Rare Remastered Footage From The 1920s Shows New Jersey In A Completely Different Way

New Jersey has a rich and fascinating history that’s always fun (or at least interesting) to look back at. Today, we’re looking back an entire century. See the 1920s in New Jersey like never before, beautifully remastered in color. The seven-minute clip appears to contain footage from around the state, while focusing on cityscapes.

Take note of the fashion (so many hats), architecture (many of the buildings still exist today), and transportation. We’ve got busses, streetcars, trolleys, automobiles, and a few horse-drawn carriages. Streets are wide and people seem to cross without fear or regard for their lives. You’ll notice several horns beeping but it makes sense – there were not yet traffic lights. Visit a golf course, church, park, and plenty more on this journey to 1920! If you can identify any points of interest, let us know!

Just as a point of reference, and for some background info, the 1920s were a time of prosperity for many New Jerseyans. Cities were thriving at the time and we had several – Newark, Camden, and Jersey City, for example. The Holland Tunnel and Benjamin Franklin bridge were both completed during this decade, making transportation to New York and Philadelphia much more accessible. Women also became more liberated, though most were not flappers.

They were granted the right to vote, though property-owning women in New Jersey could vote between 1776-1807. That right was taken away, along with the right of African Americans to vote in the state, to favor the Democratic-Republican Party in the 1808 election. (Women and African Americans were more likely to vote for Federalist candidates.) The 1920s also saw women enjoying more leisure time due to the invention of washing machines, sewing machines, and other time-saving appliances.

Last, but not least, the 1920s were a time of Prohibition (alcohol was banned). According to NJ.Gov, New Jersey was the last state to ratify Prohibition (in 1922), while being one of the first to ratify its repeal in 1933. Check out a few stills from the video below and then give the video (uploaded by YouTube user NASS) a watch!