These Photos From The 1920s Show What Life Was Really Like Back Then

People in the 1920s loved going to carnivals and fairs. And for the most part, these were just like the gatherings of frolicking and fun we have today. They even had bumper cars! Clothes in the 1920s weren't exactly suited to more physical carnival rides, though. We can just see those spiffy hats going flying after a particularly big bump...

Headpieces were the "it" accessory for women in the '20s, and silent film star Evelyn Brent was at the forefront of the trend. Here she is rocking a glitzy look for the 1928 movie His Tiger Lady. Brent was versatile when it came to acting, too. She survived the transition into "talkies" and starred in over 120 movies before finally retiring in her 50s.

Cameras also spread like wildfire back in the 1920s. And given all the historic developments and fashion trends that arose during the decade, it's no wonder people wanted to hold onto these moments for posterity. But the images they took would almost certainly be in black and white. The famous Kodachrome color film wouldn't become available until 1935.

The cameras of the 1920s not only captured important historical events, but they also preserved simple moments of fun. Even some of the world's very first "selfies" were taken during this decade. For the actual first selfie, however, you have to go even further back in time. Robert Cornelius is thought to have created that in 1839!

Aside from the more practical uses for photography, the technology was also used in the art of photo manipulation. Harry Houdini was one such practitioner of faking photos, even going so far as to create a "moment" between himself and Abraham Lincoln. The famous escapologist loved the former president to the point that he once called Lincoln his "hero of heroes."

Driving cars around town instead of horses and buggies also became much more popular in the 1920s. Quick and efficient travel across the country was made possible by these automobiles. And if you were rich, you may just have invested in Henry Ford's Ford Model A, which launched in 1927 and could run at speeds up to 65 mph.

Not everyone could afford a car, though, so many folks instead took the bus to get from A to B. Unfortunately, commuting back then still looks about as miserable as it is today... For longer distances, there were also the railroads, although traveling this way slowly fell out of favor as more and more people bought cars.

The 1920s also marked a time of elegance and strength — especially when it came to women's fashion. These two gorgeous ladies look like they're ready to take over the world — and possibly have a roaring girls' night out! Hemlines rose a little during this time, allowing women to show off their shoes. They may have flashed a bit of ankle, too...

And radio technology became the quickest way to share information and entertainment in the '20s. The first radio news broadcast was actually made in 1920. Later on in the decade, Rufus P. Turner became the first black man to operate a radio broadcast station. Turner was an electronics whiz, although he later changed tack completely to become an English professor.

Folks also began taking to the skies in the 1920s, with Bessie Coleman being the first licensed woman to fly in history. She was also the first black woman and Native American to hold that achievement. And in 2006 Coleman was recognized as the true pioneer she had been, earning a spot in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The new fashion trends of the 1920s also did away with the restrictive and unhealthy corset. A looser, more free-flowing fit was introduced to allow women more comfort — while still keeping things classy, of course. Shorter, floatier dresses also enabled them to dance the night away at fancy parties. They'd be doing the Charleston, of course!

And women played an important role in the tech movement in the '20s. Once telephones became more mainstream, phone operator jobs were primarily filled by women, making them a vital part of the U.S.' ever-growing infrastructure. Yet these positions wouldn't last forever. As technology moved on, folks could just dial straight through to the people they wanted to speak to — making the phone operator's work obsolete.

Women weren't only being empowered through their clothes, either, as the '20s marked a historic decade for suffrage. The 19th Amendment was finally ratified after more than 40 years of struggle, giving women the right to vote at last. But not everyone approved. Even Eleanor Roosevelt was on the fence about the matter, although she later changed her mind.

Audio production boomed in the 1920s, too. Sound films led to the rise of several major Hollywood studios, including the famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — or MGM. Here, two members of studio staff managed to muster up the courage to record the famous MGM lion roaring. And, yes, the lion has a name. Appropriately enough, he's officially called Leo!

Then there was the music of the '20s. Jazz was huge, of course, while big band could get anyone up on their feet. And as they played, these girls may have been showing off the unofficial dance of the 1920s: the Charleston. This was named after the city in South Carolina, and it was all the rage from the middle of the decade.

Yes, people living through the decade just wanted to have fun. With the horrors of World War I behind them, folks partied and danced the night away to the hottest sounds. They had to do so without alcohol, too, as Prohibition remained on the books until 1933 — although speakeasies did crop up from time to time...

That's right: the 1920s also marked the start of the Prohibition era. At the time, the U.S. government believed that alcohol consumption was harming the country, leading politicians to push a ban nationwide. Of course, not everyone chose to follow the rules. A lot of bootlegging happened behind the scenes — much to the chagrin of the authorities.

And even despite the ban — and the risk of getting a criminal record — Americans still bought and drank alcohol. Secret establishments known as "speakeasies" sold booze right under the nose of the law. This created an underground world of illegal alcohol production and sale — not to mention a need for some pretty unsavory organizations.

Men and women alike found clever ways to sneak the drinks they just couldn't do without. This young woman didn't care if she caught a man's eye. All she wanted was a quick nip from her flask! And the folks who kept on drinking regardless may not have worried about where their alcohol was coming from — or who was making it.

