These 15 Candid Photos Show What Life Was Like In New Mexico In The 1940s

Life has certainly changed in the last 80 years. Health and technological advancements, clothing styles, and quality of living have improved in a variety of ways, mostly for the better. Here's a look at life approximately eight decades ago and you may be surprised at how much things have changed.

1. Dental appointments were a little different back in 1943. Here, a dentist and nurse extract a child's tooth in Questa.

2. This woman's laundry became less of a chore after her son provided her with an electric washer. Look at the size of that contraption.

3. A Peñasco resident nurse reads through a magazine in her bunk.

4. Boy Scouts sing along with a priest in a Peñasco parish.

5. A farmer and his brother play some tunes for their photographer guest in Pie Town.

6. Locals attend mass in Peñasco.

7. The community enjoys a huge picnic in Pie Town.

Yes, color film was available in the 1940s! This particular photo was shot on Kodak's Kodachrome.

8. At the same picnic, a homesteader enjoys a meal with his kids.

9. These gentlemen are enjoying a quiet moment in Silver City.

10. Children listen to a woman, perhaps their teacher, sing folks songs while strumming a guitar.

11. Two couples soak in the sun while seated on a dune at White Sands National Monument.

12. This gold prospector is using a homemade contraption to make panning for gold a faster task.

13. This Pie Town family is enjoying an early dinner outside in June 1940.

14. This farmer is experiencing a quiet moment in a small cafe in Pie Town.

15. These Mogollon miners' children are flipping through a comic book. What do you think they're reading?

Having the opportunity to view New Mexico as our parents and grandparents did is an incredible sight, don’t you think? What kind of old photos would you like to see in future posts?

Are you looking forward to seeing more images from the past? Travel back a century to see what New Mexico itself looked like right around its statehood! View photos and read about life in the 1910s in These 11 Vintage Photos Of New Mexico From The Early 1900s Are Beyond Fascinating.