28 Beautiful Vintage Photos of Famous People from Back in the Day

John Summers • Contributor

Jul 26, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

Some people are timeless - and some photos are too. But when you combine the two? You get magic.

These are 28 stunning vintage photos of famous people from back when they were young, iconic, and completely unstoppable. We're talking Rita Hayworth glowing like a golden age goddess, John Belushi in full chaotic glory, Elvis before he was The King, Betty White being effortlessly charming, and even Gilbert Gottfried somehow looking both exactly the same and completely different.

There's just something about old Hollywood photos - the lighting, the film grain, the outfits - that makes them feel instantly legendary. And seeing these celebrities captured in their prime, often candid, sometimes moody, always unforgettable, is a reminder of why they became icons in the first place.

So scroll on for a little nostalgia, a little awe, and a lot of style. This is vintage fame at its finest.

01
Rita Hayworth, 1946

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02
Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr, NYC, 1983 (photo by Bette Marshall)

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03
Debbie Harry and Andy Kaufman, 1983

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04
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer after falling into a bag of 80s, 1984

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05
Willie Nelson and John Belushi at SNL after party, 1980

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06
Bette Midler performing at the Continental Baths, NYC, 1971 (photo by Pierre Venant)

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07
Chris and Susan Sarandon in 1975 (photo by Ron Galella)

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08
Elvis Presley at the International Hotel in Vegas, 1969

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09
Ron Galella wearing helmet behind Marlon Brando, 1974

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Galella a was very annoying paparazzi. Previously, Brando beat the shit out of Galella, knocking out five of his teeth and breaking his jaw
10
Drew Barrymore in a L.A. Eyeworks ad, 1982 (photo by Greg Gorman)

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11
Jodie Foster and Robert DeNiro at the 29th Cannes Film Festival, 1976

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12
Dinner with Mick Jagger, William S. Burroughs and Andy Warhol, 1980

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13
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney on set of the first episode of The Judy Garland Show, 1963

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14
The Beatles at the George V Hotel, Paris, France 1964 (photo by Harry Benson)

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15
Bill Bixby, Mr. Rogers and Lou Ferrigno on set the the Incredible Hulk TV show, 1979

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16
Shirley Temple with a portrait of herself when she was a child star, 1945

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17
Stewardess tucks in TV star Lassie for her flight, 1956

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18
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried and his sisters, Arlene and Karen, circa 1965

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19
Betty White, radio announcing at Rose Bowl, 1945

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20
Sting and Bruce Springsteen, Amnesty International concert, 1988 (photo by Ken Regan)

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21
Rosanna Arquette and Madonna, 1985 (photo by Herb Ritts)

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22
The Jackson Family, Encino, CA, 1970 (photo by John Olson)

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23
Lynda Carter tastes her ice cream, 1972

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24
A very young Steve Irwin with a baby Platypus, 1980

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25
Jamie Lee Curtis smoking and skating, Los Angeles, CA, 1977

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26
Charles Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown/Peanuts, with his beagle, Snoopy, California, 1967

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27
Jim Henson, David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly filming Labyrinth in 1986

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28
Christopher Walken as Hamlet at the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford, CT, 1982

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