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55 Remarkable Pieces Of History That Feel Like Opening A Window Into The Past
Interview With Expert
As a self-proclaimed history nerd, I find the subject incredibly fascinating. We keep making “new” discoveries about things that our ancestors did ages ago. Yet, we can never figure out all of history. It’s probably this element of mystery and intrigue that keeps making us want to know more about the past.
And what better way than looking at historic photos and artifacts? That’s what this article is all about. The “All That History” community on Facebook collects photos of hidden stories and mysteries from the past. We have compiled the most fascinating ones below, and many will have you digging up stories related to them. Just scroll down to check them out!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
A 2,000 Year Old Roman Perfume Bottle
RELATED:
#2
A Rescue “Animal Ambulance” From The 1940s
#3
A Young Boy Playing The Banjo With His Dog, 1920
#4
Hoppers On Stilts In Faversham, England 1920
Hippopotamuses 7 hours ago
You'd need extraordinary balance to do this, especially with the rutted ground.
#5
This Kid's Name Is Farrokh Bulsara, Also Known As Freddie Mercury. 1950s
#6
Built Over 500 Years Ago, The “Bridge Of Immortals” In Huangshan, China, Is The Highest Bridge In The World
Janissary35680 3 hours ago
Not 500 years old according to TripAdvisor: "Buxian Bridge is a narrow stone pedestrian bridge in the West Sea (Xihai) Grand Canyon of Huangshan Scenic Resort, Huangshan District, Anhui, China, often called the Fairy Walking Bridge or Bridge of the Immortals. Built in the late 1980s, the small arched span links two granite cliffs and frames dramatic views down into the canyon and across Huangshan's jagged peaks and pine-covered ridges. Accessed on foot via the Xihai hiking routes, it is commonly seen as a highlight along longer walks that include Tianhai and the Baiyun area."
#7
A Ghostly Yet Mesmerizing Image From 1900
#8
A Photo Of An Engineer Wiring An Early Ibm Computer, 1958 By Berenice Abbott
#9
Bronze Phrygian Helmet, Greek, Late Classical To Early Hellenistic, C. 350-300
#10
Child's Ankle Support (Orthopedic Shoe), Italy, 1501-1600
#11
A Girl With Artificial Legs In 1890
#12
Roman Crocodile-Skin Armour; This Astonishing Helmet And Cuirass Was Likely Worn By A Distinguished Soldier During Parades And Cult Processions In Roman Egypt
#13
Gauntlet Of “Lion” Armor Of Henry II, King Of France, 1550
#14
Cello And Violin Carved By Domenico Galli, Parma, 1649–1697. Estensi Galleries In Modena
Hippopotamuses 7 hours ago
I'm no musician, but I'm guessing that neither plays as well the plain versions.
#16
The Suit’s Name Was ‘Iron Man’ Too. It Had Electric Charging And Pressure Protection Systems. New York, 1907
#17
In August 1888, Bertha Benz Took The World's First Long-Distance Trip In An Automobible. She Rode The Benz-Patent Motorwagen That Was Invented By Her Husband, Karl Benz
Did I say that out loud? 5 hours ago
If I remember the story correctly, even Karl wasn't really convinced it was viable for long distances,Bertha believed in it though. He went to visit some friends, by horse and carriage, some distance away. She decided to prove to him it was viable for long distance travel by driving his car to him. Despite a couple of breakdowns on the way, which she sorted with whatever she had to hand, she made the trip.
#18
Marriage Portrait, Mongolia, 1920’s
#19
Samurai Octopus Helmet, 1700s, Japan
#20
A Golden Roman Helmet, Circa 4th Century Ce
#21
1,500-Year-Old Ceramic Maya Figurine With Removable Helmet. Guatemala
Colin Roach 5 hours ago
Of course the first question a Warhammer player would ask is "how many points is it worth: :)
#22
Roast Corn Man, Manhattan, 1938
#23
At Hattusa Near Boğazkale (Çorum, Central Türkiye), Researchers Have Identified A Newly Recovered Akkadian Cuneiform Clay Piece As A Fragment Of The Kadesh Peace Treaty
The 13th-century BCE agreement between Hittite king Hattusili III and Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.
The tablet was found near Building E in the Büyükkale citadel area. Only one face survives; the text is fragmentary, and a full scholarly transcription has not yet been released. Türkiyes Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the identification in late September 2026. Current excavations at the site are directed by Prof. Dr. Andreas Schachner.
Janissary35680 2 hours ago
Multiple contemporary copies of this treaty were made at the time; this is from one of them. The complete text is known even though the original treaty (inscribed on silver tablets in two copies) is lost. Details @Wikipedia: Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty
#25
Magnificent Hand-Made Door Lock Crafted By Frank Koralewski In 1911, Using Gold, Silver And Bronze
Hippopotamuses 7 hours ago
Made more secure because you need the instruction manual to use it.
