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35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage

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It’s not uncommon to feel nostalgic for a time in your life when you were happy, had few responsibilities, and had your entire future ahead of you. Some folks feel nostalgic for eras that they have never lived in, but they love the idea and aesthetics. This is called anemoia.
One Instagram account—‘June Cleavers Vintage Closet’—successfully taps into that feeling. The curator of this social media project shares photos of all things of vintage design, from retro recipes and fashion to furniture, tech, architecture, and toys. We’ve collected some of the most interesting pics that embody days long gone, to give you a taste of nostalgia tinged with a dash of wistfulness. Scroll down to take a peek!
Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to the founder of the project, Jennifer Kline. You'll find our full interview with her below!
More info: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon

#1

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
Except call it Only Grans
90points

According to Kline, her Instagram and Facebook accounts first started as places for her to sell some of her vintage clothes from her personal closet. "So I quickly thought of a name—June Cleavers Closet. I then started adding occasional vintage content to the page as it slowly grew, such as vintage decor, ads, recipes, fashion, etc."

She told Bored Panda that she's always felt drawn to the past, especially the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s. "I’m a child of the '80s, and my childhood home was built by my parents in 1972. It had a lot of Spanish Mediterranean influence, so I gravitate toward the '70s strongly. What some people find to be hideous or gaudy, I find to be amazing, especially when it comes to time capsule homes," she shared.

"I think my content resonates strongly with others because it takes them down a trip on memory lane. I’m often told that my posts unlocked long-forgotten happy memories for people. On my page, I don’t allow politics of any kind and just require that people are kind to each other," Kline stressed the fact that there is no place for hate or nastiness on her page.

#3

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
The bathrooms in this Illinois home are spectacular! Built in 1952
49points

"The page is really a nice community. There’s nostalgia, but also a lot of humor, and many friendships have been made. I’ve been told the page is a bright spot in their day," she said.

Kline told us that she keeps sharing these vintage photos because she enjoys it. What's more, it brings a lot of joy to many people online.

"I have found some really interesting ads and photos. And I’ve also started featuring vintage time capsule homes, and people really enjoy those posts as well, she said.

"When I share the vintage recipes, I tend to wear coordinating vintage outfits to my food. Fashion-wise, I love the '60s and '70s. Yes, even the double-knit polyester. As far as homes, cars, and design, I don’t really have a favorite as I appreciate all the decades, not just the '50s (despite my page name). So I share all decades on the page," Kline told Bored Panda.

Kline revealed to Bored Panda that the secret behind the success of 'June Cleavers Vintage Closet' probably comes down to questionable vintage recipes: "The good, the bad, and the wretched."

#4

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
This property sold for 1.8 million
7 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths

Architect John Koster was commissioned by the Mechner family in 1969 to develop a property like no other.

Chappaqua, NY
49points

#5

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
Kurt Zimmerman created “Artoo Deco” Art Deco take on R2-D2, capable of movement under radio control with an in-built sound-system that makes droidish noises
48points

#6

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
Stilnovo tripod UFO Lamp
43points

"The use of gelatin and all the things that went in it piqued my interest. I’m a foodie and got curious, so one day I decided I was just going to try out some recipes. And test them out on my poor unsuspecting husband, who is now affectionately known as 'Mr. Cleavers," she said.

"I started filming his reactions, and people seemed to enjoy it, so we just kept going with it. He’s an unfiltered type and just tells it like it is. We have fun with it, and others seem to as well."

According to the founder of the account, the very first recipe that she tested out on her husband was a bologna cake. " It sort of looks like a real cake, so imagine his surprise when he cut into it and found out it was bologna," she said, adding that her spouse actually hates bologna.

"He’s been faced with so many questionable recipes, such as lime tuna jello, spinach egg sardine molds, and some of my own wacky combinations. But he’s also been rewarded with some delicious vintage recipes as well. I shared a lot of great baked goods and dessert recipes, too. My husband has also become quite popular on the page and seems to be a fan favorite. He has been a really good sport about it all."

#7

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
I thought l’d share my mom’s childhood Barbie collection. I always loved the booklet and admired the dresses and art work
43points

#8

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
In 1977, when STAR WARS beat Jaws to become the highest-grossing movie ever at the time, Steven Spielberg took out the below ad for George Lucas in Variety
42points

#9

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
Denny’s in the 70s
40points

Nostalgia is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can make you feel less lonely, counter existential anxiety, and empower you during tough times. On the other hand, if you focus on the past too much and spend a large chunk of your time daydreaming about what could have been, you might miss out on opportunities and relationships in the present.

Anemoia is a little different from ‘regular’ nostalgia because it revolves around the idea that you long for some time that you were never around for. As reported by the BBC, the more dissatisfied you are with your current situation, the more likely you are to yearn to experience long-lost (and overly romanticized) eras.

#12

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
‘Ebony’ Magazine’s vintage test kitchen.

The 1970s-era kitchen went under conservation at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
36points

The more you struggle in life now, the more likely you may be attracted to promises of returning to the ‘golden era’ of decades past… even if their awesomeness is completely made up and seen through nostalgic rose-tinted glasses.

The reality is, of course, that things are never as black-and-white as they seem. Real life is complicated and nuanced. Even periods of time that seem great (and aesthetic) on the surface have a myriad of issues that get lost in nostalgic daydreaming.

According to philosopher Felipe De Brigard, from Duke University, people can feel nostalgic for the past they haven’t experienced because they’re given a perception of history that has little to do with reality and more with propaganda and misinformation.

“The politics of nostalgia doesn’t capitalise on people’s memories of particular past events they might have experienced. Instead, it makes use of propaganda about the way things were, in order to provide people with the right episodic materials to conjure up imaginations of possible scenarios that most likely never happened,” the professor writes in an essay on Aeon.

“These very same propagandistic strategies help to convince people that their current situation is worse than it actually is, so that when the simulated content—which, when attended, brings about positive emotions—is juxtaposed to negatively valenced thoughts about their present status, a motivation to eliminate this emotional mismatch ensues, and with it an inclination to political action,” De Brigard says.

According to him, the best way to counteract misinformation about the past is to improve your knowledge of it.

“Nostalgia can be a powerful political motivator, for better or for worse. Improving the accuracy of our memory for the past could indeed be the best strategy to curb the uncharitable deceptions of the politics of nostalgia.”

#19

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
Just imagine their jello salads
28points

#20

35 Photos That Capture The Beauty Of All Things Vintage
“House of Tomorrow” - where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon in Palm Springs, California. It’s full of retro-futuristic architectural features. It sold for 5,650,000 back in 2022. Built in 1939 . 5 bed, 5 bath
27points
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