old•school

vintage photos of the wacky, wonderful, and just plain weird schools of yesteryear.

[herrscribbles]

It may not look like it, but they’re actually running for their lives. 

Connecticut. 1940. 

[herrscribbles]

Ah, the good ol’ days when kids were impressed by a block of ice. 

Washington, DC. 1899. 

[herrscribbles]

Patricia could feel it in her bones. This would be the year she’d finally pass the fifth grade. 

Georgia. 1938. 

[herrscribbles]

Budding nonconformist. 

Ohio. 1941. 

[herrscribbles]

Mere moments before an all-out brawl broke out over the last scoop of gruel. 

New York. c. 1910.

[herrscribbles]

Mr. Harris was deeply impressed by the smooth lines and perfect proportions of Timmy’s Whitesnake logo. 

Massachusetts. 1916. 

[herrscribbles]

Hugging or wrestling? We’ll never know. 

New York. 1942.

[herrscribbles]

Even though Lizzie wanted to sit with Martha and Gwen more than anything in the world, she also wanted them to choke on their sandwiches and die. 

Virginia. 1943. 

[herrscribbles]

The exclusivity of this prep school evidently extended to side dishes. 

Rhode Island. 1933. 

[herrscribbles]

Because it’s very important to be able to brush your teeth and march in formation at the same time.

Fairfield, Alabama. 1919. 

[herrscribbles]

Back when sailor hats were considered protective gear. 

1925.

[herrscribbles]

Sure it was safe—cars could go only 3.5 mph back then, giving even the least athletic of students plenty of time to disperse if one rounded the bend. 

Pitcairn, Pennsylvania. 1919. 

[herrscribbles]

After last week’s unfortunate (and fetid) eyebrow-singeing, Martha was happy to take notes and leave the experimenting to her lab partner. 

Washington, DC. 1899. 

[herrscribbles]

Let’s hope the students who attended this ferry-school weren’t graded on their penmanship. (It’s difficult to write neatly when your fingers are frozen. Plus, you know, waves.)  

New York, New York. 1911. 

[herrscribbles]

While the girls played a sedate game of ring-around-the-rosy, the rambunctious boys practiced their sand people impressions. 

County Monaghan, Ireland. 1910–20. 

[herrscribbles]

There was certainly no daydreaming while staring out the windows at this cheery school. 

Marey, West Virginia. 1921. 

[herrscribbles]

The First Aid Club met in the infirmary every other Monday. Despite the lung-stinging odor of disinfectant, great fun was had by all. 

Keysville, Virginia. 1943.