleasures of life have remained constant, like getting ice cream from a snack stand ...

... and catching up with good company at a café.