A Scrapbook of Vintage Selfies from Before the 1950s That Prove Our Ancestors Were Just as Dorky as We Are

Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor

Jan 24, 2025 1:00 PM EST

"But first, let me take a selfie!" We've all likely heard the now decade-old, viral song by The Chainsmokers, "#SELFIE," poking fun at the so-called, "selfie generation," AKA, the millennials. Indeed millennials, being the first to experience youth with portable cameras constantly in hand, have likely taken more selfies than any other generation before them, but the truth is that humans have always been vain, curious about their appearance, and just plain dorky.

The cameras that Gen X grew up with were not conducive to selfie-taking; it wouldn't make sense to waste money developing photos that were likely to crop off half of your face if not angled correctly. The rise of digital cameras allowed for more trial and error, and thus more selfies, but it wasn't until cellphones started featuring front-facing cameras that the trend really took off. 100 years ago, cameras were even more expensive and finicky, but that didn't stop the photographers down below from engaging in a trend that wouldn't be popular for another century.

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A Scrapbook of Vintage Selfies from Before the 1950s That Prove Our Ancestors Were Just as Dorky as We Are

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