Before Prohibition, the Mob and other crime groups mostly operated in niche activities and drug rings. But after the law was passed — and with the demand for illegal booze at an all-time high — these gangs turned to the production of hooch. Organized crime apparently went up threefold in Chicago while Prohibition was on the books.

But while alcohol was still prohibited in the United States at the start of the 1930s, everything changed in December 1933. After more than a decade without a drink, the country was ready to celebrate. And boy, did it celebrate... This shot was taken not long after midnight and mere hours after Prohibition was repealed. Beer for everyone!

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade also began in 1924 but didn't feature its now-iconic balloons until a few years later. As this photo from 1931 shows, however, the inflatable animals were a big hit — even if they were creepy by today's standards. Just three years later, Mickey Mouse would make his first appearance, too.

The 1930s was a time of incredible technological progress and innovation. The Duesenberg Mormon Meteor, pictured here, was specifically designed to break the land-speed record. And it did just that in 1937, reaching a velocity of 157.27 mph. The Mormon Meteor did even better, hitting a 24-hour record of 161.180 mph just three years later.

In 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs also hit movie theaters for the very first time. And while animated movies are commonplace today, this wasn't the case back then. Walt Disney's work quite literally changed the entertainment world. It earned Disney a business empire, too — one that still rakes in billions of dollars a year.

People weren't just pushing limits on the ground, though. Amelia Earhart took to the skies! She's pictured here with her navigator Fred Noonan. Sadly, after breaking several records, Earhart vanished in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Noonan disappeared, too, and their ultimate fate is still a mystery — as is the location of their plane.

Unfortunately, not everything was fun and games. In the 1930s, the Great Depression was still raging. Bread lines, like this one in New York City, became a common sight across the country. And at one point during the decade, nearly a quarter of the American workforce was unemployed. The effects of this economic catastrophe lasted into the 1940s.

For the Americans who were lucky enough to find work, things weren't much easier. Here, a construction worker plies his trade on the Empire State Building high above Manhattan, with the Chrysler Building behind him. When the skyscraper was finally unveiled, it became a point of pride for New Yorkers. For many years, they could boast that it was the tallest building on the planet!

Even if you weren't atop a skyscraper, most people found life on the job to be pretty rough in the 1930s. These women spent long hours in a rubber shoe factory, and they may have earned barely enough money to scrape by. Given that there were so many out of work, though, people with any kind of job may have seen themselves as lucky.

Fortunately, workers weren't completely powerless. After the Great Depression brought about mass unemployment, the organized labor movement took on new significance. Yep, it was the era when unions came into force to defend employees' rights. These "Woolworth girls," for example, went on strike because of low wages. Their action was ultimately successful, too, bringing them higher pay.

The American West faced its own unique challenges in the form of the Dust Bowl. From 1930 through 1936, dust storms swept the prairies and forced families west in the hope of finding work in California. And while some folks eventually returned to their homes, others chose instead to put down roots in the Golden State.

Still, even during the Great Depression, children knew how to make the best of a bad situation. These boys created a makeshift golf course and hit the links with their loyal pup! They lived in London, England, which was also dealt a blow by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The effects of the crash were felt all over Europe, in fact.

But while it's easy to associate the 1930s with poverty and other grim realities of life, there was also room for luxury. Coco Chanel crossed the Atlantic in the early '30s and headed for Hollywood to create costumes for MGM's stars. She'd already proved herself through her French fashion house — the one that still bears her name today.

During the 1930s, Fred Astaire also made the transition from the stage to the silver screen. Pairing up with Ginger Rogers, he swept audiences off their feet for years to come. Rogers and Astaire went on to make ten movies together, including the iconic Top Hat. They finally parted ways in 1939 — but ultimately reunited for one last film at the end of the '40s.

Modern movie buffs may remember him from The Blues Brothers, but Cab Calloway burst onto the global scene way back in the 1930s. The singer and bandleader recorded "Minnie the Moocher" in 1931 and never looked back. In 2019 his most famous tune was picked for inclusion in the prestigious National Recording Registry.

And while gender roles were still strictly adhered to in American society, many women tried to push the boundaries of what was acceptable in the 1930s. These flappers didn't need any man's permission to enjoy a night on the town! Vintage car fans may recognize that their vehicle was made by Pontiac, which got its start in 1925.

In 1933 Albert Einstein also fled Germany once and for all. He made his way to England and eventually crossed the Atlantic, settling down in the United States. Those travels — and his survival — changed the course of science forever, as it was in the U.S. that Einstein came up with his concept of a "unified field theory."

Over in the U.K., Winston Churchill was yet to become Prime Minister. But by the end of the 1930s, he would be named Britain's First Lord of the Admiralty. And, of course, he would go on to play a major role in World War II. Churchill led the U.K. through that rocky period and for four more years from 1951 to 1955.

On July 4, 1939, America said goodbye to a sports icon. Due to the disease that would come to bear his name, Lou Gehrig retired from baseball after declaring himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He'd already cemented his reputation as one of the best after seven All-Star games in a row.

Joe Louis also went toe-to-toe with Max Schmeling on two separate occasions in the 1930s. And while Schmeling emerged victorious the first time around following a 12th-round KO, Louis wouldn't be deterred. The African-American defeated Schmeling in the second bout, denting German propaganda efforts. The two remained unlikely buddies until Louis passed away in 1981.