www.aol.com /32-vintage-photos-capture-world-142206948.html

32 Vintage Photos That Capture the World in 1928

Rachel Schneider 4-4 minutes 9/22/2025

Split image: On the left, a woman in aviator goggles and flight gear stands by an airplane. On the right, a man wearing a flat cap and vest balances several bricks on his shoulders, looking determined.

Split image: On the left, a woman in aviator goggles and flight gear stands by an airplane. On the right, a man wearing a flat cap and vest balances several bricks on his shoulders, looking determined.

On the cusp of the Great Depression, life in 1928 embraced simplicity and looked innovation dead in the face (we’re looking at you, Amelia Earhart). Folks were starting to travel the skies more often, in airplanes or zeppelins, and travel became more accessible. Sound was becoming more prevalent in film, and attending “talkies” was all the rage. These vintage photos from 1928 show all of that and more.

1. The Cutest 7-Year-Old Twins

Two young girls with short hair and matching dresses sit together holding hula hoops. They both wear necklaces, socks, and dark shoes. One girl has her arm around the other. The photo has a vintage, sepia tone.

MTSFS / Reddit.com

2. Five Generations of a Family in Yorkshire

Black-and-white photo of an elderly woman seated holding a toddler, with two women and a man standing behind them. They are dressed formally and posed in front of a brick wall and curtained window.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

3. Couple Getting Cozy at Coney Island

A couple stands arm in arm, gazing at a large clock tower across the water at an amusement park. The man wears suspenders and holds his jacket; the woman wears a sleeveless dress and cloche hat.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

4. Bricklayer Brute

A man in work clothes and a flat cap carries a large stack of bricks on his shoulder, balancing them on a wooden board, and looks directly at the camera against a dark background.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

5. Enjoying a Meal on a Zeppelin from Paris to Berlin

A woman sits beside a small table set for tea and food next to a window with a high aerial view of a cityscape outside, likely from inside an airship or airplane. The photo appears to be vintage.

NickelPlatedEmperor / Reddit.com

6. Everything From Clothes to Car Interiors Were Classier

A woman in 1920s attire, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and dress, sits in the driver’s seat of a vintage car, smiling at the camera with one hand on the steering wheel.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

7. Dreamy Scene in Paris

A woman in a coat and hat stands in a doorway, gazing at the Eiffel Tower under a cloudy sky in Paris. The scene is in black and white, creating a classic, timeless atmosphere.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

8. The Happiest Baby

A smiling baby wearing a light dress sits on a small tricycle in a grassy yard, with a wire fence and a building in the background. The photo is black and white.

amusesings / Reddit.com

9. Tibetan Skeleton Dancer

A person in an elaborate skeleton costume with circular headpieces and a decorated skirt stands in a courtyard, with a group of people in traditional clothing watching in the background.

Reporter_at_large / Reddit.com

10. Winston Churchill Building a Cottage

A man wearing a hat and dark clothing stands outdoors, holding a trowel while building a brick wall. Stacks of bricks and piles of mortar are placed on tables near him, with a dirt embankment and fence in the background.

UltimateLazer / Reddit.com

11. Nikola Tesla Looking Pensive

A man in a dark suit sits at a desk holding a pen, with a serious expression. Books are stacked in the background, and the room has subdued lighting and muted tones.

ElvishBlackSmith / Reddit.com

12. Maikos Takewaka, Tomeko, and Satogiku — Three Maiko, or Apprentice Geishas — Posing as the Three Wise Monkeys

Three young women dressed as traditional Japanese maiko wear ornate kimonos and floral hairpieces. They have white painted faces and are posing with their hands near their faces against a blurred outdoor background.

valazarova / Reddit.com

13. Ramen Delivery in Japan

A man rides a bicycle on a wet street while balancing a tall stack of boxes on his head, passing trees and a building with posters on the wall.

