Vintage Ad Browser - Over 100,000 ads and posters from the 1700's to today

The Vintage Ad Browser is a website that features a huge collection of over 100,000 old posters and advertisements from as far back as the 1700's. Their home page identifies their 53 categories and when you click on one it automatically takes you to the oldest ads from that collection. Within each category, you can navigate by clicking on the pages or if you want to go to a different date you can choose one of the decades that run along the top of the page. Looking at vintage ads is a good way to learn about a particular era and to compare eras as well. History teachers will be glad to hear that the website has a large selection of propaganda posters from the 1800's up to the 2000's but note that most of the posters after the 1940's are from Communist China. If you teach social studies then do yourself a favor by checking out the Vintage Ad Browser.

Pinterest Battle of the Decades - the 1950's

One of my favorite things to do with Pinterest is to reminisce by looking at the pictures of American culture from the past. I was born in the 60's so I am living in my 5th decade overall. I have been putting together my own decades boards and it has me wondering, which was my favorite decade and why? I still don't have an answer but it makes an interesting question. The next 5 posts will be a showcase of the culture of the past 6 decades. I am starting with the 1950's since that is the decade when  Rock n' Roll music was born. Here are the best Pinterest boards to relive the fabulous 1950's.

1) Beth McHugh has put together a board that does an excellent job of representing the culture of 1950's.

2) This board from Michele Jones has nearly 200 pins that show us what life was like in the 1950's.

3) Third is this board by Lynn Quick which, like the others, gives us a great view of the decade that was the 1950's.

4) Fourth and far from least is this incredibly thorough representation of the 1950's by Diane Saum Downard. She has dedicated 13 boards and over 1600 pins to American life in the 50's. Have fun looking back at this special decade.

When I think of the 1950's I think of Dwight Eisenhower, Elvis Presley, and life as it was shown on Happy Days and Grease. Were the 1950's the best decade ever? Please comment below or check back for the poll that will be posted in a few days.