50 Vintage Photos of the 1920s That Capture a Bygone Era

Last Updated on May 19, 2025 by Colby Droscher

Take a journey back in time with these vintage photos of the 1920s. This was a time of bold change, when jazz filled the air, fashion took a daring turn, and cities buzzed with new energy. From bustling streets and lively dance halls to quiet moments frozen in time, each photo captures a different side of a shifting era.

As old traditions gave way to modern ideas, people across the globe embraced new ways of living, working, and expressing themselves. Women pushed boundaries, art movements flourished, and the roar of progress echoed across society. These photos don’t just show history, they invite you into it, offering an intimate look at a time that shapes the world we know today. Here are 50 vintage photos from the 1920s.

1. New York Police man hanging from a girder, 1920

A uniformed man hangs by one hand from a steel beam high above a busy city street, with traffic and pedestrians far below and a Macy's sign visible in the background. — tesla_beats_edison

It’s going to take some serious upper-body strength to pull himself back up.

2. An old farmer taking a break, 1920

An older man with a beard, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and work clothes, sits on a wooden cart outdoors, holding a small object in his hand. The background is open and appears rural. — metagrobolizedmanel

In the ’20s, farmers didn’t retire.

3. They’re up on two wheels

A vintage race car, number 52, lifts its front left wheel while speeding around a curve on a tree-lined road, as spectators and photographers watch from the roadside. — dittidot

You can bet that this didn’t end well.

4. Christmas in 1920

Two children stand beside a large, decorated Christmas tree in a living room filled with vintage toys, including cars and a train set. The scene appears to be from the early 20th century. — quick_presentation11

There’s nothing like a chandelier in your Christmas tree.

5. A daredevil balancing on a skyscraper

A man in a suit balances on the back legs of a chair, which is placed on top of a table at the edge of a tall building, high above a city skyline. — elite_lucifer

This photo was taken 20 stories high in 1920.

6. Drag racing in California, 1920s

Black and white photo of a vintage race car labeled “Hughson’s Islam Special” with five men in racing attire posing around and inside the car on a wooden track, with a crowd and cars in the background. — satan-pip

This was back when the maximum speed of a car was 40 miles per hour.

7. The greatest music duo to ever do it

A joyful young child wearing a cap plays a banjo and smiles, sitting on a low wall next to a happy dog sitting upright with its mouth open. A wooden fence and trees are in the background. — snoocupcakes8607

Those two couldn’t look happier to be jamming together.

8. Samuel Reshevsky, 1920

A young boy stands in front of several seated adults, playing multiple chess games at once. The adults watch him intently, with chessboards lined up on tables in a crowded room. — adame89

He was 8 years old at the time of this photo, where he beat several chess masters at once.

9. A 1920s speed limit sign

A group of men in suits stand beside a race car labeled "7" near a large roadside sign warning motorists that Fresno County has no speed cops, urging them to obey the 30 mph speed limit on their honor. — mackteague

I love the transparency of “Fresno County has no speed cops.”

10. Beach life in 1920

A young woman in a vintage swimsuit sits on the sand at a crowded beach, looking at the camera. People in early 20th-century clothing and swimwear relax and stand in the background with deck chairs. — sresendes73

That man in the background is wearing a three-piece suit to the beach.

11. Two pals, 1920s

A young man in a suit smiles while a dog sits beside him with its paw resting on his shoulder. Both look happy. The image caption reads: "Two pals. There is between man and dog a kinship of spirit that cannot be denied. — gorillaz0e

They’re making the same face.

12. Young girls breaking it down after school

A group of children in coats and hats laugh and hold hands while playing on a city sidewalk, with chalk drawings visible on the wall behind them. — detroitaa

This photo was taken outside a Detroit public school in 1920.

13. World War 1 amputee, 1920

Two men wearing protective goggles weld metal together in a workshop. One man operates the torch while the other observes closely, both focused on the task. — userdeleted

He’s not letting anything get in the way of his welding job, so he was fitted with a welding arm.

14. Louise Brooks, 1920s

Black and white portrait of a woman with short bobbed hair, wearing a headscarf and a flower pinned to her shoulder, looking away from the camera with a soft expression. — teddy-bear-55

She is regarded as an icon of the flapper culture. She coined the Bob hairstyle and made it popular.

15. This is how you left a bad review in 1920

A child stands on the steps outside a brick building with a "Painless Dentist" sign on the door, writing the word "LIAR" in chalk on the wall beside the entrance. — onepersononeidea

Evidently, the dentist was not painless for this young man.

