Family photos are
windows into the past.

Remember and connect to when times were different. These photos capture special moments, emotions, and memories of people and places to experience our past.

Sharing photos at AncientFaces
Photos of people and places from our past.

Themes

Popular Photos
Popular Photos
These historical photos have generated quite the buzz!
This collection of historical photos has got people talking. These photos - either because of the subject and/or the story - have generated a lot of comments among the community. What do you have to s...
335 photos
Lost & Found
Lost & Found
Help reunite mystery or 'orphan' photos that have lost their families.
Photos with the names and dates lost in history. AncientFaces has been reuniting mystery and orphan photos with their families since we began in 2000. This 'Lost & Found' collection is of photos foun...
11.1k+ photos
School
School
Discover school and class photos from past decades.
Every school picture is a celebration of the milestone of another year of learning, and captures snapshots of children and young adults as they mature over the years. Images of classrooms and institu...
29.2k+ photos
Civil Rights Movement
Civil Rights Movement
Images documenting the fight for equality & civil rights in the United States.
Throughout the history of the United States various groups including African-Americans, Native Americans, women, immigrant groups and more have fought for full rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 w...
2.02k+ photos
Fashion
Fashion
Discover how fashion has changed over the years with this collection of photos.
Fashion styles & vintage clothing throughout the decades that will inspire, make you wish for those times again, or may make you ask "What were they thinking"? Clothing styles have obviously changed ...
22.1k+ photos
Hats
Hats
The single most popular fashion accessory for men and women used to be the hat - practical or decorative!
Etiquette used to dictate that it would be "a disgrace to venture out of the house without a hat and gloves" and it was not unusual at the turn of the 20th century for both men and women to change the...
5.63k+ photos
Hairstyles
Hairstyles
Hair has been called a woman's "crowning glory" - it's certainly been a mode of expression over the centuries.
In the 1800's, brushing your hair 100 times a day was a popular way to beautify it - but hair was usually washed only once a month. And shampoo wasn't invented until the end of the 1800's. For women, ...
292 photos
Beards
Beards
Antique photos showing men's grooming habits - their beards, mustaches, and other types of facial hair.
Did you know that at times in which there are more women than men - that is, when there is a smaller chance that a man will find a mate - beards become more fashionable? It's not that women prefer fac...
2.79k+ photos

People

Entertainers
Entertainers
Remembering people who entertained us through the decades with special moments captured on film.
Entertainers, whether they be musicians, actors, celebrities, or dancers, heavily influence our culture and impact our individual lives. These photos, many of recognizable people from our past, will e...
39.4k+ photos
African Americans
African Americans
See the faces of just some of the many African Americans who have contributed to building the United States into the country it is today.
African Americans in the early history of the United States had an extremely difficult start as immigrants. Having been primarily forced to immigrate to a new continent, African Americans worked throu...
4.02k+ photos
Women's Suffrage
Women's Suffrage
The history of women's struggle for the right to vote.
Well into the 20th century, women in many countries did not have the right to vote. It wasn't until 1920 that women had the right to vote in the United States. This is a visual history of women's str...
272 photos
Native Americans
Native Americans
Images of the Native American people - the tribes, their dress, and their lifestyles. We honor and celebrate Native American history with this collection of historic photos.
The best way to understand the people who first inhabited North America, Native Americans, is through their own words. The following quotes contain some of the wisdom passed down through generations o...
1.44k+ photos
Celebrities
Celebrities
Discover the lives and legacies of notable celebrities from the past, like Bette Davis and John Wayne, by browsing photographs of them in their prime.
The lasting impact of celebrities from the past cannot be denied; they continue to be an essential part of our cultural history. Through their talent, charisma, and unique personalities, they entertai...
3.78k+ photos
Military
Military
Images honoring the brave men & women who served in the armed forces, and photos of wars & conflicts from around the world.
These photos capture moments in military history. They show past events, battles, military campaigns, and images of those who served, providing a unique perspective of their sacrifices and triumph. T...
16.6k+ photos
Army
Army
These photos showcase the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who have served in the army.
The army has played a pivotal role throughout history, defending nations, promoting peace, and supporting humanitarian efforts. The people and battles serve as a vivid reminder of our loved ones' crit...
3.74k+ photos
Air Force
Air Force
Browse through the vintage photographs of the Air Force's brave men and women, who were responsible for conducting aerial warfare and related operations.
In addition to the U.S. Air Force, there are many other air forces around the world that also serve their respective countries and contribute to global peacekeeping efforts: The Royal Air Force in the...
837 photos

