Last Updated on September 16, 2025 by Matt Staff
The mid-1910s were a pivotal time in history, a decade marked by World War I, rapid social shifts, and the rise of new technologies. As societies rebuilt in the wake of global conflict, people were on the cusp of major changes that would shape the future. These 30 vintage photos offer an intimate look at a world on the verge of transformation, capturing everything from women entering the workforce to the advent of early automobiles and changing urban landscapes.
In these images, we see moments frozen in time, ones that reflect both the struggles and hopes of a generation. Whether it’s a snapshot of soldiers or everyday life on the streets, each photo provides insight into the quiet and monumental shifts occurring during this remarkable period. These photographs are more than just visual records; they are windows into the lives, challenges, and dreams of a world moving forward. Let’s dive into 30 photos from the mid-1910s.
1. American Civil War veterans shaking hands with each other at the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, 1913
2. Members of the Blackfoot Tribe, watching over Glacier National Park, Montana, 1913
3. The shortest, tallest, and heaviest European men playing a game of poker in 1913
4. A woman spending some time on the beach, Lulworth Cove, England, 1913
5. The Abernathy brothers, before taking their trip from Oklahoma to NYC, 1913
6. A young Franklin D. Roosevelt as a member of the New York State Senate, 1913
7. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia with his cousin, King George V of the UK, 1913
8. A messenger boy from 1913
9. This is what the inside of a drug store looked like in 1913
10. The New York Female Giants, 1913
11. A very lucky soldier on the Western Front with only a scratch, 1914
12. Surfing in 1914 meant splinters on your feet
13. Harry Houdini, preparing to do a trick for all of these boat passengers, 1914
14. An Australian soldier playing with his pet kangaroo during WWI in Egypt, 1914
15. A Serbian soldier sleeping with his father, who came to visit him on the front line near Belgrade, 1914
16. Troops during the Christmas Truce of WWI, 1914
17. An elephant-mounted machine gun, 1914
This photo was a practical joke; no rounds were fired while riding an elephant, the gunner would have flown right off.
18. Troops loading up onto a train, 1914
19. In the trenches of WWI, 1914
20. German and British soldiers celebrating Christmas together in no man’s land during the Christmas truce, 1914
21. Lumberjacks taking down a massive tree in Maine, 1915
22. Soldiers paying tribute to all of the horses that passed during the First World War, 1915
23. Founder of Adidas, Adi Dassler, 1915
24. A WWI amputee playing billiards with prosthetic legs, 1915
25. Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, 1915
26. A WWI recon pigeon, 1915
27. 22-year-old actress Mary Pickford, 1915
28. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York, 1915
29. The Endurance, the ship used to travel on the trans-antarctic expedition, 1915
30. An autoped, the earliest motor scooter, 1915
Want to see more early 1900s content?
Check out 20 Colorized Photos From 1905, or take a look at 15 Strange Dining Etiquette Rules From the 1920s. Finally, if you want to see dangerous toys from the ’30s, take a look at 20 Toys From the 1930s That Should’ve Come With Warning Labels.