16. Taking a break at the office

Three women relax in a room, each with their feet up on a desk. One reads a magazine, another sits thoughtfully, and an old typewriter is on the desk. The scene appears to be from the early 20th century. — sutpenicity

This photo was taken in Colorado in 1920.

17. Structural worker in New York, 1920s

A construction worker in overalls and a cap works on a steel beam high above New York City, with the Chrysler Building and cityscape visible in the background. — juliuslammet

There isn’t a safety harness in sight.

18. This is what mugshots looked like in the 1920s

A vintage black-and-white mugshot features a disheveled man with messy hair and a bruised face, identified as Walter Smith. One image is a close-up; the other shows him standing beside a chair against a metal wall. — mercifulgoat420

He’s got a face that screams, “Don’t mess with me.”

19. Floral flour sacks for the poor, 1920s

A man wearing a cap stands behind a large pile of patterned flour sacks stacked in various directions. The sacks feature floral and decorative prints, covering most of the image. — kitkathorse

When flour companies found out people were making clothing out of their bags, they started using floral cloth.

20. American women voting for the first time

A group of women in hats stand in line at a polling station in front of voting booths, handing papers to male officials seated behind a table with boxes, likely during the early 20th century. — sayknow

Women gained the right to vote in America in 1920.

21. Posing with her new car, 1920

A young woman in a light-colored dress sits on the front bumper of a vintage car parked in front of houses on a residential street. The photo is black and white and has an old, worn appearance. — worldhub995

Posing with cars is not a new trend.

22. Fashion for high school boys, 1920s

Vintage advertisement shows six young men in stylish high school suits from the early 20th century, each posing confidently. Prices and suit descriptions are listed, with colorful ties and hats completing their formal looks. — mousetrapmike

Check out the prices on those suits.

23. Taking a selfie with a string

A man and woman in early 1900s attire stand outside a wooden building; their shadows on the wall resemble Mickey Mouse heads. — girasoles_de_fuego

Before selfie sticks, there were selfie strings.

24. Earnest Cadine, 1920s

Earnest Cadine was an Olympic weight lifter from France.

25. Ice deliveryman, Houston, Texas, 1920

A man in dirty, stained clothes and tall rubber boots stands on wet ground, holding a large block of ice with metal tongs. He wears a hat labeled "Salisbury" and is posed against a plain brick wall. — thesheepdog

They would deliver ice in large blocks like this so it wouldn’t melt on the trip.

26. Grand Central, 1920

Black and white photo of Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse, with sunlight streaming dramatically through tall arched windows onto people walking and standing below. — userdeleted

The light no longer shines in like this because it is blocked by the surrounding buildings.

27. Construction workers in New York, 1920s

Four construction workers sit and eat lunch on steel beams high above a city, with buildings visible far below. They appear relaxed despite the height and lack of safety equipment. The image is black and white. — harleybug88

Their wage was next to nothing, and I wouldn’t do this job even for a million bucks.

28. A living graph showing the progression of women’s swimwear, 1920s

Five women stand side by side, each dressed in bathing suits representing different years—1927, 1925, 1900, 1890, and 1875—with clothing styles becoming more modest from left to right. — pfeffer_prinz

Imagine swimming in that swimsuit from 1875.

29. A family camping trip, early 1920s

A black-and-white photo of a family camping outdoors beside a vintage car, with three children and two adults sitting around a folding table with dishes and food, surrounded by trees and grass. — eaglemaxie

It’s amazing that there were devices that allowed side tents to attach to cars at this time.

30. A 1920s newsboy

A young boy in vintage clothing, including a flat cap, striped sweater, knickerbocker pants, and tall boots, sits on a ledge holding papers, looking toward the camera. The image is in black and white. — gorillaz0e

You can just hear him streaming “Extra extra.”

31. A motorcycle highway patrolman, 1920s

A police officer in a uniform and cap sits on a vintage motorcycle parked on a street, looking slightly to the side. The background shows grass and a sidewalk. — ken012363

He looks like a man who wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense.

32. In the ’20s, you started farming young

A black and white photo shows two oxen harnessed to a wooden plow, with a person sitting on the plow seat, working in an open field. The scene appears historical, suggesting early farming practices. — 45acpbecause

That boy was just 12 years old at the time of this photo.

33. Michelin Men in the 1920s

Two people dressed in bulky, vintage Michelin Man costumes stand side by side outdoors, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers in early 20th-century clothing. — wideeyes369

I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be, but this photo is horrifying.

