One of the things that keeps me so tied to Rome is how it sometimes feels frozen in time. Looking back at these vintage photos of Italy shows how much (and how little) has changed since the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
From everyday commuters, to beach loungers in Capri and country festivals – here is a collection of my favorite vintage photos of Italy from days gone by:
A schoolboy walks in Saint Mark’s Square, Venice, circa 1958 via source
Naples in 1950
Capri 1948 – Photo by Ralph Crane / Time Life Pictures via Vogue
Woman Stomping Grapes in Frascati, Italy in 1957
“American Girl” by Ruth Orkin in Florence (1950), via her archive which has more on the history of the photo
Sicily in 1975 by Ferdinando Scianna
Herbert List Lemonade seller in Naples, Italy. 1949
Spaghetti factory by Alfred Eisenstaedt (1932) via source
David Chim Seymour, Naples, 1957
Pisa, Italy (Date and Photographer unknown)
May Festival in the village of Bucchianico, near Chieti in Abruzzo in May 1957 via source
Photo by Mario Cattaneo, circa 1957
Boys carrying spaghetti in Naples, 1929
Gondeliers by Gianni Berengo Gardin, in Venice, Italy 1960
The young barber (photographer and date unknown) via source
Gastone Lombardi, Milano,1950
Lace makers in Burano in 1954 via source
Do you have any other vintage photos of Italy that you love?
P.S. If you are looking for more, you can also follow my Vintage Italy board on Pinterest.
These are all such great photos! I also love the one of the three ladies swimming and eating spaghetti on Capri by Hamilton Wright.
I’m going to have to look for that one now!
I have been looking for that photo. Where can I find it?
Which photo in particular?
Beautiful pictures 🙂
Thank you so much.
So glad you enjoyed them!
Reminds me of stories told by my Grandparents from Naples, who with very little came to America. They knew how to do just about everything! Wine making, shoe repairs, beautiful organic gardening , seamstress, house repairs, and on and on…if they weren’t sure how to do something they would “wing it”, but help was never far away! Beautiful pics. !! ????
I love this!
Happy to see that some of these are still existing in Italy 🙂 history and culture being preserved!
Love your vintage photos of Italy, especially An American Girl in Italy by Ruth Orkin.
Yes, it so reflects Italian culture. Beautiful snapshot. We need to preserve italian culture as long and as best possible. Grazie mille