It’s been a few weeks since I have done a Vintage Photo Tuesday, so today I thought I would like to share some random real life photos of people just having fun, living their lives in the 1940s.

Let’s see what I found!

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy & eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Betty and Rose were so excited to take a picture together, until months later when Rose saw that she had her eyes closed in the photo. Dang it! HAHAHA! Super 1940s photo showcasing great 1940s casual women’s fashions. Love those Saddle Shoes!

1940s photo of 2 women in 1940s fashions, 1940s hairstyles, saddle shoes sitting together for a photo

Source: eBay

1940s photo of Black Men and Black Women in stylish 1940s fashions enjoying beers and food in Harlem, NYC. Can we just pause to admire the hats our ladies are wearing? Gosh they are beautiful!

Source: Etsy

Hair Turbans were very popular in the 1940s because of war work but they also became stylish to wear outside of the factory. Our lovely lady in August 1941 is rocking that hair turban in pants and a blouse. Possibly going to work or hanging out to work on that car she is posing with.

1940s vintage photo (August 1941) of a woman in a Hair Turban, pants, blouse and posing on the bumper of a car.

Source: eBay

Gossip time! 1940s vintage photo of older women chatting in the front of a house together in 1940s fashions.

Source: eBay

When I first saw this photo I thought the hair in the front was a wig on the bench. HA! Wrong! It’s just some girlfriends having fun together on park benches.

Also, what cute 1940s hairstyles! Super inspiration for your own 1940s look.

1940s photo of 3 women sitting on park benches having some together wearing cute 1940s hairstyles

Source: Etsy

Three dancing girls at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo on May 29, 1946, model new 1946 style Japanese bathing suits, known as “Democratic suits”. Which one is your favourite?

From left To right: Mitsuso Kitajima, Akiko Yoyogi and Yoshiko Kubomura. (AP Photo/Charles Gorry)

Three dancing girls at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo on May 29, 1946, model new 1946 style Japanese bathing suits, known as ÂDemocratic suits.

Source: Flashbak.com

1940s photo of a group of teenagers / young girls in rolled up jeans having fun together.

Source: eBay

I’m a firm believer that when you know you look good and you feel your most confident that you should document it. Now in today’s world that is super easy because we are all holding phones with camera’s, in the 1940s it was little bit different. You had to either have a camera on hand or you had to go somewhere to take the photo. Our lovely Black woman has done just that. She is all dressed up, looks stunning and made sure to document her look in this studio photo. Good for you!

1940s Large Photo Booth Pretty Woman Fashion Photo Black American Vintage Photograph Snapshot African American

Source: Etsy

I have so many questions about this 1940s photo of a family enjoying dinner together.

1. Who took the photo? 2. What is mom thinking with that smirk? 3. Where is the pretty daughter with the hair flower in her stylish 1940s hairstyle going (and I LOVE that she is wearing glasses! Not enough cute vintage photos of women with eyewear out there). Share your thoughts in the comments section.

1940s vintage photo of a family enjoying dinner together.

Source: Etsy

Friends drinking Silver Creek Beer and smoking in this 1940s photograph.

I love seeing what beer can used to look like, it is so interesting to me for some reason (maybe it’s because I like beer).

Friends Drinking Silver Creek Beer Old Cans Smoking 1940’s Photograph Picture

Source: eBay

I hope you enjoyed this weeks post for Vintage Photo Tuesday. It was fun to put together!

Stay safe and see you in the next post friends!

Question Time: Share your favourite photo in the comment section below.

Liz

February 1st was the start of Black History Month, so for today’s ‘Vintage Photo Tuesday‘ (collection of vintage images blog posts), I wanted to reshare a collection of the fantastastic photos I have of Black Women and Men that I have posted on my blog over the years (just in case you have missed them).

So please join me in celebrating Black beauty and style!

1940s Vintage Photo of a young Black woman and young Black Man being crowned King and Queen of Prom

First up, I cannot possibly start this post without bringing to your attention “Vintage Black Glamour” & Style herself, Nichelle Gainer. What started as a Tumblr Blog (which I was super obsessed over) is now beautiful coffee table book you can have in your home. The Vintage Black Glamour Book is packed with rarely seen photographs of Black actors, models, writers and entertainers of the early part of the 20th century, many of whom have been sorely neglected—until now.

It’s stunning and a must have for any lover of vintage photography.

