Browsing category: Glimpse into the Past

What Did Things Cost in 1872?

In 1872, the U.S. population had grown to over 38 million people, and Ulysses S. Grant had just been re-elected for a second term as President.


Dr. Rose’s French Arsenic Complexion Wafers — 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalog

Have you ever looked through a copy of the 1902 Sears Roebuck catalog? It’s 1,192 pages packed full of anything and everything anyone might need from windmills, buggies, furniture, and cooking utensils to fabric, hair brushes, phonograph records, and ready-made clothing…


Why Very Old Recipes Often Seem Incomplete

It used to be that people learned to cook by watching someone else. Cookbooks were mostly reminders or suggestions for people who already knew the techniques. This is why very old recipes often seem incomplete…


How To Do Laundry, Circa 1880

I love to read through old books, especially the kind of book that gave advice and detailed instructions for some of the more ordinary tasks that are still a part of everyday life but are now accomplished with so much less effort. Reading this excerpt…