These fascinating vintage photos will take you back to the old Belfast in the 1950s. It was the time when trams still ran on the streets and roads, and steam trains thundered to Derry, Enniskillen, and Newcastle while the Fintona horse tram was still in operation. Communication has relied on telegrams, letters, and postcards, only a few people had telephones. There were 50,000 horses Ulster farms, and they stayed a substantial part in urban transportation and outnumbered the 54,000 automobiles. Only a few households had televisions and refrigerators.
In the early 20th century, Belfast was known as ‘the greatest shipbuilding center of the world’ and before World War I, more than 25,000 workers worked in the Belfast Shipyards. After World War II, old linen industries, engineering, and shipbuilding declined, and many workers were laid off.
