The 1910s were a decade caught between the old and the new world. Many traditions of the nineteenth century were still part of everyday life, yet new technology and major global events were rapidly changing how people lived. By the end of the decade, the world looked very different than when it started, making the 1910s one of the most transformative periods in the twentieth century.
You’ll see busy streets, workplaces, and public spaces that reveal the everyday moments that defined the decade just as much as the headlines did. Rather than focusing on history’s biggest events alone, these photos capture the atmosphere of an era that bridged the old world and the modern age. Let’s take a look at 27 vintage images that open a window into the 1910s.
1. Cowboy Taking a Rest in Bonham, Texas (1910)
2. American Soldiers Paying Tribute to More Than 8 Million Horses, Mules, and Donkeys Who Died During World War I (1918)
3. Harriet Tubman at 89 Years Old (1911)
4. Lumberjacks in Portland (1915)
5. Fountain Frozen Solid in Detroit (1917)
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6. Olympic Shooting (1912)
7. Gettysburg: Standing at the Bloody Angle Where 3,000 Soldiers Died (1913)
8. Native Americans of the Blackfoot Tribe at Glacier National Park (1913)
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9. Six-Year-Old Boy After He Won a Pie-Eating Contest (1916)
10. Agatha Christie in Her WW1 Nurse Uniform (1914)
11. A Soldier from the Harlem Hellfighters Returning Home After World War I (1917)
12. Pyramid of Captured German Helmets in New York (1918)
13. Harlem Hellfighters Back From WWI (1919)
14. Charlie Chaplin Without Makeup (1916)
15. Visiting a Food Truck (1919)
16. Forging the Chain for the Titanic’s Anchor (1910)
17. Dorm Room at the University of Illinois (1910)
18. Man Performing His Magic Act at the Empire Theater in Belfast (1913)
19. Tennis Tournament Winner (1912)
20. Buddies (1910)
21. Ice Delivery Girls (1918)
22. Chester McDuffee and His Aluminum Alloy Diving Suit That Weighed 485 lbs (1911)
23. William Harley and Arthur Davidson (1914)
24. When the Bells Rang on the Western Front (1918)
25. Nikola Tesla in His New York Office (1916)
26. Suffragettes (1911)
27. A Member of the Harlem Hellfighters With a Puppy Saved During the War (1918)
Interested in more stories from the early 20th century?
For a peek into the 1900s, check out 34 Fascinating Photos That Show What Life Was Really Like in the 1900s and 17 Mugshots From the 1900s That Tell a Story in Every Face. You might also like Life at the Turn of the Century: 33 Vintage Photos From the 1890s.
