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Photography was still in its infancy during the 1800s, but what the early pioneers captured with their bulky cameras and glass plates was nothing short of revolutionary. These 36 photographs aren't just pretty pictures, but rather windows into moments that shaped our world. From the first images to tackle life's deepest themes to portraits of legends like Lincoln and Sitting Bull, these pictures prove that sometimes a single photograph really can be worth a thousand words. You'll see natural wonders documented for the first time, artistic breakthroughs that changed how we think about photography, and faces of people who made history. These images remind us why they say the camera never lies.
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#1
Photograph Of French Actress Sarah Bernhardt
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#2
Portrait Of A Young Woman, Ethiopia, 1885-1888
Edward Loopyderm 3 months ago
She looks like she could be an ancestor of my wife's family. We'll never know.
#3
Sleeping, Homeless Children, 1890s
#4
James Mye, Mashpee Wampanoag, 1860
#5
Emil Racovitza As A Diver At The Banyuls-Sur-Mer Oceanographic Observatory. The Upside-Down Sign The Man Is Holding Says "Underwater Photography.", 1899
Unlike the effortless snaps of today, 19th-century photography was an arduous, chemical-laced process. Each image was a deliberate act, requiring subjects to hold still for long exposures, forever freezing a calculated moment in silver and light. This technical limitation is what gives many of these portraits their solemn, penetrating quality.
#6
Charging Thunder, A Sioux Indian From Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1900
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 months ago
Again, Buffalo Bill treated these people like zoo animals. He was a horrible person.
#7
Fading Away, "Farewell To The Dying", Considered The First Photograph To Deal With The Theme Of Passing, 1858
#8
Close No. 193 High Street, Scotland, 1868
#9
Photo Of Lower Yellowstone Falls, Taken During The Hayden Expedition To Yellowstone, 1871
As the century progressed, the camera became an essential tool for documenting America's westward expansion. These images captured the collision of worlds with vast, untamed landscapes being seen by settlers for the first time, the faces of indigenous peoples confronting immense change, and the monumental engineering feats that would connect a continent.
#10
Street Musicians, 1898-99
#11
Boulevard Du Temple, Paris, 3rd Arrondissement, Daguerreotype. Made In 1838 By Inventor Louis Daguerre, This Is Believed To Be The Earliest Photograph Showing A Living Person, Circa 1838
#12
Sitting Bull And Buffalo Bill, 1895
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 3 months ago
Kind of a s****y way for a proud Native American to spend his twilight years. Buffalo Bill was not a good person and he treated many of his performers like they were property to be displayed to the public for money.
#13
Frederick Douglass Portrait, Circa 1860s
Lady Eowyn 3 months ago
Douglass, at an older age, is shown on a US postage stamp. A fascinating, important man.
#14
Brig Upon The Water, 1856
From its very inception, photography sparked a debate: was it a tool for pure documentation or a new medium for artistic expression? The pioneers of the craft explored both paths, creating scientifically precise records alongside carefully composed scenes that rivaled the emotional depth of classical painting.
#15
Ancient Ruins In The Canon De Chelle, 1873
#16
The Maharani Of Nepal And Her Followers, 1885-1894
#17
Robert Howlett, Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before The Launching Chains Of The Great Eastern, 1875
#18
Woman Seen From The Back, Circa 1862
#19
Abraham Lincoln, Candidate For U.S. President, Three-Quarter Length Portrait, Before Delivering His Cooper Union Address In New York City, 1860
Stephanie Did It 3 months ago
He didn't grow a beard until a little girl wrote and suggested it.
#20
"Call, I Follow, I Follow, Let Me Die", Model Is Mary Ann Hillier, Circa 1867
#21
John Mayall, Sergeant Dawson And His Daughter, 1855
The Industrial Revolution dramatically reshaped the urban landscape, bringing both unprecedented progress and immense social challenges. Early documentary photographers did not shy away from this reality, turning their lenses on the crowded streets, the aftermath of disaster, and the stark living conditions of the working poor.
#22
Eruption Of The Geyser Old Faithful In Yellowstone Valley, 1870 Or 1871
#23
Bandits Roost, 59 And A Half Mulberry Street, 1888
#24
Fox Talbot, The Haystack, 1844
#25
Blacksmith Forging A Horshoe, C. 1859-1860
#26
Pierrot Laughing, 1855
sofacushionfort 3 months ago
Jean-Gaspard Deburau. A little boy recognized him out of costume on the street in 1836. Annoyed, Deburau struck him with his cane, killing him.
For the first time in human history, people could see faithful depictions of faraway lands and wonders without ever leaving their homes. Photography collapsed distances, bringing the majesty of a Yellowstone geyser or the face of a person from another continent into the parlors of Europe and America, forever changing our perception of the world.
#27
Schneider, 1863
#28
Great Chicago Fire, Men Stand Amid The Rubble At Lasalle Street And Washington, 1871
#29
A Native Hut, Circa 1890
Stephanie Did It 3 months ago
What native? Native of where? I see locals at home visited by a foreigner.
#30
East And West Shaking Hands At The Laying Of Last Rail Union Pacific Railroad, 1869
Robin Roper 3 months ago
The vast majority of the workers were Chinese but were excluded from the photo. An example of how history isn presented differently than it actually happened.
#31
Boston, As The Eagle And The Wild Goose See It, 1860
In an era before home movies or video calls, a photographic portrait was a rare and precious thing, a permanent record of a person's existence. Staring into the eyes of these 19th-century subjects, we are not just seeing a likeness, but connecting with the solemnity and character of individuals who lived through a transformative age.
#33
Portrait Of Sir John Herschel, 1867
Forrest Hobbs 3 months ago
Born in 1792 - son of the noted astronomer William Herschel and nephew of the slightly overlooked astronomer Caroline Herschel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Herschel
#35
Kitchen Of The 8th Hussar Unit, Russia, 1855
#36
Portrait Of Sir Pratab Singh With His Entourage, India, 1882
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bElLa sTairZz 3 months ago
so many american ones, i like the ones from the rest of the world much more
bElLa sTairZz 3 months ago
so many american ones, i like the ones from the rest of the world much more
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