Travel Back to 1918 With These 32 Powerful Photos That Tell a Story
1918 was a year that changed the world forever. As World War I came to a close, the ultra-deadly Spanish flu reared its ugly head, sweeping through entire cities and communities without mercy.
But even amid the hardship and tragedy, life carried on in mundane ways: Grief-stricken families clung onto small joys like holiday parades, women demanded equal rights, and children found a sense of belonging by joining the Scouts. These vintage photos capture not just history in motion, but the faces, fashions, and fleeting moments of an era caught between devastation and hope for a brighter future.
1. ‘My Great-Grandfather Serving in the US Army Cavalry’
2. Girl Scouts Pose for a Group Photo With the US Flag
3. American Soldiers Recovering From War Neurosis, or ‘Shell-Shock,’ Following WWI
4. African American Soldiers of the Harlem Hellfighters March in a Victory Parade
5. A Family (and Cat) Wearing Masks During the Height of the Spanish Flu To Prevent Transmission
6. A Nurse Tends to Wounded Soldiers in a Military Hospital
7. A Canadian Poster Urging Citizens Not To Hoard Food During the War
8. ‘My Grandad in 1918, Age 15’
9. A Wounded Soldier Flashes a Smile While Holding a Helmet Pierced by Shrapnel
10. ‘My Great-Grandpa With His Fraternity Brothers and Pup, 1918’
11. US Soldiers Pay Tribute to the 8 Million Horses, Donkeys, and Mules That Were Lost During World War I
12. ‘An Old Woman Who Fled the War Zone in WWI With Her Cow Sits on a Bench in Amiens, France, March 1918’
13. Colorized Image of Crowds Filling the Streets of New York in Celebration After the Surrender of Germany, November 7, 1918
14. A Young Charlie Chaplin Flashing a Smile
15. Police Officers Patrol the Streets of New York in Armed Motorcycles
16. ‘Human Statue of Liberty Made With 18,000 Men in 1918’
17. World War I Marines Pictured in a Trench, Circa 1918
18. Impressive Sombrero: ‘My Mexican Great-Grandfather’
19. No Pup Left Behind: A Soldier From the 369th Infantry Regiment Holds a Puppy That He Saved During WWI
20. Women Cast Their Ballots in an Election Following the Expansion of Voting Rights in Poland
21. Three Stoic-Looking Friends Pictured Outside a Brownstone in Brooklyn, New York
22. A Woman Places a Billboard Urging Women in Colorado To Vote Against Woodrow Wilson, Who Did Not Support National Suffrage
23. ‘A Young Woman Kneels Next to Her Mother’s Grave’
24. Soldiers in Estonia Declare Independence From the Russian Empire
25. A US Soldier Joyfully Reunites With His Family After World War I
26. Crowds Gather Around a Pyramid of Captured German Helmets in New York City
27. ‘My Grandma and Her Family Around 1918’
28. ‘An American and German Soldier Shake Hands, November 12, 1918’
29. A Woman and Her Son Pictured With a ‘Kicksled’ in Sweden
30. ‘My Grandparents’ Wedding Photo’
31. ‘Indigenous Selk’nam Woman From Tierra del Fuego’
32. ‘Children in Central Park Knitting Scarves and Socks for American Servicemen Overseas’
More from the early 20th century:
- 35 Photos That Show the Wild Energy of the 1920s — Take a look at these vintage photos of the 1920s that showcase the best and worst of the decade.
- 17 Colorized Photos From the 1900s — These colorized photos from the 1900s transport us back in time to help us better visualize what life was like 125 years ago.
- 15 Fascinating Ads That Tell the Story of Early 20th Century Life — These ads, which span over two decades from 1914 to 1939, are a telling depiction of life in America at the time.