Vintage Photos

20 Colorized Photos That Show What Summer Looked Like 100 Years Ago

Published April 24, 2025•Updated April 27, 2025

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Two vintage beach photos: on the left, two women in swimsuits pose playfully at the shore; on the right, two women in bright swimsuits stand on the sand, one holding a hat and the other a bag, against a clear blue sky.
Via Reddit

1920s summers had a special kind of glow, long before selfies and smartphones became part of everyday life. This collection of 25 colorized photos takes us back a century, when afternoons were spent in wool bathing suits, ice cream parlors served as social hubs, and busy boardwalks filled with families enjoying the sunshine. These nostalgic images offer a vivid glimpse into summer life of the era and show that, even after 100 years, some parts of the season haven’t changed all that much.

1. Some piano with the Fannie Brice back in the 1920s.

1920s. A lively jazz band in vintage swimwear performs on a sandy beach, with a woman standing on a piano raising her arms as a crowd gathers in the background to watch.
rantingretorations

I mean, this looks like one of the most fun days possible out at the beach.

2. Young women enjoying a day at the beach at Southport, 1920

Two young women stand barefoot on sandy ground under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. One wears a green swimsuit and sunhat, holding sunglasses; the other wears a patterned dress, holding a round beach bag.
anonymous

That hat is especially spectacular.

3. Rockaway Beach back in the 1920s

Two women in vintage swimsuits walk on a wooden boardwalk at the beach, with people and police in the background. A street sign reading "B 97 ST" is visible, and the scene suggests a mid-20th century summer day.
ectheow3

Rockaway Beach is one of those fun places to be during summertime.

4. An unknown swimmer looking gleeful back in the 1920s

A woman with curly hair, wearing a sleeveless maroon swimsuit, sits barefoot on a wooden dock by a pool, smiling at the camera. People in coats stand nearby near the water.
morganmonroe81

Nothing like taking a dip on a hot summer’s day. No matter what decade it is.

5. She’s holding down that 1920s tennis outfit effortlessly

A woman in vintage attire holds a tennis racket, wearing a pink hat, maroon cardigan, and striped skirt, standing outdoors on a paved surface with trees and a white fence in the background.
jackodawson

The colors of this fit are especially electric.

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6. This lad is locked in for his competitive summer swimming event

A young male swimmer in a black swimsuit leans forward with hands on knees, appearing focused. People and numbered boards are visible in the busy background at a swimming event.
deleted

Guy might want to get a bit more of an energy burst summoned before the big event.

7. The colors really make this one pop like none other

alexylim

It’s a rainbow of 1920s summertime fits.

8. Just frolicking about in the grass fields of 1920s summertime

Three women in flowing pastel dresses hold hands and dance in a circle on sunlit grass under leafy trees, appearing joyful and carefree in a natural outdoor setting.
benafleckisanokactor

This one’s just pure poetry.

9. I mean, pretty iconic

Two women in vintage swimsuits pose in mirrored arabesque positions on a beach, balancing on one leg with arms extended and smiling, with the sea and swimmers in the background.
backinthedaysummertime

To say that they nailed the shot might be an understatement.

10. Everyone getting after it on a hot summer morning by the Atlantic

Women in traditional clothing wash large rugs by hand at the edge of a riverbank, kneeling on the sand. White sand dunes and cloudy sky are visible in the background.
anamrcore

Seriously though.

11. That’s how you properly enjoy the ocean in summertime

Two women in vintage swimsuits stand on a beach, smiling at the camera and holding a large, colorful inflatable toy shaped like a fish or sea creature. The ocean and sand are visible in the background.
colorizedphotos/

If you’re not bringing the float to the beach in the summertime, what’re you really doing with your life?

12. Everyone out there looking extra joyful on that nice summer’s day

Four women in vintage swimsuits pose and smile for a photo on a sunny beach, with clear skies and some clouds in the background. One woman is kneeling in front while the others stand behind her.
colorizedphotography

Those spectacles really pop.

13. They simply had to take the moment for the pose

A group of women in vintage swimsuits pose smiling on and inside an old-fashioned car marked "To Bath Only" and "Rapid Fizz Taxi," with a scenic background and cliffs in the distance.
colorizedphotography

The real question is how long they all had to hold the pose for to get the shot?

14. Everyone seems to be having so much fun in all these 1920s summertime photos

A group of eight women in vintage swimsuits sit on a low wall at the beach, smiling and raising one arm cheerfully. The sand and beach environment are visible in the background.
colorizedphotography

Everyone looks so thrilled to be there.

15. Lad’s getting all ready for his big event, it seems

Three young people in vintage swimsuits stand together outdoors. Two women smile and playfully touch the cheeks of a young man standing between them. The scene has a retro, playful summertime vibe.
colorizedphotography

Looking locked in, my good sir.

16. She probably broke some hearts back in the day

A woman with short, wavy brown hair sits on grass near water, wearing a dark swimsuit and smiling as she adjusts something on her ankle.
colorizedphotography

Surely, just a few.

17. The floats are always a great move when you’re out at the ocean

Two women in vintage swimsuits smile while sitting on inflatable animal floats at the beach, with other people in swimwear and gentle waves in the background under a clear sky.
colorizedphotography

Floats and the ocean are one of those things that just go together perfectly.

18. Honestly, some of the 1920s fits are due for a comeback

Six women in colorful vintage swimsuits stand arm in arm on a beach, smiling at the camera with waves in the background. Their retro outfits and hairstyles suggest the early 20th century.
colorizedphotography

The lady on the left pulled through in making her own fashion statement.

19. The colors really make this one pop

Two women in vintage swimsuits stand on a wooden dock by the water. One wears a light blue suit with a belt and looks down, while the other wears a blue polka-dot suit and smiles, holding a towel over her shoulder.
colorizedphotography

So many pretty blues going on here.

20. The graphics are especially fun with this one

Three women in vintage cartoon-themed swimsuits pose together on a sandy beach, smiling and standing close, with the ocean and blue sky in the background.
colorizedphotography

All the love for the cartoons in this shot.

In the mood for more?

You can check out 20 Colorized Images of the Late 1920s, 19 Colorized Photos That Bring the Late 1890s To Life or 20 Colorized Images From 1905.

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Meet the Writer


Matt Staff

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.



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