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With the first photographs being produced over a century ago, the world captured in them looked very different from now. We can feel slightly disconnected from it and imagine we’re looking into a strange reflection of the past instead.
r/OldSchoolCreepy is perhaps a portal into it. People can share their vintage photography on anything from the primitive Halloween costumes of yesteryear, to Victorian-era portraits where something doesn’t feel quite right. Maybe it’s the grainy, black and white prints that provide a certain ghostly quality and make us so uneasy. There's plenty of strange contraptions and gruesome horror imagery too.
Check out Bored Panda’s picks from the page, if you dare...
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#1
Martin Luther King Jr. With His Son, Pulling Up A Burnt Cross From The Front Lawn Of His Atlanta Home, April 1960
With so many photos being shared across the internet every day, it’s easy to take photography for granted and harder to remember just how far the technique has come. Each new smartphone boasts another million pixels and multiple lenses to capture life in stunning detail. Being able to fit all this technology in your pocket makes a stark difference from the clunky contraptions of old.
Not to mention, images are captured almost instantaneously now. Whilst Polaroid cameras first became famous due to their ability to print an image and develop it in under a minute, this is nothing compared to the split second that it takes a microprocessor to do the same digitally.
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#2
If You Ever Wondered How The American Buffalo Could Go From 30,000,000 To 300 In 50 Years, Pictures Like This May Give Some Idea (Buffalo Skulls)
Chich 4 years ago
We also wiped out giant sloths, possibly mastodons and other large mammals when we first came to the americas, really anywhere we've spread to. It is a sad and long tradition.
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Brandy Grote 4 years ago
Wiping out bison was key to eradicating Indians, because we couldn't "afford" to keep the treaties.
Raven Sheridan 4 years ago
They did it in an effort to wipe out the Native American tribes. Humans suck!
Ozacoter 4 years ago
Not necessarily. The main reasons were that bisons interfered with the train construction, they competed with cows and mostly the leather was really liked for its strenght.
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StrawberryParfait 4 years ago
We deserve to go extinct. Mother Nature is doing a great job of ridding herself of our parasitic human species, and I suspect she has a few more tricks up her sleeve.
Ozacoter 4 years ago
Its cruel and i dont want my friends and family to die. But we deserve a much more lethal pandemic.
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Katinka Min 4 years ago
I always laugh when people bemoan the 'good old times'. We've always been sick savages. Occasionally some great and decent people come along, but as a whole we are selfish and destructive scum.
Agnes Jekyll 4 years ago
A similar thing was done in Canada so they could starve indigenous groups into signing away their land so the government could build their railway across the country. They knew they were finite, they just wanted to make them more finite.
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Suzy the observer 4 years ago
Horrible genocide of both these peaceful beasts and by extension, the native population they sustained.
Amanita Muscaria 4 years ago
they look.. proud... of the deed they have done to the world.... how could they?
TimesNewLogan 4 years ago
As I recall, they did this intentionally to starve the tribes that depended on them. Didn't even use the meat: just killed all that they saw, and left them to rot.
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
The white man would shoot buffalo from train windows for sport as they sped past, leaving the dead creatures for carrion.
DDmaybeandor 4 years ago
Looks like the random old guy stacking bones on the prairie in "Lonesome Dove". I didn't know anyone actually did that.
DPNY 53 3 years ago
Back then, they ate whatever to sustain. Endangered species wasn't an issue. Still, so saddening.
DPNY 53 3 years ago
After reading the other posts, I realize how wrong my post is. Sickening!
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Concept-Peter Roosdorp 4 years ago
When I see that and hear the number.. What happened to all the meat? Did people in the west only eat buffalo?
Charlotte Collins 4 years ago
we are the most dispicable species on earth .The way we have let down ALL animals is horrific .I am ashamed to be human !!!
Daniel Nilssen 4 years ago
Is no one going to comment that this photo looks older than 50 years
sharron lynn parsons 4 years ago
The Buffalo, were there for the Indians, for food and all parts, used not wasted, The Government, bullied the people, took their land, and they have struggled, until this day, now, we have lost some, elephants, and other animals, all because of, Asian people who wrongly believe, in health properties, many animals are endangered, due t the Chinese, they need to be stopped, perhaps it's far too late !!!
