The year 1947 was one of reinvention. World War II had ended just two years prior, and the world — still bearing the weight of loss and devastation — was eager to usher in an era of hope and forward thinking. In cities across America and Europe, new fashion styles and cultural shifts were taking root. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, aliens may or may not have crash-landed in New Mexico, and everyday life began to feel vibrant again. These vintage photos of 1947 capture the highs and lows of a year in motion.
1. ‘Dot Robinson, Founder of the Motor Maids of America, and Her Daughter Betty, at a Motorcycle Rally in Laconia, N.H.’
2. Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball’s Color Barrier, Making His Major League Debut With the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947
3. Protesters In Germany Hold Up Signs That Read ‘We Want Coal, We Want Bread’ During the ‘Hunger Winter’ of 1947
4. ‘My Grandparents on Their Wedding Day in 1947’
5. A G.I. Puts His Chopstick Skills to the Test While Stationed in Japan
6. A Snowy Winter in Times Square
7. Three Marines Walk Into Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Florida
8. ‘My Grandparents, Circa 1947’
9. Police Officers Raid the Collyer Brothers’ Apartment in New York in March 1947. The Two Were Known For Their Eccentric Hoarding
10. Angela Lansbury at 22
11. US President Harry Truman Signs the ‘National Security Act’ Into Law on July 26, 1947
12. Workers Protest the Taft-Hartley Bill in Times Square, New York
13. ‘My Weight Lifter Great-Grandpa Holding My Grandpa Over His Head’
14. Two Men Having a Chat at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in New York
15. ‘Everyone Gets a Nickname on the South Side of Chicago’
16. Stellar Views From the Top of the Empire State Building
17. ‘My Grandfather’s High School Senior Year Photo, Class of 1947’
18. Snow Day Done Right in New York City’s Central Park
19. American Students Going for a Stroll in Heidelberg, Germany
20. ‘My Aunt, 22, and Her Date Having Cocktails’
21. Teenagers Dance at a Party in Tulsa, Oklahoma
22. A Turkish Lieutenant Serving the Craziest Face Card I Ever Did See
23. A Newspaper Clipping of the Roswell Army Air Field’s Claim of Capturing a ‘Flying Saucer’ in a Ranch in New Mexico
24. An Adorable Little Girl Going for a Joy Ride in Harlem, New York
25. A Woman in a Swimsuit (Risqué for the Time!) Takes a Snap on the Hood of a Vintage Jaguar
26. ‘Beach Besties, 1947’
27. A Rare ‘1947 Ford Bubble Top’ Turning Heads in California
28. Out of Office, Gone Sledding!
29. Men Holding Onto Their Hates on a Windy Day in Philadelphia
30. Colorized Image of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein
31. ‘Easter Sunday in Harlem, New York’
32. Three Besties Pose for a Snap in the Bronx, New York
Want more from this fascinating decade?
Get a full sense of what the 1940s were like with 33 Early 1940s Photos That’ll Make You Feel Like You’ve Stepped Back in Time, 35 Candid Photos That Capture Real Life in the 1940s, and 31 Vintage Photos From the Late ’40s.
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