Negral / Reddit.com

14. The Kennedy Children

Seven children in striped swimsuits stand barefoot outside near a house, with two younger children in front, one sitting on a chair. The group is posed closely together, smiling mildly for the black and white photo.

irish_fellow_nyc / Reddit.com

15. Amelia Earhart in Newfoundland

A woman in vintage aviator gear and goggles stands beside the propeller of an old-fashioned biplane, smiling slightly at the camera. The image is black and white, suggesting it is from the early 20th century.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

16. Lou Gehrig Plugging His Ears as Babe Ruth Plays the Saxophone

Two men in suits sit on a patterned couch; one man covers his ears and grimaces, while the other plays a saxophone with a playful expression and has a cigar in his mouth.

jeffmartin47 / Reddit.com

17. Member of the Akhiok Road Gang

Three men wearing suits, ties, and flat caps stand closely together outdoors in front of a building with large windows. The man in the center has his hands in his pockets and looks directly at the camera.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

18. L.A. Book Program for the Sick

A woman selects a book from a wheeled library cart for a patient who is lying in a hospital bed, reading. The scene appears to be from an earlier historical period.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

19. War Veteran Selling Matches on the Street in Canterbury

An elderly man with a white beard wearing a red uniform with gold epaulets and a black top hat sits on a step beside a brick wall, with a cane and a basket of assorted items at his side.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

20. Buster Keaton and Josephine the Monkey

A man in vintage clothing and a flat cap sits in a director’s chair, holding a small monkey dressed in a similar outfit on his shoulder. A film camera is visible in the background on the left.

Silverwisp7 / Reddit.com

21. Impressive Crowd at Huntington Beach

Crowded beach scene with many people swimming, playing, and relaxing along the shore. Numerous oil derricks and rigs line the background, creating a stark contrast with the seaside activity. Black-and-white, historical photo.

Silverwisp7 / Reddit.com

22. Recording the Lion’s Roar for MGM Movies

A lion stands on wooden crates in front of a microphone, while two men operate a film camera and audio equipment on a movie set.

prometeo123321 / Reddit.com

23. Amelia Earhart on the Roof of the Hyde Park Hotel in London

A woman in a coat with a fur collar stands on a rooftop, overlooking a cityscape of old, ornate buildings. The scene is black and white, suggesting it is from an earlier era.

stysoe / Reddit.com

24. Young Man Rocking Some Overalls

A young boy with light skin, blond hair, and blue eyes smiles at the camera. He is wearing a light gray shirt and striped overalls against a plain, light background.

rachelmaryl / Reddit.com

25. Christopher Robin Milne, the Basis of the Character Christopher Robin

A young child with short hair, wearing a knit sweater and shorts, sits holding a large teddy bear, looking directly at the camera against a blurred studio background.

Careless_Spring_6764 / Reddit.com

26. Soviet Peasants Listening to the Radio for the First Time

Three people—an elderly woman, a bearded man, and a child—sit together wearing headphones, listening to an old-fashioned radio device on a table in a dimly lit room.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

27. Detroit Skyline

Black and white photo of a city skyline across a river, featuring tall buildings and skyscrapers under a partly cloudy sky, with low-rise buildings in the foreground.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

28. Annoyed and Unamused in a Mugshot

Black and white mugshot showing a young man with short hair in both profile and front view, wearing a vest, collared shirt, and a placard labeled "14812" around his neck.

Safe_Net_9558 / Reddit.com

29. Mailing a Letter in Oxford, England

A woman wearing a blue coat and matching hat mails a letter at a red British pillar post box on a brick-paved sidewalk, with trees and a brick wall in the background.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

30. Street View in Harlem

Black-and-white photo of men standing on a cobblestone street in an urban neighborhood, with apartment buildings, signs for apartments to let, and various items and barrels on the sidewalk.

UserDeleted / Reddit.com

31. Back When Movies Were Called ‘Talkies,’ Since Sound in Film Was New

A vintage photograph of a theater showing films, with a marquee advertising “Talkies and Silent Films with Full Orchestra.” People stand near the entrance and a classic car is parked in front.

OtherwiseTackle5219 / Reddit.com

32. People Being Baptized in a River in Mississippi

A large group of people stands waist-deep in a muddy river, surrounded by trees, while numerous spectators watch from the riverbank and hillside above. The scene appears old, possibly early 20th century.

Fenius_Farsaid / Reddit.com

More 1920s content:

A black-and-white photo of a jazz band in tuxedos playing various instruments, including saxophones, trumpet, drums, piano, and banjo, on a stage with a banner reading "Happy Walker’s Pavilion Original Orchestra.

Shorpy.com

The post 32 Vintage Photos That Capture the World in 1928 appeared first on Wealth Gang.