Rare Photos Of American Kitchens Through The Years Show Just How Much Times Have Changed
Kitchens are truly the heart of every home, but we can’t help but wonder: have they always been such a sacred space? From the dinosaur-like iron stoves of the 1910s to the colorful plastic-clad appliances of the ’50s, our cooking areas and the machinery inside them have undergone numerous transformations over the past century. They’ve always been a place for loved ones to come together, but decor trends have changed dramatically from decade to decade. Take a trip down memory lane and help us decide: should some of these trends remain lost to time?
1913: Where are the cabinets?
A table piled high with food and surrounded by family members was the heart of many kitchens in the 1910s. Pay close attention to the background, though, and you’ll notice some other quirks. The most prominent feature is the use of open shelves and hooks to store dishes instead of cabinets. Still, there is one design choice in this photo that hasn’t gone out of style: putting family photos on the wall to brighten up the room.
1915: American ingenuity
American ingenuity was at an all-time high in the mid-1910s, and all you have to do is take a look at this tiny kitchen for evidence. Believe it or not, this cramped yet charming kitchen is located inside an abandoned boxcar. It may not be fancy, but it’s certainly impressive: the closed cabinets and freestanding stove were actually pretty trendy at the time.
1922: Function over fashion
In an age before shiny steel appliances and quirky decor, kitchens were solely about function. We wonder what this particular woman would think if she saw the way our kitchens look today? All she needed was a stove — that’s the gigantic object she’s standing alongside — and a sink to prepare her meals. Still, for all we know, the rest of her kitchen is a mix of linoleum, floral patterns, and colorful drapes, all of which gained popularity in the ’20s.
1924: Say hello to the icebox
Apparently, this woman is on the phone with none other than her grocer. Gone were the days where women would painstakingly prepare each meal down to the last condiment. It was the decade of the icebox, which meant food could be stored, frozen, and most importantly, recycled. Hello, leftovers!
