50 people found old photos of grandparents & realized they're cooler than them

1) “My Grandmother, 1940s”

Wow, grandma looks like a movie star! They just don’t make old school glamour like they used to.

@middlefingerpuppet:

“I knew from the moment the dame walked through the door she was trouble– trouble with a capital T. She was what I call a “coffee pot client.” Too hot to handle but boy, does she perk you up.”

2) “Last year I posted a pic of my Granny on the wing of my Dad’s cropduster plane ‘seconds’ before takeoff and people didn’t believe it…”

You go, daredevil granny! This looks totally fun and cool, but it’s a still a big NOPE for those of us who always picked “truth” over “dare.”

3) “My grandfather the day before he shipped out with the Marines, 1941.”

Yowzers! He won’t let me stop looking at those smoldering eyes. Was everyone a massive heartthrob back in the day?

“Lots of girls would like to get a time machine, go back in time, and become your grandma.”

4) “Photo of my grandfather exiting his plane after getting shot down.”

Dear Betty: Plane just took a nose dive into the ocean. No biggie. I took my time escaping from the raging seas so I could casually pose for a picture like a boss. Hope you like, sweetums. Love, The Man.

@gettingthere52:

“From what my dad told me was that when his plane was shot, it was leaking fuel so he had the ability to escape from fire. He tried to make his way back to ship but fell short and one of the photographers on the ship snapped the photo.”

5) “My grandmother right after she ran away from communistic Bulgaria to Germany (1978).”

I think this gorgeous woman may have been the inspiration behind ZZ Top’s “She’s Got Legs.” What an absolute stunner!

“I’m imagining this woman crossing through Check Point Charlie hidden in the trunk of a Trabant and the first thing she does is hop out and do this photoshoot for Chanel.”

6) “My granny – nicknamed Kidd – wasn’t allowed to join the Air Force because she was a woman. So she taught young men to fly in Stephenville, TX during WWII – 1940’s.”

Too bad women weren’t allowed to fly back then. Our smaller physiology means we can tolerate G-forces better than men.

@bkk-bos:

“My grandmother had a similar job: Flying B17’s from Bangor Maine to England via Greenland and Iceland. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that they were finally given credit due and recognized as veterans, eligible to receive benefits.”

7) “I see your granduncle and raise you my grandmother.”

This photo was placed next to granny’s coffin at her funeral. It was taken in the late 60s or 70s, when middle finger puppetry was just as fun as it is today!

@Zef Rose:

“That is perfect. Extremely inspirational. I intend to sit for my funeral photo ASAP!”

8) “My grandparents wearing each other’s clothes. (1943)”

They had the whole gender bender thing down before it was even a thing! Notice how he’s still wearing trousers under his dress? It’s good to know that a sense of humor is timeless.

9) “My great grandfather gave Einstein violin lessons.”

Now this is one cool snapshot! It’s not every day you get to hike your pants up to your chest alongside one of the world’s greatest minds.

10) “Grandma sent me a picture of my grandpa at my age to make me feel like shit.”

Don’t you feel strange looking at this very buff, nearly naked man that is now someone’s grandpa? There’s some mixed feelings right there!

@geetarzkool:

“Grams and Gramps were bangin’ like bunnies. Ewww…… Then again, can you blame her? But still, ewww……”

11) “My great-great grandfather, the samurai of a small coal mining town in Kyushu, posing with my grandmother and one of her sisters ~1900”

It must be cool to be related to a samurai! But, no matter which country or decade you grow up in, there’s always some version of mom’s DIY bowl haircut making the rounds.

12) “My great grandfather showing off one of the horses he trained for World War 1 – Petawawa, ~1922”

I’m not sure how you can get any cooler than Lawrence of Arabia riding horses through flames. In fact, don’t even try. You’ll lose.

@didiams:

“Looks like he’s trying to escape an evaporating world.”

