Living near one of the most hipster cities in the United States, we’ve all been subject to the “new” trends of the retro and vintage style. But why are things like typewriters, vinyl records and old cameras making a comeback when our work and play is easily accessible on technological devices?

One of the main reasons the hipster movement is as large as it is, is because people are so nostalgic. Like most new generations, there is a sense of everything in the past being better than the present. Vinyl records from the 1970’s are appealing (besides the actual music) because they give the impression that everyone was free and there was relative peace, even when that wasn’t the case.

Our society is obsessed with Hollywood glamour which has attached this luxe feeling to things like vintage cameras, 1950’s style and even cigarettes. Old glamour is inspiring to forms of art and important to american history but we often glorify it too much.

The most positive reasons we brought back older forms of music and documenting is because of our society’s constant technological advancements. Within a year Apple, Microsoft and various companies make several new products and programs. How can we become attached to anything when our devices are constantly changing?

Not only do the products change but so does their quality. Typewriters were used globally for over 100 years while record player history dates all the way back to Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877. Although these items hold a ton of history they are also durable in design and production, which I doubt we can say about our iPhones and laptops.

As a society, we should move into the future never forgetting our roots. With our constant upgrading, we lose sight of craftsmanship as well as lastingness for our recreational and work surrounded products. There is something special about dropping a needle on vinyl, the click-clack-ding of a typewriter and the snap of the shutter speed on an aged vintage camera that everyone should experience.