Life was very different a century ago. In 1926, city streets carried a mix of sputtering cars and horse-drawn wagons, while radios were just beginning to fill homes with music and news. Fashion, architecture, and social norms were all shifting as the modern age started to take shape. It was a time balanced between tradition and change, familiar in some ways, evolutionary in others.
Instead of grand historical events, we see people at work and in the middle of ordinary routines. Together, these photos offer a chance to look beyond dates and actually connect with the everyday experiences of people who lived a century ago. Let’s dive into 23 vintage photos that open a window into life in 1926.
1. The original Michelin Man standing outside an advertising vehicle in Santa Clara, 1926
2. Greta Garbo with MGM’s Leo the Lion, 1926
3. Before planes had heat, pilots flew in winter flying clothing, 1926
4. “My grandparents in a photo booth, 1926.”
5. Inspecting a “lumber” truck after smelling alcohol during prohibition, Los Angeles, 1926
Trending on The Scroller
6. Nikola Tesla’s cell phone prediction, 1926
7. A family road trip to Stone Mountain in Georgia, 1926
8. Clyde Barrow’s mugshot, 1926
Sign up for our newsletter
9. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock on their wedding day in 1926
10. A.A. Milne, his son Christopher Robin, and the real Winnie the Pooh, 1926
11. Flappers grabbing a milkshake at a diner, 1926
12. Running drills with the Achille Serre Ladies Fire Brigade in London, 1926
13. Silent film actress Myrna Loy, 1926
14. The most glorious mobile home ever created, 1926
15. A policewoman chasing a gang of skinny dippers down the street at Hyde Park, 1926
16. One of Hollywood’s most famous actresses working as a lifeguard before the fame, Bette Davis, 1926
17. Babe Ruth’s homerun ball, that went over the stadium and smashed a window, 1926
18. Getting some directions from a friendly officer, New Mexico, 1926
19. Going for a stroll on her new scooter, 1926
20. Playing in the flooded streets of NYC, 1926
21. Flappers doing a dangerous dance stop the Sherman Hotel, Chicago, 1926
22. “My Great-Grandpa in the summer of 1926 with his first car, which had 12 horsepower and no reverse.”
23. This proud mom is out for a ride on her new stroller bike, 1926
Want to see more vintage photos?
Check out Throwback Thursday: 23 Vintage Photos That Embody The 1970s, or take a look at 23 Vintage Photos That Capture LA in the 1960s-1970s. Finally, if you want to see the most famous female celebrities of the 1950s, check out 19 Vintage Photos That Capture the Most Famous Female Celebrities of the 1950s.
