Vintage Photo Tuesday: Celebrating Thanksgiving with vintage images

If you have been following my blog for some time you know that I have a love of vintage photos and will share them on here as much as I can. Because of this, I have a new series for my blog that will appear every Tuesday: “Vintage Photo Tuesday“.

Today’s photos will showcase Thanksgiving gatherings as this coming weekend is the Canadian Holiday (Yay Turkey!).

October 2023 Update! Here are more vintage images from this series:

1940s thanksgiving illustration of a man and woman eating a turkey together and breaking the wish bone.

Source: Pinterest

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.

Vintage Thanksgiving Photos 1920s-1950s

A real 1950s Canadian Thanksgiving family gathering. The gentlemen on the right can’t WAIT to eat it as he is clearly not caring about the photo being taken.

1950s vintage photo of a 1950s family sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table getting ready to carve the turkey.

Source: Flickr

It takes 3 to make the Turkey just right. -1950s photo.

1950s vintage photo of a man and woman taking out the turkey of the oven.

Source: Etsy

Time for dessert! What a fun photo from 1958 of a large family enjoying their dessert after their big Thanksgiving meal.

1950s vintage photo of a 1958 Thanksgiving family gathering featuring 1950s fashions and a table full of food.

Source: Flickr

Who needs forks when you have turkey legs? -1940s photo.

Late 1940s vintage photo of a woman and a young girl eating turkey legs during thanksgiving dinner.

Source: Etsy

Proud as punch that the turkey cooked! -1950s photo.

1950s vintage photo of two women in 1950s dresses posing with their Thanksgiving turkey they just took out of the oven.

Source: Etsy

The higher the better when carving the turkey. -1950s photo.

1950s vintage photo of a man carving a turkey on thanksgiving.

Source: Etsy

Kenny and the ‘Neck’. I adore Kenny’s mom’s 1950s style (her cat eye glasses are the best!).

1950s vintage photo of a mom and her son on thanksgiving in front of the turkey. The kid has the neck. The mom is wearing cat eye glasses.

Source: Etsy

Tiny tables for big turkeys.

1950s vintage photo of a family carving their Thanksgiving Turkey.

Source: eBay

Thanksgiving is all about being with the family in the fish room.

1950s vintage photo of a family sitting in a room with fish decor on the wall for Thanksgiving dinner in 1950s fashions.

Source: Flickr

Other Vintage Thanksgiving Posts:

Vintage Thanksgiving 1920s-1960s (Archived blog posts)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Friends! And in another month to all my American friends!

Liz

This weekend (well Monday if you want to be exact) is Canadian Thanksgiving and I love this holiday. I’m going home to see the family and going to stuff my face with tons of yummy goodies. I can’t wait.

1946-american-standard-thanksgiving-kitchen432

For today’s post I have gathered up vintage ads with helpful tips and ideas on how to have the “perfect” Thanksgiving dinner. I have used the word “Perfect” in quotes because I’m not sure if that is actually possible for any sort of dinner BUT lets give it a try anyways.

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

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.

Vintage Thanksgiving Recipes & Dinner Ideas

Lets start off with a 1956 Thanksgiving Dinner Menu idea

1950s Vintage Recipe: Traditional Thanksgiving Meal from a vintage 1956 Recipe. — Source: Modern Retro Woman

The Thanksgiving Turkey

Foil Roasted Turkey will ensure you have the perfect turkey every time.

Note: I can’t be positive on this as I don’t cook but the ad sure makes it look like it does.

1940s Vintage Ad for reynolds wrap featuring a recipe for a Foil-Roasted Turkey.

I think that a “Guaranteed” Turkey means that your dinner will be…”Perfect”.

1940s Vintage Ad for Birds Eye Frosted Food featuring an article on how to have the perfect Turkey.

Instructions from Butterball on how to cook a Turkey-1956.

The Thanskgiving Sides

Stuffing…Mandatory, and this ad gives you many different kinds to try (not sure how I feel about “Oyster Stuffing” though).

vintage 1940s stuffing recipe ad from A&P featuring various stuffing recipes you can make for Thanksgiving. — Source: Found on vintage-ads.livejournal

Did you purchase too many Cranberries? Well don’t fret Ocean Spray has you covered.

Ocean Spray Vintage Cranberry ad for Thanksgiving featuring recipes for desserts you can make with Cranberries.

Kids can help as well with the trimmings for Thanksgiving.

A vintage children's book featuring vintage thanksgiving recipes for trimmings for the turkey and a pumpkin pie recipe. — Source: Ismoyo vintage playground

The Drinks

Of course Coca Cola must be served at dinner. No recipe needed for this task.

1940s vintage coca cola ad featuring an illustration of poeple enjoying a thanksgiving party while drink coke. — Source: Flickr-Christian Montone

Maybe your more in the mood for a beer because “Beer Belongs”.

1940s vitnage ad for beer to be served with your Thanksgiving Turkey. Vintage illustration of a family sitting around the thanksgiving dinner table. — Source: Auto Straddle

Whisky also has a place at the Thanksgiving table.

Vintage Seagrams Whiskey Ad-Enjoy Seagram's with your Thanksgiving dinner. — Source: Observ

Thanksgiving Dinner Dessert

Traditional Pumpkin Pie recipe using Carnation milk.

FURTHER READING: Vintage Cake Ideas As Seen Thru 1920s-1950s Ads

vintage 1950s pumpkin pie ad for Carnation milk featuring a recipe for 'Carnation Famous pumpkin pie". — Source: Flickr-vieilles_annonces

1952 Carnation Evaporated Milk Ad – Pumpkin Pie

Further Reading: Vintage Recipes from 1940s & 1950s Carnation Milk Advertisements

Source: Etsy

Non-Traditional Pumpkin Pie -Coconut Pumpkin Chiffon Pie! My stomach just growled while looking at this.

Vintage Ad for Coconut Pumpkin Chiffon Pie perfect for Thanksgiving dessert. Features a vintage recipe on how to make it.

Not a pumpkin pie fan? Don’t fret here are a other dessert ideas for the table…..

1950s (1952) Vintage Ad for Spry Shortening featuring “Aunt Jenny’s Crumbly Top Apple Pie”.

1950s Vintage Ad for Spry Shortening, Thanksgiving Ad with Apple Pie Recipe, Original Magazine Advertisement, 1952

Source: Etsy

Make Thanksgiving desserts with Baker’s Chocolate featuring a recipe for Individual chocolate souffles and college fudge bars.

Vintage Bakers Chocolate ad-Make Thanksgiving desserts with Baker's Chocolate featuring a recipe for Individual chocolate souffles and college fudge bars.

Did you say marshmallows? I’m in! “Campfire marshmallows give added flavor to Thanksgiving dishes”.

vintage ad for marshmallow dessert-Campfire Apple Mallows, Campfire Fudge Cake, Sweet Potatoes Southern. — Source: Observ

Really really can’t cook? Well Swifts Premium will save the dinner!

Vintage Turkey Ad from 1960s for a turkey loaf. — Source: Flickr-PROFile Photo Digital Archive

Or you can enjoy a good old TV Dinner that involves even less work.

vintage TV dinner ad for Turkey dinner on a tray. — Source: Creative Pro

And of course we have to have ideas on what to do with the leftovers. You can make a Holiday Turkey salad or a turkey layer loaf. 1948 vintage ad.