AncientFaces Community Blog: What we're talking about

"Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less." - Susan B. Anthony Throughout the late 1800's and the early 1900's, women all over the world lobbied for their rights. The right to vote wasn't given to women in the U.S. until 1920. These photos capture many of the struggles of those women fighting for civil rights.

"Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. I get the chance to remember them all this time later." Highlights of just a few of the many successes of sharing memories within the AncientFaces Community. From reuniting Lost & Found or 'orphan' photos with their families, seeing faces of relatives for the first time, to the many connections made with family & friends, and the profound discoveries about our loved ones and ancestors. Special moments like these are why it's important we share.

Wedding photos capture a significant milestone in the lives of those who took part. They tell us not only about the wedding day itself but also about the people in them, their personalities, and the relationships they shared. These family photos of weddings taken generations ago are a valuable record of the past, providing a window into the world of our ancestors. Check out these photos of lovers getting married, and at the end the couple celebrating 50 years of love.

The United States has a long and diverse history of protests and strikes to represent the everyday man and woman. Protests of the past century range from labor strikes in the 19th century that resulted in people being shot by law enforcement, housewives protesting the high price of food in 1917, garbage workers refusing to haul garbage in 1911, political prisoners in the U.S in 1922, protesters against the passage of the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) which would have guaranteed women equal civil rights in the 1970's... The list goes on and on, and these photos are but a snapshot of some of these demonstrations and protests from the past.

Some love winter because of the many holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, New Year's Eve . . . the list goes on), and for some it's the cold, wet, snowy, and rainy weather they enjoy. For others, it's the possible sports - skiing, ice skating, playing in the snow, and sledding - that brighten up those frigid winter months. This collection of photos shows our ancestors enjoyed their winters whether bundled up in warm clothes, playing in the snow as a family, or skating around the park. Get a glimpse into what winter wonderlands looked like from the past.

Fathers love us, support us, and protect us. They are pillars in the development of a child's emotional well-being, and teach us how to love and how to make our way in the world. As much as mothers, they are indispensable to our growth and success, and provide a feeling of security, both physical and emotional. This collection of photos of fathers with their children capture some of the more precious moments in life, and offer brief glimpses into the bond between father and child.

Would you be happy wearing these bathing suits at the beach? In the first few decades of the 20th century, bathing suits covered a lot of skin - as these bathing beauty shots show. I'm happy that fashion changes, but truthfully the older I get, the better these suits look to me - I couldn't wear today's suits in public!

This home movie below is of a neighborhood 4th of July celebration in Rockaway Beach, MD that could have been taken anywhere in the U.S. in the 1950s. Decorated bikes and trikes, lots of balloons and flags, parents goofing off (remember the Conga line?), kids playing baseball... Movie cameras were new technology in most homes and there was no better time to show off for the camera than the 4th of July. If you're a Boomer, enjoy this video of your childhood. If you're not, you'll see your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents having fun. (Without sound - there was no sound with old movie cameras. The music has been added recently to this video.)

With Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 World War 2 began. The United States didn't enter the war until 1941 when Germany's ally Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The war was challenging not only on the military, but also for civilians. Incessant bombing of cities like The Blitz on London and other cities in Great Britain lasted around 8 months, every night, all night long. Rationing of foodstuffs and other goods needed for the war effort, victory gardens, nights spent in the Tube, blackouts, and sending your children to the countryside for safety. By 1944, the need to end the many years' long war became desperate. And so came D-day in 1944 - a plan to reclaim occupied ally France from the Nazis and to gain a platform from which to invade, and destroy, Nazism in Germany.

While called the Spanish flu because Spain was where the first outbreak was reported, one current suspicion is that the origin was in China - or maybe even France - but no one knows for sure. Since World War 1 was still being fought there was a blackout on news in many locations. Wherever it originated, it exploded in the European theater where soldiers were in close proximity and quickly spread to other parts of the world. Just as World War 1 was ending in 1918, a new even more devastating killer emerged. While these are photos are of a pandemic 100 years ago, change the fashion and a few details, and you will see many familiar sights.

Toys were much simpler in the days before technology gave us video games, smart phones, and computers. The most popular children's gifts were often made out of wood, metal and hair. In fact, before the billion dollar toy industry we have today, many toys were handmade at home by creative and crafty mothers and fathers. In these photos you can tell the children were genuinely happy with their toys, and you might just find yourself longing for a small taste of this simpler life.

When you think of Halloween the first things that probably come to mind are costumes & candy, but don't forget about haunted houses. Growing up there was always that one house on the block or in your neighborhood with a spooky history, or a creepy neighbor that parents had their children skip during trick or treating. Haunted houses are usually associated with being inhabited by spirits or deceased people like in the famous 1980s film Poltergeist staring Heather O'Rourke. Discover the history behind these haunted houses and visit the sites to learn the stories behind some of these places and their real ghosts.