34. A 1926 hockey team

A vintage black and white photo of a youth ice hockey team, wearing uniforms and holding hockey sticks, posed outside on snow in front of a brick building, with some players standing and others kneeling. — h2talal

This is a photo of the Saint Thomas Cadets.

35. A 1920s woman and her cats

A woman in vintage clothing and a fur stole stands outdoors, holding and surrounded by four Siamese cats on leashes. The photo is black and white, with a backdrop of foliage and a wrought iron fence. — denmother8

3 cats on a leash, and 2 in the arms. It’s the perfect ratio.

36. Taking a selfie before it was a thing, 1920

A man in an old-fashioned suit and bowler hat stands on a rooftop, arms outstretched as if taking a selfie. The photo is in sepia tones and has a wide-angle, slightly distorted perspective. — zigzag1066

He looks so dapper, he just needed a photo of himself.

37. Cave explorers, 1920s

Five young men in rugged clothing and boots stand at the entrance of a rocky cave, holding lanterns and gear, posing for a black-and-white vintage photograph. — bus214

They must have left for the caves right after church, because they’re all wearing a shirt and tie.

38. Gloria Swanson, 1920

She just wanted to blast some music in her face.

39. This man is getting the classic ship tattoo, 1920s

Two men sit at a table; one is tattooing the other's forearm while both smoke cigarettes. The tattoo artist cleans the client’s arm, and tattoo designs are visible on the wall behind them. — userdeleted

I’m not sure that smoking next to an open wound is the smartest idea.

40. Just a man and his owl, 1920s

A man in a dark coat and hat stands outdoors among leafless trees, holding a rifle over his shoulder with a large bird perched on the rifle barrel. The photo appears to be old and in black and white. — boquilla

Having a pet owl is one of the biggest flexes out there.

41. The Globe Trotter, 1922

A vintage photo of a man with a backpack and sash walking down a street, with early automobiles behind him and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris visible in the background. — diggeryhiggins

This legend walked barefoot across the globe.

42. The Babe visiting the White House

Four men in early 20th-century attire stand on the steps of a building; they wear long overcoats, hats, and formal shoes, with one man holding a cane. The scene appears formal and historic. — langator

He’s looking like a gangster.

43. Albert Einstein, 1921

A man in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard with a large circle and some writing on it. He holds a piece of chalk and looks at the camera with a slight smile. — gregornot

This photo was taken at one of his lectures in Prague.

44. Bessie Coleman, 1922

A person wearing a leather aviation coat and helmet stands on the wing of a vintage biplane, holding onto the cockpit, with the aircraft’s propeller and large wheels visible in the foreground. — no_dig_8299

Bessie Coleman was the first Native-American woman to hold a pilot’s license.

45. A pie-eating contest, 1921

Two children with hats compete in a pie-eating contest, bending over a table with their faces in pies. A woman stands blurred in the background, watching the event. — right0rightoh

A free pie and a prize if you win? All the kids in the neighborhood were signing up.

46. A 1920s dishwasher

A woman stands beside an old-fashioned dishwasher filled with plates, turning a faucet handle. The dishwasher has a round, transparent door and sits on a counter in a vintage kitchen setting. — otherwisetackle5219

I love the idea of being able to watch your dishes being cleaned.

47. Some of the smartest humans to ever live

A group of men in coats and hats pose outside near industrial equipment and a brick building, with machinery featuring cables and wheels overhead. — mrkrazykarl

Einstein, Tesla, and Karl Steinmetz all shared a lab in the 1920s.

48. Sneaking people into the Krazy Kat

Four people in 1920s attire stand by a vintage car in an alley, near a gate with a sign that reads "All good clean sport to who enter here." Two women wear dresses and hats, while two men wear suits and caps. — salem-witch

Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, so speakeasies were popular during this time.

49. “My great-great-great-grandfather, 1920”

An elderly man with a white beard sits on a rocky surface, wearing a dark coat, hat, and holding a cane. He appears to be outdoors, with large rocks in the background. The photo is in black and white. — leaping_fish

That looks like a warm suit.

Want to see more content from the 1900s?

Check out 23 Colorized War Photos From Battles Of The Past (1900s-1940s), or take a look at The Art of Accuracy: Vintage Rifle Clubs in Striking Photographs (1900s-1960s). Finally, if you want to see what the early days of the Olympics were like, check out 15 Colorized Photos From The Olympics (1900s-1970s).

Tags: 1920s

50 Vintage Photos of the 1920s