#26
A 2,300 Year Old Mummified Cow From Ancient Egypt. Chosen From The Heard, The Best Cattle Were Given Up As A Sacrifice To The Bull God Apis - The God Of Fertility And Primordial Power
Janissary35680 3 hours ago
"The Best Cattle Were Given Up As A Sacrifice To The Bull God Apis" and eaten by the priests of Apis, who thank you very much on behalf of the Bull God Apis, who said it was delicious.
#27
Gold Locket With The Hair Of Queen Marie Antoinette
Hippopotamuses 7 hours ago
Given what happened to her, the locks would have been easy to get. But the courage to collect and preserve them in revolutionary France. Well that's a different story.
#29
The Armor Of Karl X Gustav Of Sweden, 1660
#31
Hindenburg Disaster, May 6, 1937
Rali Meyer 3 hours ago
The accident caused 35 fatalities (13 passengers and 22 crewmen) among the 97 people on board. Meaning, there were survivors!
#32
A Victorian Home Being Moved By A Boat In Tiburon, California In 1957. In Many Cases, They Even Used Teams Of Horses To Move Entire Houses To New Locations
Hippopotamuses 7 hours ago
I would have expected that by 1957, they'd be using machines to transport houses on land.
#33
The Aftermath Of The 1949 Blizzard Of The Century In Nebraska
Did I say that out loud? 5 hours ago
"Yeah, those idiots have put the telegraph pole too deep again. "
#34
About 500 Bipyramidal Iron Bars — Roughly A Metric Ton — Turned Up In A Danube Gravel Pit At Deinham Near Hartkirchen, Upper Austria
They’re La Tène semi-finished iron, recovered in 2019. The leading read is transport loss from a river craft; ritual deposition isn’t ruled out, and no wreck was found. A Bavaria / Manching origin is plausible but unproven.
Sword- or nail-count comparisons are only a scale check — not evidence of an army. Keep “largest…yet published” and absolute-year claims soft and sourced.
#36
Pair Of Gauntlets Of Maximilian I, CA. 1490. Attributed To Lorenz Helmschmid
#37
Multi-Tool With 14 Functions - Nuremberg, Germany, Year 1560 Medium: Iron, Partially Blackened The Box, Decorated With The Shape Of The Fortuna, With Sliders And An Intermediate Floor, Contains Fourteen Anchored Little Tools.the Universal Instrument Is, In Its Kind, A Forerunner Of Today's Popular Pocket Knife
#39
In March 1888, A Massive Blizzard Hit The East Coast Of The United States, Stretching From Chesapeake Bay To Canada. The Photograph Shows An Unidentified Young Man Standing In A Shoveled Area On Madison Avenue And 40th Street In New York City
#40
World Trade Center Under Construction (1970)
#41
The Statue Of Abraham Lincoln Inside Washington's Lincoln Memorial Under Construction In 1920. Originally Meant To Be 10 Feet Tall, It Was Increased To 19 Feet When It Became Clear The Smaller Size Would Be Overwhelmed By The Huge Chamber
#42
The Hearse Carrying The Body Of Elvis Presley Along Elvis Presley Boulevard On The Way To Forest Hills Cemetery In Memphis, August 19th 1977
#44
A Record-Breaking 384-Pound Black Sea Bass Was Caught Off Catalina Island, California, On August 17, 1900, By Franklin Schenck Of Brooklyn Using Rod And Reel. The Catch Became One Of The Largest Documented Sea Bass Ever Recorded
#46
The 1930's Version Of A Gps: This Auto Scrolling Map Was Supposed To Help People With Directions In Real Time
#47
Napoleon’s Toothbrush, C 1795
#48
Hand Crushing Machine Used By The Catholic Church In The 15th Century To Punish Those With “Greedy Hands"
#49
465-450 B.c., A Bronze Mirror Discovered In An Etruscan Tomb. The Nelson-Atkins Museum Of Art Has The Mirror On Exhibit. Before The Romans, The Etruscans Were One Of The Most Powerful Civilizations In Ancient Italy
#50
Men Stand In A 45 Ton Steel Pipe Over The Hoover Dam, 1935
#51
A Construction Worker Making Preparations For The Removal Of The Original Statue Of Liberty Torch In 1985. The Old Torch Went On A Tour Of The Us Before It Was Moved To The Statue Of Liberty Museum. Photo By Keith Meyers
#52
A Colossal Marble Foot Wearing A Sandal — Greek, 1st Century Bc To 1st Century Ad. Housed At Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK
#53
Seahorse, Made In Germany, C.1590-1600. Medium: Silver Gilt, Turban Shell (Turbo Marmoratus)
#54
At The Battle Of Thermopylae In 480 Bc, A Collection Of Ancient Greek Armour Was Displayed With Persian Arrowheads Fired
David Paterson 6 hours ago
The scale doesn't look right. Those shields were small, weren't they?
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