60 Vintage Thanksgiving Photos That Will Take You Way Back
Our traditions don't look too different than they did decades ago.
Most families have Thanksgiving traditions they've been honoring for years. For some, it's the mouthwatering recipes—and for others, everyone attends the local parade together. Or maybe you and your family always see a movie.
We dug into the photo archives to see how Thanksgiving was celebrated in decades past—and as it turns out, not too much has changed. Ahead, see 60 vintage Thanksgiving photos sure to make you very nostalgic.
1920s
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade featured a 35-foot long tiger balloon and a 60-foot long fish balloon. Thank goodness balloons don't look this terrifying anymore!
1920s
A grandmother and her grandson are photographed dressing the turkey in the kitchen.
1930s
Actress Joan Crawford carves a turkey for a publicity photo. Apparently, this was quite a common pose for actors in the 30s and beyond.
1930s
Another shot of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in which a massive teddy bear balloon floats down past the old Toffenetti restaurant.
1930s
16-year-old RKO film star Anne Shirley shows off her properly dressed turkey in Hollywood, California.
1930s
We love this bird's-eye view of the 1934 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1930s
Onlookers watch as a carriage rides through the Thanksgiving procession at Westminster Abbey in London.
1930s
Crowds gather on Broadway to watch hippopotamus and squirrel balloons float down the street during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1930s
President Roosevelt carves the Thanksgiving turkey at the Warm Springs Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
1930s
At the 1931 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a massive dragon balloon floats down the jam-packed street.
1940s
A U.S. soldier in World War II shows two turkeys to his fellow troops for their Thanksgiving Day lunch in Italy.
1940s
This photo shows multiple families on a farm in Pennsylvania sharing Thanksgiving dinner. For how long were you relegated to the kids' table?
1940s
In Connecticut, a woman pours water over her turkey to keep it moist for her Thanksgiving feast.
1940s
This photo from 1942 shows American soldiers celebrating Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey for its first non-sectarian service.
1940s
A little girl looks on excitedly at a Thanksgiving feast in the mid-1940s.
1940s
Two American soldiers celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast at the Halloran Hospital after being wounded in the war.
1940s
An older woman proudly shows off her perfectly dressed bird. (And check out those retro appliances.)
1940s
Here we have a teenage boy eating his drumstick with his elbows on the table. Some things never change.
1940s
Back when getting a live turkey was more mainstream than it is today, a woman carries her Thanksgiving gobbler home on her back, while holding an axe in her right hand. Yikes!
1940s
A helium teddy bear flies over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Angel Madison is a shopping editor at Hearst Magazines with over 25 years of editorial experience. She writes about parenting, toys, plus-size fashion, sneakers, and more for brands like Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Prevention, and Esquire. Before her time at Hearst, Angel worked as a parenting editor for New Jersey Family and covered entertainment for NBC Universal, AOL, and TV Guide. When she’s not testing the latest footwear trends, adding to her collection of over 100 LEGO sets, or scouting for the hottest new toys, you can find Angel walking long distances (either in the woods or in New York City) and spending time with her daughter.
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