17 Photos From Family Albums That Are Like a Whole Era of Their Own

Do you love flipping through albums of family photos? Then you know there is more to each picture than meets the eye. We can tell the stories behind these simple pictures non-stop. The heroes of this article have opened old photo albums and found a lot of things there.

“It was true love!”

• After the wedding, my grandfather bought land a little at a time until he had a big plot. They used to go there on weekends with my mom, aunt and uncle. At first, my grandparents had a small house there, but they finished it and added a second floor. When they retired they moved there permanently and it was heaven on earth. © vroomapunk / Reddit

“This is 1953. My grandmother is in 9th grade.”

• She rebelliously decided to wear pants for picture day and they made her turn sideways. I like her smug smile. © henryfirebrand / Reddit

“My grandparents’ wedding, 100 years ago today.”

• The Belden Hotel in Chicago had just opened, and I believe this was the first wedding in their ballroom. Johanna (1899-1986) and Milt (1890-1964) were married for 41 years. © earspasm / Reddit

“My great-grandmother took her selfie in the mirror.”

• We found this today looking through my late uncle’s photos. We’re guessing it was taken in the 1960s but could be wrong. Maybe someone could identify that camera and give me a better guess of the timeframe! © butwhyw00dy0usaythat / Reddit

“My parents at their wedding 50 years ago”

• My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this week, so I digitized their never fully developed proofs and these are my favorites. My dad kind of had a Jim Morrison thing going on. © munzter / Reddit

“My first time at the beach, 1979”

• This was my first time at the beach and my parents told me I ran out to the water and did a headstand in the water and stood up sputtering and choking! I’ve always loved the water. © Bitter_Offer1847 / Reddit

“My mom and her friends at a dance in 1986”

• My mom (pictured left) with her friends in San Jose, CA. She was mod and I still wear some of her clothes. Also, sorry for the pic quality — I found it in an old Longs photo bag. © theturtlechapter / Reddit

“1930. My great-grandmother”

• She was incredibly cool for her time! © NerdyDirtyCurvy / Reddit

“Mom and Dad dancing. Photo taken in the early 60s”

“Early 80s. My dad slices bread before the party.”

“Our 1989 photo shoot. We opened a shop with friends and took photos in clothes from it.”

“My grandfather. The photo was taken sometime around 1950.”

• It was the only brand allowed in our house for decades, even when my father worked for Ford. © TrustProf / Reddit

“My grandparents at their wedding in 1955”

• They lived to their nineties and passed just a few years ago within the same month. They loved each other very much. © Capable_***roach_19 / Reddit

“My paternal great-grandmother in the 1920s”

• It was a normal outfit, all women dressed like that in that region. © Haunting-Most8870 / Reddit

“My grandparents, posing for a photographer, mid 1960s”

• Grandma used to experiment with lots of different hairstyles back then and was always in fashion, a classy lady. Grandpa was a sailor and a carpenter, a beautiful, kind soul. Miss them both so much. © NenyaSindar / Reddit

“My grandmother was born into a poor family and became a true socialite.”

• She married my grandpa at 20, he was in the Navy and would go on to become a commercial pilot for Delta. The photo of her by the fireplace was one of the officer dinners. She traveled much of the world and went to all 50 states, Canada and Mexico, did numerous caravans and national park adventures. All with rizz off the charts — she embraced the most colorful windbreakers she could find in the 80s and 90s. Her name was Glenda, I’m named after her. She really was a wonderful person. © Calliopehoop / Reddit

“1979. Dad helps me calm down before the wedding.”

• To be honest I can’t remember exactly what he said, but what I can still feel is his arm squeezing mine so very tightly. © dittidot / Reddit

It seems that the heroes of these little stories literally came to life before our eyes. Surely you too have similar photos that you can talk about endlessly. For example, a photo of your grandmother in a dress she made overnight on an old sewing machine. Or a very young grandad buying his first motorbike. We would be really interested to see these pictures in the comments to the article.

Are you a fan of vintage photos? Then check out this article.