Old photos, especially portraits, have a distinct look to them; the subjects sitting somberly, usually with a serious expression, and a disposition akin to that of a funeral. There are multiple reasons for this, one being that old cameras took a long time to set up and capture an image, leaving subjects sitting for long periods of time. Too long to strike a pose. Additionally, subjects often mimicked the style of old painted portraits, trying to come off as sophisticated and serious. 

But real people have never been serious, at least not all the time, and the more you look at old photos the more you realize that humans are going to human. From dressing their pets up to laughing with their siblings, old portraits can look like modern candid shots too, and these 21 fun old flicks capture the carefree spirit of the average person. Not every old photo looks like American Gothic.