55 vintage photos show what life looked like in the 1920s

Here, a woman was photographed outside a cab vehicle in Los Angeles, circa 1925.

In the Roaring Twenties, fashion was characterized by fringe, loose fabrics, and glamorous details. The garments differed immensely from the athleisure and street style-inspired looks that fill clothing racks today. But as fashion historians explain, trends are cyclical — meaning ’20s-inspired clothes could (and will likely) make a comeback into mainstream fashion again.

Here, people drink at a speakeasy around 1920.

Here, a photographer captured celebrations after the newly ratified 19th Amendment in August 1920.

General stores became less common after the 1920s, but throughout the decade, they were still popular for various goods for farmers and industrial workers, as well as equipment and food.

Here, the Queen — then known as Princess Elizabeth — was pictured in 1929 at a train station, apparently on the way to the family’s Sandringham estate for Christmas.

Here, two people photographed around 1926 do the Charleston dance.

Jazz music dominated 1920s culture in America thanks to popular musicians like Louis Armstrong.

In the photo above, the waiting room on the right was designated for “Colored” individuals while that on the left was for white people.

Segregation was a prominent aspect of life in the US following the Civil War, especially in the South where Jim Crow laws were harshly enforced.

After the 1916 Olympic Games were canceled due to World War I, the 1920 summer Olympics were set in Antwerp, Belgium, as a way to honor “the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war,” the Olympics reported.

It was also the first year the Olympic Rings symbol was publicly displayed.

Pictured here, a football team poses in sporting uniforms at Oliver High School in Kentucky in 1921.

Pictured here is a subway entrance in London, circa 1924. Transport for London reported that the city’s Underground was the first subway in the world, having opened in 1863.

Train travel was arguably its most glamorous from 1910 through 1950.

Here, members of a fire department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were photographed around 1920.

Carnivals and state and county fairs in the US were popular summertime activities during the early 20th century.

Coney Island was an iconic part of the early 20th century that transformed how Americans spent their free time.

Miss Coney Island 1924 and 1925, respectively, appeared to stand on the Coney Island boardwalk sometime during the mid-1920s.

Around 1920, a family was photographed at a beach in Germany holding up shrimping nets.

In 1927, “The Jazz Singer” became the first feature-length movie to feature dialogue scenes, marking a transition from the silent film era, per the Museum of Modern Art.

The World reported that the first film (that wasn’t a feature-length movie) with talking scenes was actually created in 1898 by Alice Guy-Blaché.

The Dolly Sisters, pictured here, were famous vaudeville performers in the early 20th century.

Another iconic vaudeville production during the 1920s was the Ziegfeld Follies, PBS reported, which preceded the modern Broadway musical and helped launch the career of many theatrical stars of the time.

In the almost 100 years since this photo was taken, some states in the US have banned the use of animals in circuses, while others have enacted partial bans.

The famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus show, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” shut down in May 2017 after 146 years of shocking the nation with its acrobatic and animal performances. It reopened five years later, but without animals.

Willis Carrier invented the first air conditioner in 1902, but it wasn’t until 1929 that Frigidaire introduced a unit that was suitable for use in homes, the US Department of Energy reported.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book reported that Pittsburgh radio station KDKA produced the world’s first radio broadcast on November 2, 1920.

Frank Conrad is known as the “father of radio broadcasting” for inventing the first station, which was located in his garage.

Brides Magazine reported that beaded headbands were common additions to wedding gowns during the Jazz Age, as were dresses with high necklines and cape- or flutter-style sleeves.

Phones of the 1920s and ’30s were characterized by their rotary dials and “spit cup” receivers.

The US Census Bureau reported that the 1920 census marked the first time over 50% of Americans reported living in urban areas compared to rural ones.

Here, kids were photographed at a soda stand on a street in Paris around 1920.

The only thing that would make this sweeter was if Coca Cola still cost a nickel.

Here’s to all the changes and all the lasting pleasures of the next 100 years.