50 nostalgic photos of what the world looked like in the 1920s

cafe paris circa 1920

It's no secret that people's day-to-day lives in the 1920s were very different than they are now.
About 100 years ago, Prohibition went into effect, leading to the rise of speakeasies and impacting American culture and society.
From social events to schools and kitchens, life has changed drastically in the past 100 years.
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It may be hard to believe, but the start of the Roaring Twenties was 100 years ago.

The 1920s brought amazing artistic, cultural, and technological advancements — but life back then looked pretty different than it does today.

Read on to take a trip back in time and see how life was different a century ago.

The Roaring '20s marked a new era of automobile advancements, with stylish vehicles becoming an iconic part of the decade.

The 1920s are often looked at as one of the most influential decades of automobile advancements.

Long before Uber and Lyft, cabs were classy vehicles.

Here, a woman was photographed outside a cab vehicle in Los Angeles, circa 1925.

The Model T vehicle defined much of the 1920s, as it was sold until 1927.

The Model T was sold by the Ford Motor Company 1908 until 1927, according to the History Channel. The vehicle was the earliest effort to make a modern car that was affordable to the masses.

As explained by the History Channel, the Model T was so affordable that it helped rural Americans connect to other parts of the country, which eventually led to the creation of the numbered highway system that's known throughout the US today.

Luxe fabrics, flapper girl silhouettes, and art-deco style dominated the fashion world in the '20s.

In the Roaring Twenties, fashion was characterized by fringe, loose fabrics, and glamorous details. The garments differed immensely from the athleisure and street style-inspired looks that fill clothing racks today. But as fashion historians explain, trends are cyclical— meaning '20s-inspired clothes could (and will likely) make a comeback into mainstream fashion again.

Prohibition banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol within the US until 1933.

Prohibition went into effect in 1920 with the 18th Amendment. The law, until it was repealed in 1933, impacted American culture and society — giving way to organized crime and speakeasies.

Prohibition led people to create speakeasies, or secret bars where they could drink in private.

Here, people drink at a speakeasy around 1920.

Until 1920, suffragettes rallied for women's right to vote in America.

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote.

Suffragettes throughout the US celebrated the victorious moment.

Here, a photographer captured celebrations after the newly ratified 19th Amendment in August 1920.

In the 1920s, drugstores weren't only places to pick up prescriptions — they were also soda and candy counters.

Drugstores weren't just places to grab quick convenience items like they are today; they were central gathering spots in the community. At a 1920s-era pharmacy, customers could sit at the counter and enjoy a root beer float or an egg cream.

These pharmacies of a bygone era were much more ornately decorated — with marble countertops and beautiful light fixtures — than the fluorescent lighting-clad drugstores of today.

General stores were the go-to spots for workers, food, and household items.

General stores became less common after the 1920s, but throughout the decade, they were still popular for various goods for farmers and industrial workers, as well as equipment and food.

Schools for young students around 1920 were typically large classrooms that fit as many pupils as possible.

At the time, classrooms and schoolhouses were designed to hold as many students as possible to maximize space. But in the 1920s, more educators and administrators started to support "progressive" schools that were built to house programs that were new at the time — allowing more open-air, light, and access to outdoor activities, according to a report from the National Institute of Building Sciences about school design.

The Roaring '20s saw the birth of historic figures, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in 1926.

Here, the Queen — then known as Princess Elizabeth — was pictured in 1929 at a train station, apparently on the way to the family's Sandringham estate for Christmas.

100 years ago, the Charleston was the dance of choice.

Here, two people do the Charleston dance, photographed around 1926.

The famous Charleston dance came from a song in the Broadway show "Runnin' Wild."

It became a mainstream dance after the musical's release in 1923 and defined the rest of the decade.

Jazz music was the most popular genre of the decade.

Jazz music dominated 1920s culture in America.

The year 1920 also saw the first Olympic Games since before World War I.

After the 1916 Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin but were canceled due to World War I, the 1920 summer Olympics were set in Antwerp, Belgium, as a way to "honor the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war,"the Olympic website states.

It was also the first year the Olympic Rings symbol was publicly displayed.

Back then, sporting equipment like tennis balls, footballs, and other athletic gear was often handmade.

Here, people carry newly manufactured tennis balls.

In the 1920s, athletic wear was different from the nylon pants we are familiar with now.

Pictured here, women pose in sporting uniforms at Gustavus Adolphus College in 1920.

Gym class appeared much more elegant in the '20s than it is today.

This looks way more sophisticated than a sweaty game of dodgeball — a common gym class activity today.

Cities were changing in the Roaring '20s, with public transportation advancements giving people new ways to commute.

Pictured here is a subway entrance in London, circa 1924. London's Underground was the first subway in the world, having opened in 1863.

Beyond underground trains, rail trains were also a central part of life in the 1920s.

Here, a photo from around 1922 shows a guard on London's Euston to Watford railway line.

Train travel in the 1920s was often comfortable and glamorous compared to the cramped cars that many commuters know today.

Train travel was arguably in its most glamorous heyday from 1910 through 1950.

However, much of public transportation has stayed the same over the decades, like the realities of crowded bus and subway stops.

Here, a group of people wait to board a bus in Chicago around 1925.

Fire engines in the 1920s looked much more ornate than today's modern, clunky trucks.

Here, members of a fire department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were photographed around 1920.

According to the Historic Vehicle Association, an organization that promotes the culture and history of the automobile, most fire engines were not equipped with tall ladders until the 1930s, when buildings in America were constructed taller than in the past. In the '30s, it became more common for fire engines to include ladders that could reach up to 150 feet above the ground.

Horse races were a ritzy leisure activity that often involved fabulous outfits and hats.

Here, people attend a horse race at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, around 1920.