13) “My grandmother with then-Mercury 7 astronauts John Glenn, Gus Grissom, and Alan Shepherd (September 14th, 1959)”

Looks like Gus was crushing hard on your nana. Wait a minute, she looks kind of familiar…

@leaningonalamp:

“That’s Suzy Parker, the first supermodel! Your grandmother was Suzy Parker?!!”

14) “I recently lost my grandmother to cancer. This will always be one of my favorite photo of her.”

From now on,this is going to be everyone’s favorite photo of your grandmother. She was certainly one foxy lady back in the day!

@MasInMancy:

“My grandfather just looked over my shoulder and saw this and said, “Hubba hubba.” You have the Bamps seal of approval. Congrats.”

15) “WWII- my badass Grandpa with a car he stole from Nazis”

Just look at the steely resolve on his face and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth like he has no cares in the world. That’s one way to stick it to ’em!

16) “My grandma smoking her cigarette on the farm. Wearing pants and doing whatever the hell she wanted. 1938”

You can tell that this is one gal who didn’t take any crap from anyone. Those boots she’s wearing weren’t made for walkin’ – they were made for kicking!

17) “My very cool grandpa in the 1950s holding a fish, smoking a cigarette, with a book tucked into his pants and cigarette pack in his sleeve.”

Gotta love the men of the 1950’s. They have a way of making dirty white t-shirts and packs of cigarettes look good!

18) “My grandfather was into cosplay before it was “the thing to do”

Look at that face though! I can just see him holding up a sign outside of Chick-Fil-A that says “cluck you.”

19) “My Crazy Grandfather”

Sometimes being crazy isn’t such a bad thing. It means you’ve lived an interesting life, like this guy obviously did.

“This is my crazy grandfather. Hands down, the funniest old coot that’s ever existed. On his deathbed, he told us (his grandkids) “Don’t be cheap. Spend 25 cents and buy the paper. The Times promised me a big spread.” He worked as a photographer for the LA Times for 50+ years and had many famous photos, including the first published photo of an atomic bomb explosion.”

20) “My favorite picture of my grandmother. 1942.

Being a single mom isn’t easy, but women of that era were incredibly strong and courageous. They had to be – divorcees were shunned, there were no shelters for those running from domestic abuse, and daycare was pretty much nonexistent.

“She’s strong, raised six children on her own after leaving an alcoholic husband. Worked 7 days a week as a cook in a gas station from 3 am – 5pm. I would stay every weekend with her and sleep on the floor of the gas station back then. She’s amazing.”

21) “My grandma modeling in her flight attendant uniform – 1972”

That was certainly a different era! Back then, you could smoke on the planes and if you were a kid, you were allowed to go up to the cockpit and talk to the pilot. Oh, and flight attendants dressed like this and were called stewardesses.

@HonkersTim:

“Back in the old days people could and did take guns with them on international flights. e.g. if they were going on safari.”

22) “This photo always puts a smile on my face. Our 86-year-old grandmother back in the day.”

They don’t make flight attendants like they used to! Their classy uniforms were something else, too. It was first class all the way!

23) “My Finnish grandfather smoking a cigarette and holding a wild fox that he befriended. (Circa 1975)”

How in the world do you make friends with a fox? You don’t. Not unless you’re this uber cool Finn.

24) “My grandfather’s badass swandive (1930)”

Swan dive into a pool? Nah, why bother playing it safe when you can jump off a roof and have fun! This guy must have been the original inspiration behind Nike’s “Just do it” ad slogan.

25) “My Grandma as an Air Traffic Controller. She would have been 97 on 3/11.”

Wow, she was a total dame! Even the way she holds that pencil in her hands says “I’m too cool for you.”

MtStAsshole:

“Your grandma looks like the kind of woman who would have seduced a private investigator and then shot him when he fulfilled his purpose…compliment, by the way.”

26) “My Great Grandpa Eddie. Omaha 1939”

Eddie was quite the stylin’ grandpa! But he also kind of looks like one of those snake oil salesmen.

