I honestly don't understand how you can see ugly people in enough of those photos to consider remarking on it. I mean, some are homely and some are regular looking, but others are quite good looking. I see plenty of ugly young people in photos today.
This isn't a feel good or a "good old days" kind of comment. I honestly see beautiful people in many of those photos.
I had a related thought as the commenter above. I was just struck by how the hardness of those years clearly was visible on most of those folk. It clearly detracted from their physical appearance. Beauty != their value and uniqueness as people.
I totally understand that and I'm not conflating both. I truly mean that many of the people in these photos look good to me. Not "beauty inside", but actual physical beauty.
Obviously not all of them, but enough that a remark about people being uglier back then seems out of place to me.
This isn't a feel good or a "good old days" kind of comment. I honestly see beautiful people in many of those photos.