In the 1920s, a trip to the fair became a popular pastime. Fairgoers could go for a spin on the carousel ...

Carnivals and state and county fairs in the US were popular summertime activities during the early 20th century.

... or make a go-around on bumper cars.

Coney Island's Luna Park is believed to have one of the first bumper car attractions, according to USA Today.

Long before the days of Instagram, photographers captured the moment at county fairs.

This snapshot from around 1920 shows fair attendees having their picture taken.

Coney Island in Brooklyn represented a new era of entertainment at the turn of the 20th century in America.

Once described as a "national playground," that was a "magazine of life," according to a PBS documentary, Coney Island was an iconic part of the early 20th century that transformed how Americans spent their free time.

Here, groups of couples competed in a dance contest at the Coney Island boardwalk.

The Brooklyn park gave locals and visitors new ways to stay entertained and spend time with one another in the form of rollercoasters and rides, animal exhibits, and a lively boardwalk and beach.

Here, women competed at a patriotic-looking beauty pageant at Coney Island.

Miss Coney Island 1924 and 1925, respectively, appeared to stand on the Coney Island boardwalk sometime during the mid-1920s.

Spending time at the beach in the '20s sometimes meant catching shrimp with huge nets, apparently.

Here, a family is photographed at a beach in Germany around 1920 holding up shrimping nets.

Silent films dominated the movie industry in the 1920s ...

The silent film era began in 1894 and continued through the 1920s. Before there were "talkies," audiences were dazzled by films starring actors and actresses like Charlie Chaplin and Clara Bow. The 1927 film "The Jazz Singer" was one of the most successful and iconic silent films of the time.

... but the decade also saw the transition to the "talkies," or movies with spoken dialogue.

In 1927, "The Jazz Singer" became the first feature-length movie to feature dialogue scenes, marking a transition from the silent film era. While "The Jazz Singer" was historic, the first film (that wasn't a feature-length movie) with talking scenes was created in 1898 by Alice Guy-Blaché, according to Public Radio International.

As film began to include sound, musical movies captured the hearts of audiences.

"The Jazz Singer" was the first feature-length film to bring sound to the big screen, but musical movies produced in the late-1920s, like "Broadway Melody," continued to push "talkies" into the mainstream.

Vaudeville, which consisted of short acts of dancers, musicians, magicians, and comedians, was also a popular form of entertainment through the 1920s.

The Dolly Sisters, pictured here, were famous vaudeville performers in the early 20th century. Another iconic vaudeville production during the 1920s was the Ziegfeld Follies, which preceded the modern Broadway musical and helped launch the career of many theatrical stars of the time.

The lion named Leo that became a symbol of MGM Studios made its debut in 1927.

MGM's first lion named Leo was first shown on screen in 1927, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Circus shows were in their prime 100 years ago.

The famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus show, "The Greatest Show on Earth," shut down in May 2017 after 146 years of shocking the nation with its acrobatic and animal performances.

But in recent years, changing attitudes toward animal rights — as well as high operating costs of the show itself, and declining attendance rates — played a role in the demise of the famous circus.

Here, women are photographed holding pigs outside of a circus in New York around 1920.

Before modern conveniences like central air-conditioning, people found creative ways to stay cool in the summer — like this group of women who appeared to sit on a chunk of ice.

Willis Carrier invented the first air conditioner in 1902, but it wasn't until 1929 that Frigidaire introduced a unit that was suitable for use in homes, according to the US Department of Energy.

Any curiosity about what was going in the world required a look at the daily newspaper.

The first commercial radio broadcast happened in 1920 when Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, station KDKA went on air — but the 1920s were still long before the advent of TV. People relied on newspapers for local, national, and global updates — as well as advice columns, entertainment, and other stories.

The world's first commercial radio broadcast was made in 1920.

Pittsburgh radio station KDKA produced the world's first radio broadcast on November 2, 1920. Frank Conrad is known as the "father of radio broadcasting" for inventing the first station, which was located in his garage.

Throughout the decade, radio continued to grow as a pivotal technology that changed the way people received the news, communicated, and connected to pop culture.

Here, college students take a radio course at Radcliffe College around 1922.

Wedding dress styles from the '20s included ornate headpieces.

Beaded headbands were common additions to wedding gowns during the Jazz Age, as were dresses with high necklines and cape- or flutter-style sleeves, according to Brides Magazine.

Cruise ships in the Roaring '20s were often extravagant.

Here, passengers onboard the Saturnia ship partake in an evening dance in the 1920s. The Saturnia was an Italian liner that sailed until the 1960s. Along with its sister ship, Vulcania, it was among the first large transatlantic liners driven by diesel engines.

Telephones looked just a tad different from the smartphones we know today.

Phones of the 1920s and '30s were characterized by their rotary dials and "spit cup" receivers. It was common to see phones mounted on the wall (to the right) or the candlestick version (to the left).

Being a switchboard operator was a common job for many women in the early 1920s.

Being a switchboard operator often required saying the phrase "number please" hundreds of times per hour for eight hours a day, according to a 1922 op-ed in The New York Times, as cited by Time.

Kitchen appliances were much different than they are now.

The beginning of the 20th century brought many advancements to the home — from gas ranges to the advent of refrigerators, which became commonplace in homes by the 1920s — but kitchens certainly didn't have the multi-functional, high-tech gadgets many homes are equipped with today.

While much has changed in the past century, from cars and technology to pastimes, many of the simple pleasures of life have remained constant, like getting ice cream from a snack stand ...

Here, kids were photographed at a soda stand on a street in Paris around 1920.

... and catching up with good company at a café.

From the way we travel and dress, to how we decorate our homes and celebrate life-cycle events, it's no secret that the 2020s aren't exactly the Roaring '20s from a century ago — but it's nice to know that some things never go out of style.