The history of Tennessee is long and loamy with story, but so is the history of Music City. Nashville, Tennessee has long been lauded for its star-studded Music City moniker as well as its small-town roots. If you’re looking for a bit of a blast-from-the-past, then you simply must check out these old photographs we dug out of the archives. They’ll help add a bit of wit and whimsy to your day, and that’s something everybody needs once in a while. Do you know the stories behind these photos? Leave them in the comments below!

  1. This undated photo was taken when Clark Cable and Carole Lombard visited Music City.

Metro Nashville Archives True Hollywood royalty in the heart of the south. What a dream.

  1. Marian Anderson also visited Nashville in the 1950’s.

Metro Nashville Archives She brought true beauty to the city with her incredible voice.

  1. The East Nashville fire of 1916 was devastating…

Metro Nashville Archives …and completely caught on camera.

  1. Curious what V-J day looked like in Nashville?

Metro Nashville Archives August, 1945 provided quite the reason to celebrate.

  1. Here you can see a protest during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s.

Metro Nashville Archives A heartbreaking, humbling part of southern history.

  1. Curious what a Nashville Soap Box Derby looked like?

Metro Nashville Archives This one was held in 1937.

  1. Sure, it’s not a photograph…

Metro Nashville Archives …but this rendering of Nashville’s Public Square in 1810 is quite fascinating.

  1. Here’s a shot of Church Street in the 1950’s.

Metro Nashville Archives It really hasn’t changed as much as we thought it would!

  1. And Tin Cup Alley, from 1905.

Metro Nashville Archives Insane, isn’t it? The ravages of time.

  1. Here’s a shot of the Tennessee Penitentiary from 1831.

Metro Nashville Archives It looks like something out of a horror film (!!!).

  1. Though undated, this old photo of the Hermitage Hotel is a blast from the past.

Metro Nashville Archives It’s still lauded for its incredible hospitality and gorgeous luxury digs. Not much has changed!

 

Metro Nashville Archives

True Hollywood royalty in the heart of the south. What a dream.

She brought true beauty to the city with her incredible voice.

…and completely caught on camera.

August, 1945 provided quite the reason to celebrate.

A heartbreaking, humbling part of southern history.

This one was held in 1937.

…but this rendering of Nashville’s Public Square in 1810 is quite fascinating.

It really hasn’t changed as much as we thought it would!

Insane, isn’t it? The ravages of time.

It looks like something out of a horror film (!!!).

It’s still lauded for its incredible hospitality and gorgeous luxury digs. Not much has changed!

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Address: Nashville, TN, USA