We had our old film pictures digitized and I use them as a screensaver on the computer. I’m curious what commonplace things you see in your old pictures that are gone today?
When I look at older pictures (say 20-30 years back) that show the house interior such as those taken at holidays I notice things around the room that must seem as puzzling to kids today as items in pics of 1920’s interiors seem to me. Perched on the counter was an answering machine (and we were so happy to get one that with messages that could be retrieved remotely using the keys of a touchtone phone). There’s the CRT television although it’s hard to believe we “felt like we were there” watching so many shows like “Cheers” and “MASH” on a screen that’s tiny compared to today. In the living room proudly sat the stereo (2 speakers only) and the turntable on which we played records. And does anyone remember when shag carpets were in?
We had an olive green shag rug carpet that I loved as a kid. I’d lie on the floor next to the sliding glass windows and pretend I was on the grass (but no bugs or heat). I read a million books right there. My favorite spot. And you were supposed to RAKE it! So my mom who made us vaccuum much more than needed was happy most of the time (we skipped the vaccuum and just ran a rake around when she was gone). It was also a big deal because my parent’s favorite color was apparently beige–so having color as a big deal was actually a big deal.
This thread is so timely. I recently went through about 6,000 physical pictures we had. There were so many interesting things like this. I had a picture of the first computer we ever bought (the screen was so small). There were pictures of our then stereo set also.
Having lived in the same house for over 30 years it was also interesting to see house changes - our pre-renovated baths and kitchen, plants we planted which are now 20 times as big, sofas we used to have, etc.
Also fun were seeing the cars in the street from pictures when I was a kid.
I still have in my house an answering machine (although not with a cassette tape) and a phone on the kitchen wall with a telephone cord!
Back when CRT referred to televisions or computer monitors, rather than something some politician is complaining about…
I remember that some job ads for computer desktop support or system administration required the ability to lift 75 pounds because CRT computer monitors were heavy. Some large CRT computer monitors came in cleverly designed boxes where the top and vertical sides lifted off to expose the monitor on the base of the box, so that it could more easily be picked up without having to lift it out of the box.
My grandma had a white shag carpet. She was a dress maker and her sewing machine and design table was right next to that carpet. I have stepped on so many pins in that carpet that I learned to go around it. To this day, I’m scared of shag carpets. On the plus side, I had a very stylish wardrobe growing up.
I always love looking at the colors in old film. Kodakchrome just didn’t have the same colors as photos today. The really old photos have another look too. Sometimes I’ll see an old toy or something that was meaningful and wonder where it is/what happened to it.
My husband has spent much of the last two months scanning his father’s 80 zillion slides. Ektrachrome film had such a blue-green color balance. Unfortunately 90% of the slides contain no people or recognizable landscapes other than holiday shots.
Looking at the Christmas photos, I had forgotten the 70s style of monochromatic Christmas trees. Like every ornament was gold (that was my house for about 4 years running). My future MIL had a baby blue Christmas tree for a few years. Real tree, but nothing on it that wasn’t a blue sphere. She also had the green shag carpet. And the living room furniture spent 99% of its life under white sheets.
Old pictures of my grandfather and he’s almost always wearing a tie. Sunday dinner? Tie. Some event like a birthday (and everyone else in shorts)? Tie. Christmas morning? Tie.
I have a picture of the five of us kids with our maternal grandparents. Grandpa has a cigarette in one hand, right near my face, and a martini in the other. In the background was a huge round brass wall decoration that I always thought was ugly. It’s now in my parents’ living room, the brass having burnished to a lovely iridecence. All my sibs are arguing over who gets it. Count me out. Same grandma made my middle sister and I several sets of matching dresses – she took pics of them.
Most important thing I’ve noticed in older pics: both my grandmothers labeled in detail who was who on the back of photos. Good thing, as it has helped me ID 3rd great-grandparents and confirm connections on Ancestry. I’ve been trying to figure out how to label pictures I have now so that the info will be accessible 100 years from now.
