Life in the 21st century is pretty convenient. From smartphones to smart homes, technology has, at least overall, made our lives much easier. Can you imagine a life without all of the modern conveniences? One where Saturday nights were spent square dancing, and we went window shopping instead of heading to our favorite website? These photos give a peek into Rhode Island’s past, back to a simpler time when life moved at a slower pace.

1. Before television news, Americans predominately got their news from their local newspapers. A woman in Foster reads the day’s latest news.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
2. A woman in Foster, the same who was reading the newspaper, works at her loom in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
3. A storefront displays Christmas cards in a five and dime in Providence in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
4. Most Rhode Island homes had a dinner table where the family would gather for meals. This photo shows a woman in Slatersville at her table.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
5. Some things stay the same: Locals stop on the side of the road in Providence to buy a Christmas tree in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano

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6. An employee fills a flour bag, for pancakes, at this mill in Usquepaug in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
7. Long before shopping online, locals previewed a store’s inventory by doing a little bit of window shopping. This scene was snapped by photographer Jack Delano in Providence in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
8. Cars sit in front of houses in Woonsocket in 1940.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
9. End of the day: School lets out in Woonsocket. A church sits in the background.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
10. Saturday nights in 1940 meant hot dogs, coffee, and….square dances, at least in Clayville.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano
11. A snowy evening in downtown Providence in 1940 as locals stroll past shops.
Photogrammar/Jack Delano

What did you think of this glimpse into Rhode Island’s past? Let us know in the comments! For another blast from the past, albeit one from not so long ago, glide around the rink at this old-school roller skating rink in Rhode Island.

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