@mudo2000:

“He looks like he wants to sell me something he knows damn good and well doesn’t work the way he advertises it.”

27) “If I could only be half as badass as my grandfather this Memorial Day, c. 1960”

I think I’ll just put my cute tiger cub in this backpack and go for a walk. All the chicks will dig it!

@HATEPRIDE:

“Your granddad was SF [special forces]. Regular conventional troops wore OD Green uniforms. That tiger stripe uniform was experimental at the time, and was issued only to SF/LRRPs and ARVN SF. Just by seeing the uniform I can tell your grandad was a physically and mentally tough man.”

28) “My grandma recently passed. My Grandpa sent me this picture so I could know what man looks like when he is in love. They were married 60+ yrs.”

Awww, my heart just melted into a puddle of happy goo. True love and that earnest puppy-eyed look never goes out of style.

@pepinlo:

“Her face, she knows he’s nervous and she knows he’s trying, she knows it’s love.”

29) “My grandfather died today. But this isn’t a misery-for-points post. I want to tell you what a fucking badass he was.”

These days people do yoga poses on Instagram to show off. That’s so lame in comparison to this amazing gem! He’s by far one of the coolest cats on this list.

“My grandfather died of a sudden heart attack today. He lived a long, awesome life. When he was a little kid, a bakery hired him to chase bats away from their loading dock. He had bad teeth as a teenager, so the dentist pulled a bunch of them without anesthesia… When the Korean War started, he joined the Navy as a diver. He worked off Key West, and when a test pilot would crash he had to dive and recover the pilot, living or dead.”

30) “My great grandmother, working as a welder during WWII”

Only a woman from WWII can make welding look so sexy. She almost looks like Rosie the Riveter, but cuter!

@itsakidsbooksantiago:

“My grandma was a welder during the war too! She loved it. Said it was just like sewing.”

31) “My grandmother turned 98 this week. This is her in her full nursing uniform during WWII.”

Total respect for nurses now and way back in the day. These oldschool wartime nurses had to go through some hardcore stuff that we just don’t see today!

@thom wentworth:

“Bad ass girls that kept the guys alive. A blessing to their country.”

32) “My grandfather defusing a bomb on MLK’s porch. He was buried three years ago on MLK Day.”

What a great honor to defuse a bomb for such an important historical figure. It must have been an even greater honor to bury him on MLK Day!

@scarabrae:

“The 1950s: when people defused bombs at night while wearing street clothes while other people shot flash photos.”

33) “The last photo in my grandparents wedding album (1954)”

Oh, they were a cheeky pair now weren’t they. That “do not disturb” sign and the glint in their eyes is so cute!

34) “My grandmother demonstrating the Three-point belt as a model for Volvo in 1959”

The 1950s were a different time indeed. You didn’t have to put on your seat belt if you didn’t want to, and wearing driving gloves was the fashionable thing to do.

@dethskwirl:

“I am now realizing that old women have that hairstyle because it was fashionable when they were young, and not because all old women just have to.”

35) “My grandpa’s FBI Academy photo. He worked as a spy recruiter during the Cold War.”

Grandpa just reeks of secret government agency. Even the shadows falling across his face says “danger, maybe.”

@his_rotundity_:

“Must have been when the Bureau was prototyping the iPhone 8.”

@sw00n:

“I never realized how much it looked like a smartphone. Will interrogate my dad about any connections with time travel he might have had ASAP.”

36) “My grandmother on her Harley in 1926”

Those early Harley’s were bad! No wonder this daring granny couldn’t wait to hop on and go for a ride, even with a dress.

37) “So, my grandpa was apparently a badass”

Yo bear! Step away from the bike or I’ll whack you!

@TOM_CRUISE:

“Back when men were men and the bears knew it. Now, they’d chew your pansy ass as soon as they got a look at that aftermarket “gel” seat.”

