In 1940, Jackson Doane, of Binghamton, unearthed a packet of letters, a ring and a picture in his family’s attic from Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, the older sister of Jackson’s great-grandmother. She was a family member that seemed to be little spoken about — and little known. In 1976, Jackson read those letters, discovering that theyContinue reading “Sarah Rosetta Wakeman aka Lyons Wakeman: A Woman’s Life as a Man in the Civil War”
Category Archives: Yesterday Today
Life in Germany in the Late 1930s
Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-1939Alongside control and suppression, the Nazis tried to influence every part of German life. The economyHitler claimed that he had dramatically reduced unemployment figures under the Nazis. Certainly, rearmament created jobs. But National Service meant young men were not counted as being unemployed any longer. Women and Jews were left outContinue reading “Life in Germany in the Late 1930s”
40 Incredible Colorized Photos Show What Life in America Looked Like during the 1930s and 1940s
Street kids at play, Georgetown, Washington D.C., Summer 1935 The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, the “Black Tuesday”, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions ofContinue reading “40 Incredible Colorized Photos Show What Life in America Looked Like during the 1930s and 1940s”
45 Vintage Photos of People at Their Kitchens From the 1960s
In the 1960s, it wasn’t just the fashion that was groovy and out there – interiors and architecture reflected trends of the time, too. One room that really received unique features during the 1960s were kitchens. Whether it was floor-to-ceiling woodwork or chartreuse laminate countertops, kitchens were far from boring during this era. The biggestContinue reading “45 Vintage Photos of People at Their Kitchens From the 1960s”
Victorian Readers: 40 Vintage Portraits of People Posing With Their Books From 19th Century
Victorians were great readers of the novel, and the number of novels available for them to read increased enormously during Victoria’s reign. The activity of reading benefited hugely from wider schooling and increased literacy rates, from the cheapening costs of publication, from improved distribution that resulted from better transportation, and, towards the end of theContinue reading “Victorian Readers: 40 Vintage Portraits of People Posing With Their Books From 19th Century”
Yesterday Today: July 7
Frank Sinatra takes a mirror selfie in 1938
Photos From Daisy Studio in Memphis, Tennessee From the Early 1940s
Memphis is a city along the Mississippi River in southwestern Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is Tennessee’s second-most populous city behind Nashville; fifth-most populous city in the Southeast, the nation’s 28th-largest; and the largest city proper of those situated along the Mississippi River. The city is the anchor of West Tennessee and the greaterContinue reading “Photos From Daisy Studio in Memphis, Tennessee From the Early 1940s”
40 Photos of Actor Robert Montgomery in the 1930s and 1940s
Robert Montgomery (born Henry Montgomery Jr.; May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American actor, director, and producer. He began his acting career on the stage, but was soon hired by MGM. Initially assigned roles in comedies, he soon proved he was able to handle dramatic ones, as well. He appeared in aContinue reading “40 Photos of Actor Robert Montgomery in the 1930s and 1940s”
25 Amazing Color Photographs of Paris in the 1950s
Post-war Paris brought a blossoming of culture and thought. The Nouvelle Vague transformed French cinema, young couturiers reinvigorated French fashion, existentialism flourished in literature and philosophy, and the city swung and swayed to a vibrant jazz and rock ’n’ roll scene. In the middle of it all, was Paul Almasy. The well-traveled photojournalist, born inContinue reading “25 Amazing Color Photographs of Paris in the 1950s”
45 Beautiful Photos of Actress Mae West in the 1930s
Born 1893 in Kings County, New York, American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, comedian, and sex symbol Mae West had her entertainment career spanned seven decades. She was known for her lighthearted, bawdy double entendres and breezy sexual independence. West was active in vaudeville and on the stage in New York City before moving to HollywoodContinue reading “45 Beautiful Photos of Actress Mae West in the 1930s”