Now to my blog…. vintage Black style does not just mean pearls and fancy cars. It is everything from going to work as a jazz singer in Toronto, to putting on your overalls and heading to the factory to do War work during WW2. Everyone did it all with their own style.

I also know that I have not even come close to sharing the amount of images of Black Women & Men on my blog that I should and last year I started working towards changing that. The job continues and today’s post is a roundup of what has come before.

Let’s take a look friends!

Vintage Photos of Stylish Black Women & Black Men

In the 1940’s & 1950’s

This is one of my most favourite photos! Thelma Porter, Miss Subways New York City, 1948. Thelma was the first Black woman to integrate a beauty contest in America and became the first African American Miss Subways in April, 1948 (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1940s Vintage Image of Thelma Porter, Miss Subways New York City, 1948. Thelma was the first Black woman to integrate a beauty contest in America and became the first African American Miss Subways in April, 1948 — Source: Pinterest

I love dancing the Lindy Hop and any vintage photos of those who originated the dance (yes the Lindy Hop is a Black dance), just makes me so happy to see! Here is a super one of Leon James and Willa Mae Ricker demonstrating the Lindy Hop in Life Magazine, August 23rd 1943 (Vintage Inn Blog Post). FUN!

1930s / 1940s vintage photo of Black swing dancers, Leon James and Willa Mae Ricker demonstrating the Lindy Hop — Source: Pinterest

I have a mini series on my blog that is very popular with my readers: “Women of the Big Band Era Everyone Should know Part 1 & Part 2“. Here is Mary Lou Williams–The First Lady of Jazz, featured in my PART 2 post.

1940s vintage photo of Mary Lou Williams-The First Lady of Jazz

1939 photo by Charles “Teenie” Harris. Group portrait of ten Black women, including several wearing saddle shoes, gathered on steps of brick building (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

Love is in the air! 1950s couple kissing in a tropical themed photo booth. How romantic! (Vintage Inn Blog Post)

1950s vintage photo of a Black man and a Black woman sharing a kiss in a Photobooth in 1950s fashions.

A pretty coed on campus at Howard University wearing cat eye glasses in 1946 (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1940s vintage photo of A pretty Black woman on campus at Howard University wearing cat eye glasses in 1946

Two Black women, including Velma Pratt Bell, holding handbag and fur in stylish skirt suits, standing in Schenley High School for Beauty Shop Owners’ Fashion Revue, circa 1945. Photo by Teenie Harris (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1940s Vintage photo of wo Black women, including Velma Pratt Bell, holding handbag and fur in stylish skirt suits, standing in Schenley High School for Beauty Shop Owners’ Fashion Revue, circa 1945. Photo by Teenie Harris

Take me dancing! Late 1940s, early 1950s party (I think at a bar). Looks like everyone is having a super time (Vintage Inn Blog Post)!

Late 1940s, early 1950s dance party featuring a group of stylish Black men and women.

1940s Jazz musicians of Toronto. Betty Willis (vocals) and Frank Wright (vibraphone), two early stars of the Toronto jazz scene in the 1940s and ’50s (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1940s Photo of a young Black woman working on a machine in a factory. According to the Library of Congress, “Plant foremen point to 20-year-old Annie Tabor as one of their best lathe operators, despite her lack of previous industrial experience.” (Vintage Inn Blog Post)

Women’s Tennis Class in college circa 1940s (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1940s vintage photo of Black women in Tennis Class in college

I am a sucker for a good vintage yearbook and I have blogged so many times before using images from various online resources I have found. This is a favourite image of mine because the ladies of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority are so stylish! Every single one!

The image is from a 1957 The Pirate’s Log Yearbook from Elizabeth State University (Vintage Inn Blog Post).

1950s Vintage photo of Black Sorority Sisters - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1957. They are all wearing beautiful 1950s dresses.

1950s vintage photo of 4 beautiful women in their 1950s summer fashions (Vintage Inn Blog Post). Yooza! Such style!

1950s vintage photo of 4 beautiful black women in 1950s summer fashions

I hope you enjoyed these fantastic vintage photos from my blog posts gone by. I know I enjoyed going back and looking up what I have posted over the years.

Share your favourite photos in the comment section below.

Take care and stay safe friends!

Further Reading:

Liz

Tag: vintage photo tuesday

Vintage Photo Tuesday: Having Fun In The 1940s!

Vintage Photos of Vintage Black Style

Vintage Photos of Stylish Black Women & Black Men

In the 1940’s & 1950’s