38) “My grandparents in 1960, on a date. My favorite picture.”

A bottle of wine, some cool sunglasses, and a lady that knows how to look good taking a drag… They sure don’t make grandparents like they used to!

@afungusamoungus:

“It looks like he’s got her sun glasses and candy cane, and she’s got his cigar and liquor!”

39) “Grandmother died last week, she was a naval nurse. These are some pictures from WWII.”

MEGA respect for ladies like this! But, you have to admit, she was also one smokin’ hot babe.

@blingranger:

“Ted: It’s a history report, not a babe report. Bill: Ted…those are historical babes!”

40) “My great-grandmother in her new car. She was most likely the first Indian woman in the western US to own a car. April 7, 1916.”

She made history and no one even knew it! But man, look at that car too. What a classic-looking combo.

@Zugwat:

“As a little tidbit: She got the car before she got her driver’s licence. She never even considered having a licence until she was about to get fined for not having one.”

41) “Don’t mess with my great grandmother Emma Hagen, woman homesteader in North Dakota. 1910’s”

Your grandmother was the real deal! Remind me to call ahead before I go tromping around on someone’s homestead.

42) “My grandma (top) was a badass in WW2 (1940s)”

Back then, women weren’t allowed to go in combat. But, they had both brawns and brains, and could do the heavy lifting physically and mentally without anyone batting an eye.

@hans:

“Back when Engineering was not considered a “male” job. The same fate that computer science took in the 1970s.”

43) “I would always call my Grandmother on Mother’s day, and have missed that call for a few years now. Thought I would share this in her honor.”

That outfit, those curls in her hair, those feet! Instagram has nothing on oldschool cool photos like this.

@arrestedthought:

“Watching her on her toes gave me a Charlie horse.”

44) “My grandfather after winning 1st place in the county beard contest. The hat was his prize. Circa 1954”

Today’s bearded hipster men have nothing on this guy. It’s a kooky cowboy hat and kind eyes that this guy is rocking that makes you a standout!

@goodtimebutterfly:

“All hats should be obtained this way!”

@Mainehammer207:

“I remember in my day, you weren’t a man until you earned your first hat. I earned my first hat when I was 13, kids these days get a hat for just competing!”

45) “My grandmother with Sultan, her favorite lion from her troop, in front of her plane she flew just after WW2. 1947.

Is there really anything to say after that intro? Woman hangs out with her favorite lion (meaning there’s more than one) in front of the WW2-era plan she just flew. She’s the poster child for adrenaline rushes!

“What? Was she like a lion training fighter pilot commando spy model?”

46) “My grandfather on a motorcycle he stole from a Nazi…”

This guy endured 4 years in concentration camps in both Poland and Germany. After American troops liberated him from Landsberg, Germany in May of 1945, he got his revenge in the best way possible. You go grandpa!

47) “My grandmother looked like Arya Stark in 1936”

Maybe she is Arya Stark. When you’re one of The Faceless Men, a girl looks like no one…and everyone.

48) “My Friend’s Grandparents, California 1940s”

Ooh la la, my heart is racing right now. I feel naughty even looking at this. They’re like cats on a hot tin car hood!

@Bettina Jansen:

“Hearing the soundtrack of Grease in my head.”

49) “Ernest Hemingway and my grandma having a chat in Havana, Cuba 1952”

It’s not everyday you run into Hemingway in Cuba. But sadly, the story behind this photo remained an adventurous mystery.

“…she was always very vague about it, just telling me how interesting he was and how much fun they had. She was filming a documentary on Cuba at the time.”

50) “My stud grandfather circa WWII.”

Want to know what makes this guy a stud? He was a barber for 60 years on top of all the other amazing stuff he did!

“He watched Pearl Harbor happen in Hawaii, joined up and fought on a gunboat at Iwo Jima that was hit by enemy fire. He surfed with legends in Honolulu. He was a barber for 60 years.”