Years

20th Century
20th Century
Photos of the 1900's which brought us from the industrial age to the technological age.
From 1900 through 1999 we witnessed the beginning of flight to a man on the moon and a Mars Rover. We went from using phones tethered by cords and computers that filled rooms, to carrying the equivale...
472k+ photos
1900-1909
1900-1909
After the "Gay Nineties", 1900 - 1909 was a quieter time
This decade began with a lot of changes: After 63+ years on throne, Queen Victoria died. William McKinley was assassinated and Teddy Roosevelt became President. Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the fir...
1.33k+ photos
1910s
1910s
Discover the 1910's - a decade of upheaval.
World War 1, the Mexican Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Easter Rising in Ireland . . . the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania. Spanish flu killed well over 20 million people world wide ...
58.7k photos
1920s
1920s
The 1920s Changed Our Daily Lives & Not How You Might Think . . .
In the 1920's life changed drastically for the average American and for people all over the world. Airplanes began to be a mode of transportation and communication. Automobiles, rather than horses, ...
42.8k+ photos
1930s
1930s
The decade of the worldwide Great Depression
The 1930's were a decade of severe stress: the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, the rise of Nazism. But it was also the end of Prohibition, the beginning of the change of land management (poor farm ...
153k+ photos
1940s
1940s
The 1940's - a decade of hard work
Coming out of the Great Depression, the world faced another challenge in the 1940's: World War II. Although the war began in the 1930's, it expanded and gained in ferocity (and atrocities) in the 194...
193k+ photos
1950s
1950s
The Eisenhower Years - A Time of Optimism and Growth
After the Great Depression and World War II, everyone was ready to take a breath and have fun. Population boomed, families moved to the suburbs, television (by the end of the decade) would be in most...
32.0k+ photos
1960s
1960s
The 1960's - years of chaos and change
The 1960's were years of great change: Protests (Vietnam War, Free Speech, Civil Rights), assassinations (JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, Bobby Kennedy), conflict (the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, ...
16.5k+ photos

Places

Gravesites
Gravesites
Photos of old headstones, graves, and obituaries from around the world.
Grave markers or headstones (commonly referred to as graves) and newspaper obituaries provide valuable information for the family historian and researcher. Photos of information found in cemeteries no...
13.9k+ photos
At the Beach
At the Beach
See how our ancestors and loved ones enjoyed a day at the beach and how it's changed over the years.
People have always been drawn to the beach. Good times with family and friends, fun food, and making memories on the sand as the sun shines down. Some things that have changed are the bathing suits...
7.83k+ photos
Cities
Cities
Snapshots of city living at its finest, and sometimes not so finest.
This collection showcases historical photos of various cities, towns and other places you might recognize or heard about. Get a glimpse into what everyday life in the city looked like - from archite...
7.12k+ photos
Family Homes
Family Homes
Our homes from the past - from our childhood family home, our starter homes, to the homes we retire in.
Our homes provide us with a sense of security, stability, and comfort, and it is where we can escape from the outside world and find peace and solitude. A home is a place where we can relax, unwind, a...
147k+ photos
Landscape
Landscape
Historical and old photos of landscapes offer a unique glimpse into the past and provide us with valuable insights into the ways in which our world has changed over time.
These photographs often capture iconic natural landmarks and breathtaking scenery that still exists today, providing us with an opportunity to see how these places looked many decades or even centurie...
61.1k+ photos
Architecture
Architecture
Architectural wonders that showcase our cultural history.
From famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 - 1959), to our great grandparents who built our ancestral family homes, architecture is part of our culture and a representation of how we see our...
149k+ photos
Monuments
Monuments
Structures that memorialize those who have passed, as well as our shared history
A monument is erected to commemorate a person or an important event. Monuments may remind us of an ancient civilization, a battle, the war dead, or even a way of life. Contained in the following page...
12.9k+ photos
Parks
Parks
These photos capture our favorite family and national parks taken over the years.
Public, private, and Federal parks have always been an important aspect of community. A place to take family, meet neighbors, and build relationships while enjoying the fresh air. Historic photos of ...
21.4k+ photos
Loading records
Back to Top