Take a step back in time with our collection of nostalgic snapshots from the 1950s, a decade that seems like a different world altogether! These nostalgic photos capture the essence of an era filled with poodle skirts, classic cars, and soda fountains.
From family gatherings in front of black-and-white TVs to teenagers rocking out to the latest rock ‘n’ roll hits, these cool images offer a glimpse into the past and highlight just how much things have changed.
So grab a root beer float, put on your favorite Elvis record, and join us as we explore the unique charm and quirks of the fabulous ’50s from the r/OldSchoolCool reddit group!
1. There’s no such thing as too much milkshake! (1953)
Old School Cool 1950s
2. Safety was not well thought-out in the 1950s.
Old School Cool 1950s
3. My grandma and great aunt in the 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
4. My grandparents with their ridiculously big smiles on their wedding day sometime in the late 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
5. Eartha Kitt, 1950
Old School Cool 1950s
6. My grandfather with Elvis Presley in the 1950s
Old School Cool 1950s
7. My great aunts messing around in the 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
8. Disneyland circa 1955. The first versions of character costumes.
Old School Cool 1950s
9. My grandfather in the late 50s. He was the Head Keeper at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Old School Cool 1950s
10. Space traveler stops in Oklahoma for a party, 1957
Old School Cool 1950s
11. Betty White in 1955
Old School Cool 1950s
12. My grandparents at a fair in the late 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
13. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the Miss Correct Posture Contest pose with trophies and their X-Rays in 1956.
Old School Cool 1950s
14. Seeing how many people you could pack into a phone booth was what teens did before the internet (1959).
Old School Cool 1950s
15. Actress Julie Adams being treated after hitting her head during the filming of ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ in 1954.
Old School Cool 1950s
16. Annie Easley, Computer Scientist and Mathematician, at Nasa Glenn Research Center in 1955.
Old School Cool 1950s
17. My cool aunt in the 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
18. Wilt Chamberlain at 17 in 1954
Old School Cool 1950s
19. Man celebrating end of drought in 1951, Texas.
Old School Cool 1950s
20. Elton John at 6-years-old in 1953
Old School Cool 1950s
21. Behind the Scenes of Godzilla in 1954
Old School Cool 1950s
22. Former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, taking a selfie in the early 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
23. Bring back the 1950s
Old School Cool 1950s
24. My grandfather in the late 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
25. 5MB IBM hard drive, 1956
Old School Cool 1950s
26. Information desk at the TSA terminal at JFK Airport in 1956
Old School Cool 1950s
27. Gun safety class, Indiana in 1956
Old School Cool 1950s
28. Paris in the 1950s. That dress is stunning
Old School Cool 1950s
29. Brunch along the road while traveling in 1957, before fast food options really existed
Old School Cool 1950s
30. My mom circa 1957
Old School Cool 1950s
31. Free Borsht on account of Stalin’s end (1953)
Old School Cool 1950s
32. Before the accident: Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1953
Old School Cool 1950s
33. My beautiful grandma taken sometime in the 50s
Old School Cool 1950s
34. In the days before fast-food, roadside picnics were the highlight of every road trip. Pic from 1958 family vacation.
Old School Cool 1950s
35. Two of my dad’s Army buddies from the mid-50s
Old School Cool 1950s
36. A milkman delivery in 1950
Old School Cool 1950s
37. Gassing up his motorized roller skates in 1958
Old School Cool 1950s
38. This kitten smiling bigger than the little girl for a photo in 1955
Old School Cool 1950s
39. My 8-year-old dad got in a fight at school in 1953
Old School Cool 1950s
40. Ella Fitzgerald arrested after singing to an integrated audience in 1955
Old School Cool 1950s
41. Los Angeles fashion along Rodeo Drive in 1953 (colorized)
Old School Cool 1950s
42. 1958 Chevrolet Impala, Silver Blue
Old School Cool 1950s
43. Early cosplayer at Sci-Fi convention WorldCon in 1951
Old School Cool 1950s
44. Illegal drag racing in the L.A. River Basin in 1957.
Old School Cool 1950s
45. In the 1950s, my grandfather liked to go pheasant hunting after church (why he’s wearing a tie)
Old School Cool 1950s
46. My grandma and grandpa back in the 50s. He was in the ROCAF and part of the Black Bat Squadron
Old School Cool 1950s
47. My grandpa in his high school photo circa 1950
Old School Cool 1950s
48. Minnie Minoso in his Cadillac Escalade Convertible. Spring Training, 1954
Old School Cool 1950s
49. Mr. Rogers school photo in 1951
Old School Cool 1950s
50. A slightly surrealistic photo of my grandma and some dude somewhere in Florida in 1957
Mike Primavera is a Chicago-based comedy writer even though he doesn't HAVE to work. He lives comfortably off of his family's pasta fortune. Follow him on all social media at @primawesome