12 Historic Thanksgiving Photos That Show How Much Has Changed
Old Thanksgiving photos show how traditions, fashion, and family life have changed over the decades.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
Historic images capture moments that reveal how people once prepared for the holiday with simpler tools and smaller gatherings. These photos show different clothing, cooking styles and community celebrations that feel far from today’s routines. Looking back at these scenes highlights how much the holiday has evolved over time.
1. 1. Early 1900s family dinner
Published by Cassell and Co, NY, 1911 on Wikimedia Commons
A long table filled with simple homemade dishes shows how modest holiday meals once were. The family sits close together, dressed in their best clothes for the occasion. The room looks plain but warm, lit mostly by daylight from the windows. The photo feels personal and quiet compared to today’s larger gatherings.
2. 2. Schoolchildren in holiday costumes
Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Abbate on Wikimedia Commons
Kids pose in paper hats and outfits they made in class, smiling proudly for the camera. The costumes are simple and handcrafted, showing the creativity of early school projects. The classroom behind them looks bare compared to modern rooms. The picture captures a time when holiday crafts were made with basic materials.
3. 3. A community turkey shoot event
Patrick Fitzgerald on Wikimedia Commons
Men gather in a field holding old hunting gear, taking part in a common holiday tradition of the time. The scene reflects a country lifestyle where preparing food sometimes meant providing it yourself. The group stands close, talking and laughing between rounds. Such events were once a social highlight before Thanksgiving.
4. 4. Crowded train stations before the holiday
Comilão on Wikimedia Commons
Travelers line the platforms with heavy suitcases, ready to visit family. The outfits and hats show the fashion of earlier decades. Conductors move along the cars checking tickets in the cold air. Holiday travel looked slower and more formal than it does today.
5. 5. Parade floats pulled by horses
John Prato on Wikimedia Commons
A downtown street shows small handmade floats decorated with paper, leaves, and local crafts. Horses pull the displays while children wave at the crowd. People in coats line the sidewalks, watching with excitement. The parade feels homegrown and simple compared to the large productions now seen on TV.
6. 6. Soldiers sharing a holiday meal
SGT Eric Provost on Wikimedia Commons
A group of service members eats Thanksgiving dinner in a long mess hall. The meal is plain but served with care, bringing comfort far from home. Some laugh together while others write notes to family. The photo reminds viewers of holidays spent in duty rather than at home.
7. 7. Women preparing food in early kitchens
OSU Special Collections & Archives on Wikimedia Commons
Heavy pots, wood stoves, and limited counter space show how much work holiday cooking once required. Aprons and rolled sleeves signal a long day ahead. The kitchen looks crowded with bowls, tools, and ingredients. It is easy to see how meals took hours of steady effort.
8. 8. Children gathering firewood
Dmitry Makeev on Wikimedia Commons
Kids carry bundles of sticks to heat the home before the meal. Their coats look worn but sturdy against the cold. The yard behind them is covered with frost and fallen leaves. Home heating was a hands-on task that shaped the holiday routine.
9. 9. Small-town gatherings at the local hall
Marjory Collins on Wikimedia Commons
Families meet in a simple community building decorated with a few banners and handmade signs. People bring dishes in metal pots and glass jars. Long tables fill the space as neighbors chat and greet one another. These shared meals were central to many rural communities.
10. 10. Farmers delivering turkeys to the market
Jean-François Millet on Wikimedia Commons
Men stand beside wagons filled with live birds ready for sale. The scene feels busy as customers come to choose their holiday turkey. Dirt roads and wooden stalls show a market from another era. Buying food once required personal visits rather than quick grocery trips.
11. 11. College students returning home
University of Texas at Arlington Photograph Collection on Wikimedia Commons
Groups of students pose with suitcases outside brick dorms. Smiles show their excitement to be heading home for the holiday. The clothing reflects the style of the decade, often neat and formal. The moment feels similar today but is shaped by a different world.
12. 12. Families posing beside early automobiles
Eddie August Schneider on Wikimedia Commons
A family stands proudly next to an old car packed with baskets and dishes. The vehicle looks small, yet it carried everything needed for the holiday trip. The unpaved road behind them shows the rural setting of the time. The photo marks a shift toward more mobile holiday traditions.