Don’t apologize; everyone needs an escape. As work piles up and negative news stories assault our senses, all of us long for simpler times. We seek solace in nostalgia. That’s just one reason why #throwbackthursday #TBT is one of the most popular hashtags, consistently trending on social media feeds. And it’s no surprise – old photos seem to bring out the best in social media, connecting us to family and friends in a way that only nostalgia can. After all, who can resist seeing pictures of grandparents as kids, or parents wearing bellbottoms and plaid?! So if you’re looking for a chance to escape current events for fifteen minutes (or maybe even an afternoon), check out these four Instagram feeds that will make you feel like a time traveler.

1. Paper of the Past (@paperofthepast) Imagine uncovering a treasure trove of your grandparents’ old scrapbooks, filled with vintage family photos. From snapshots of first dates and prom dances, to holiday celebrations, old scrapbooks are a magical portal into your ancestor’s lives. And the best part? There are handwritten captions, scribbles and notes adorning every page! Those lilting scribbles are exactly what make scrapbooks so cool. They’re tangible artifacts of another era. Handwritten notes, magazine clippings and paper dolls give viewers a glimpse into someone’s personal history. That’s exactly why we love this Instagram feed so much! Their self-proclaimed mission, “hunting down vintage scrapbooks and unraveling the stories they tell,” is charming and poignant. When you start scrolling through their collection of scrapbook pages, you’ll undoubtedly feel your heartstrings getting tugged by tales of love and friendship.
2. Vintage Wedding Photos (@vintageweddingphotos) Fashionable, feminine, dapper, and dashing. These are just a few words that come to mind when looking through hundreds of vintage wedding photos on this stunning Instagram feed. Whether you love perusing veils and headpieces from the 1920s or enjoy seeing grooms decked out in classic tuxedos, this feed will delight your senses. Some of our favorite wedding photos show children – flower girls, ring bearers and adorable attendants – posed in their fancy frocks. As a social and historical researcher who is a lover and collector of vintage wedding photos, the curator behind this Instagram page expertly showcases photos worthy of your attention. When you follow along with this feed, you’ll discover daily doses of romance and vintage fashions.
   
   

3. Mother Earthlings (@motherearthlings) If you love quirky moments, found photos and antique portraiture, you’ll adore this Instagram feed. This is a personal collection of one curator’s favorite found photos. (If you’re curious what found photos or vernacular photos are, check out our recent blog post that details their value.) Refreshingly, this collection boasts both color and black-and-white photographs. You’ll find Polaroid snapshots, scalloped-edged prints peeled from the pages of abandoned scrapbooks and randomly hilarious family portraits. If you’re a fan of ironic humor and idiosyncratic imagery, this feed is for you!

4. Secret Snapshots (@secretsnapshots) Boasting over 5000 followers (and growing fast), this feed feels a lot like a well-curated museum. Walking into this virtual gallery, you soon find yourself carried away into another world. From vintage snapshots of Atlantic City to police department mugshots, you’ll find photos that are mostly black and white or sepia toned. If you’ve ever found yourself intrigued by abandoned photos in thrift shops, then this feed is right up your alley! Clearly, the curator is a kindred spirit, a true collector who values the remarkable images that others discarded.

These are just a handful of our favorite Instagram feeds that feature old family pictures, found photos, vintage snapshots and albums. Do you have some favorite feeds? Please share them below in the comments! Regardless of which collection of photos resonates with you, all four Instagram feeds will make you feel like a time traveler. So go ahead, escape for awhile and enjoy the magic of nostalgia.
By Rachel LaCour Niesen, Steward of Stories & Founder of SaveFamilyPhotos.

Rachel is a Yankee by birth but a Southern storyteller at heart. When a much-loved uncle gifted her with her first SLR camera, Rachel found her calling in photography. In pursuit of her passion, she headed to the University of Missouri, where she studied Photojournalism and Art History. Since then her work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. Along with her business partners, she founded LaCour, a wedding photography studio based in Atlanta. As LaCour grew, the team co-founded ShootQ, a cloud-based business management application for photographers. In 2010, ShootQ was acquired by Pictage. When she’s not curating old family photos, she enjoys adventures with her husband and partner in entrepreneurship, Andrew Niesen.