Photo credits
The photographs on our stories are real. Most come from two public archives: the National Archives, whose DOCUMERICA photographers recorded everyday life across the country from 1971 to 1977, and the Library of Congress.
The rest were shared on Wikimedia Commons by the people who took them. Pictures of cars, gadgets and toys are recent photos of the real thing. The orange date in the corner is when a photo was taken, and we leave it off when we don’t know.
Thank you to every photographer below.
Halloween, 1984: Homemade Costumes and the Long Walk Home
Children sitting on a pile of pumpkins at a pumpkin farm in West Chicago, Illinois, October 1984. Photo: Steven & Courtney Johnson & Horwitz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
She Still Sets the Table: Why Family Dinner Meant So Much
The Gipson family says grace before supper in their kitchen near Gruetli, Tennessee, December 1974. Photo: Jack Corn, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
The House Never Got Bigger. It Just Got Quieter.
Family pictures on top of the TV in the Vogels' living room, New Ulm, Minnesota, October 1974. Photo: Gary Truman, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
The Richest Families We Knew Never Seemed Rich at the Time
May Watkins on the porch swing of her family's new home in Kansas City, surrounded by family and neighborhood children, May 1975. Photo: Kenneth Paik, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
You Fell Asleep in the Back Seat and Someone Carried You In
A 1975 AMC Matador station wagon with three rows of seats, photographed in 2017. Photo: Christopher Ziemnowicz (CZmarlin), Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Avocado, Harvest Gold, Almond: When Kitchen Appliances Matched
The original kitchen of a California home built in 1980, photographed in 2021. Photo: Stilfehler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Fridge Wasn't Always Full. The House Always Was.
Billy Watkins, one of nine children, gets himself a bowl of cereal in the family kitchen, Kansas City, October 1973. Photo: Kenneth Paik, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
80s Malls vs Today's Malls: What We Lost Along the Way
Inside a shopping mall in Virginia, 1980s. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, public domain.
Life Before WiFi: When Kids Played Outside Until the Streetlights Came On
Children playing in the street outside their home in Helen, Georgia, July 1975. Photo: Al Stephenson, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Things That Quietly Disappeared From American Life
Travelers at a row of pay phones in 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, April 1974. Photo: Jim Pickerell, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
The Meals That Take You Straight Back to Your Mother's Kitchen
The Bruno family at dinner in their home on Neptune Road, East Boston, July 1973. Photo: Michael Philip Manheim, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
When the Bell Rang and Someone Actually Came Out to Help You
Gas station attendants in Portland, Oregon, during the fuel shortage of November 1973. Photo: David Falconer, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Mom's Kiss on a Scraped Knee: The Cure Every Kid Believed In
A mother and her little girl in Chicago, August 1973. Photo: John H. White, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Before We Typed It Out, We Actually Wrote It Down — In Cursive
Students in a classroom in Leakey, Texas, May 1973. Photo: Marc St. Gil, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
We Found 12 More Things You Used to Own That You Can't Really Own Anymore
Buddy Vidovich drives his tractor and seeder near Pyramid Lake, Nevada, June 1973. Photo: Jonas Dovydenas, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
The Year the American Dream Stopped Working — And Nobody Announced It
A single-family home in New Ulm, Minnesota, August 1974. Photo: Flip Schulke, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Why Some Neighborhoods Just Aren't What They Used to Be
Children play ball outside their homes on Neptune Road, East Boston, May 1973. Photo: Michael Philip Manheim, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Dressing Up for the Mall: When Going Out Actually Meant Something
Inside the Gus Mayer store at Clearview Shopping Center, Metairie, Louisiana, 1970. Photo: Phillip Pessar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Why We Miss the Old Days: Streetlights, Ice Cream Trucks, and the Magic of Childhood Summers
Children line up for snow cones from a sidewalk vendor in Chicago, June 1973. Photo: John H. White, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Are We Losing Colors? The Great Desaturation of Modern Life
A family living room in East Boston, July 1973. Photo: Michael Philip Manheim, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
The Sound of the Internet: Dial-Up Days
A 1990s dial-up modem, connected and online. Photo: Bortzmeyer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
80s Muscle Cars: The Rides America Loved
A 1982 Chevrolet Camaro, Indy 500 pace car edition. Photo: Nick Ares, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Knight Rider: The Car That Talked Back
A 1982 Pontiac Trans Am KITT car from Knight Rider, at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Photo: TaurusEmerald, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
80s Car Movies That Changed Everything
The DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future, at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Photo: TaurusEmerald, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Discontinued Snacks and Drinks We Miss from the 80s and 90s
A nut and candy store in downtown Chicago, November 1978. Photo: Downtowngal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Rise and Fall of Video Rental Stores
The last Blockbuster video store, in Bend, Oregon, 2022. Photo: UpdateNerd, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Must-See TV: The Sitcoms That Defined 90s Television
A living room in New Orleans, 1998. Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
From Walkman to Discman: The Portable Music Revolution
The first Walkman, the 1979 TPS-L2, on display in Tokyo. Photo: Yoshikazu Takada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Japanese Sports Cars of the 80s: Rising Sun Speed
A 1987 Toyota Supra Turbo. Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Golden Era of 80s & 90s Animation
Rooftop TV antennas at sunset in upper Manhattan, June 1973. Photo: Gary Miller, National Archives, DOCUMERICA project, public domain.
Mall Culture: When Shopping Centers Were the Heart of America
Tysons Corner Center shopping mall, Virginia, 1980s. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, public domain.
Blockbuster Nights: The Art of Renting a Movie
A neighborhood video rental store on Maple Street, New Orleans, October 1988. Photo: Family photos of Infrogmation, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
90s Fashion: From Grunge to JNCO Jeans
Waiting at a bus stop in New Orleans, 1995. Photo: fotologic, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Minivan Revolution: How 80s Families Got Their Ride
A 1984 Dodge Caravan LE, from the first year of the minivan. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
MTV and the 80s Music Revolution
The Live Aid concert after dark at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, July 13, 1985. Photo: Squelle, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Arcade Era: Quarter-Munching Memories
Players at a row of vintage arcade cabinets, photographed in 2012. Photo: The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
80s Car Stereos: Cassettes, Boomboxes, and Bass
A Sharp GF-999 boombox from the early 1980s, at the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Photo: Nesnad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Toys of the 80s & 90s: The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist
The Nintendo Entertainment System, first sold in 1985. Photo: Evan-Amos, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
She Played One Song for Leftovers. The Groom Couldn't Stop Crying.
A harpist's hands on the strings. Photo: Rama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR.