Life in Massachusetts has changed a lot over the years, but some things have stayed the same. Here are a few unstaged photos from the 1940s that show what life in the Bay State was really like almost 80 years ago.
- A picnic party from the mill towns enjoying the autumn foliage along the Mohawk Trail.
Yale Photogrammar/John Collier
- Children ice-skating on a January day in Lowell.
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
- A woman hanging out her washing in a low-income housing project in Holyoke.
Yale Photogrammar/John Collier
- From the photographer: “The Forgetta family, Italian vegetable farmers in Andover, Massachusetts. Mr. Forgetta, (right) and his older daughter (at the piano) both work in nearby textile mill in the winter if they can get the work.”
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
- Locals and tourists enjoying the sunshine. The photographer noted: “lack of bath houses causes a great deal of picturesque dressing and undressing in and behind parked cars.”
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Local talent makes music on a Sunday afternoon under soldiers’ monument.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Summer residents watch the tourist boat arrive from Boston in Provincetown.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Fishermen repair their nets in order to secure the day’s catch.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Souvenir shops provide an outdoor desk for tourists who want to write “wish you were here” post cards to friends out of state.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Women just off the bus fixing their clothing before setting off.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- Shipyward workers gather at a union meeting.
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
- Two women relaxing at a vacation rental cottage in Truro.
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
- A woman walking by a store going out of business in Lowell.
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
- Employees entering a textile mill in New Bedford.
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
- A man cools beer in a stream along the Mohawk Trail.
Yale Photogrammar/John Collier
For more glimpses into Massachusetts’ past, check out these now-and-then photos of Massachusetts to see how much it’s changed.
Yale Photogrammar/John Collier
Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano
Yale Photogrammar/Edwin Rosskam
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