Vicki Perizzolo 4 years ago
only humans would be proud of the travesty we've wrought upon Nature... we truly are a blight on this planet.
Sandra Nicht 4 years ago
this horrible act was part of the genocide of indigenous peoples on the American continent. once their food was gone they became vulnerable to the diseases of the whites. now we face climate change; the wealthy industrialists resist any attempts to shift away from the rapacious extractive economic model we have and we really MUST (and quickly) move to a more collaborative regenerative model that most indigenous peoples practiced. this shift is being made quietly in some quarters but we must implement it on a worldwide scale within the next few years. we've had DECADES to prepare and it would have been way less painful but those with the most power are the ones with the most attachment to power.
Diana Hockley 4 years ago
How absolutely CRIMINAL. Quite honestly - we humans deserve everything we are going to get from climate change to Covid. Nature is fighting back and who could blame her?
Cydney Golden 4 years ago
They were used for target practice from trains. The indigenous people used every part of the animal with respect. But they had to witness this.
John Otruba 4 years ago
That and Pres. U. S. Grant policy of eradicating indigenous food supply to eradicate the indiginous Americans. Which, of course, made room for the "progress" of white Americans "civilizing the west". I think everyone living west of the Mississippi river should be made to wear respirators to avoid inhaling lead in the ground from this practice
John Otruba 4 years ago
That is AT Least 30,000,000 ounces of lead lying about out there somewhere.
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Ozacoter 4 years ago
They are the same. Bison is the european word for our species while buffalo is the american one. Like Elk and moose.
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jevais 4 years ago
Unfortunately God didn't take a break when he invented humans. We are the monsters and scum of this world. In the past 30 years more animal have disappeared due to human activities than over a period of hundreds of years. If only we would disappear as fast as wildlife, clean oceans, lakes, rivers ect.
Of course, technology is built on the imagination and creativity of previous generations. Without their innovation, we’d never be able to enjoy all the fun that photography brings us today. And whilst the digital format is now most common, we owe everything to analog photography and film.
With only improvements in the lenses, film, and capturing process, the methods behind it remained unchanged for a few generations. It’s what makes the vintage photos of the past look so vivid and real, even if “vintage” has become associated with aesthetic qualities nowadays.
#3
Children After Working In The Mine
#4
Department Store Wax Mannequins Melting During A Heatwave In 1929
Whilst we can make high-quality images at the touch of a button, there’s nothing quite like the intangible quality that analog brings. Maybe digital is just too clean and realistic, and that’s why almost all camera apps will have a number of filters to bring a little character to our shots.
There are even apps dedicated to replicating analog cameras of the past, with Huji Cam being a popular one in recent years. It’s strange to think that even with all the photo capabilities we have, the style of photos from a cheap, disposable camera is still something we lust for.
#5
So My Aunt Casually Tells Me Today That She Once Found A Ton Of Skeletons In Her Garden
#6
A Letter From Schizophrenic Patient Emmy Hauck To Her Husband. It Consists Only Phrase “Herzensschatzi Komm” (Darling Please Come) And “Komm Komm Komm” (Come, Come, Come ) Repeated Over And Over
When photography was first created in the early-19th century, the pioneers behind it could never have imagined that people would want their pictures to look slightly worse. It was difficult enough to even take clear photos in the beginning with cameras requiring to be mounted on a frame and subjects having to remain perfectly still.
The results were far from perfect. Not to mention, the equipment needed to do it was expensive and temperamental to use — best left in the hands of professionals.
#7
A Train Shredded After A Boiler Explosion - There's Something About This Image I Find Weirdly Unsettling
#8
Anti-Electricity Propaganda From 1900
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
The horror! I feel like this kind of nonsense is what I hear about 5G and vaccines today.
#9
Halloween Costumes From The 1930s
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
I'm not sure what country this is in, but the 30's were an impoverished time for most of the world. Seems weird to spend money on making Halloween costumes. Maybe this was for a play?
However, as the technology to capture photos improved and became more readily available, the costs went down accordingly. People could afford to sit for their portrait in front of a camera rather than a painter. This might explain why people posing for their pictures look so stiff and unsmiling in the earliest portrait photography. Although, there’s another reason why this could be, and it’s a bit more horrifying.
#10
Oldest Surviving Diving Suit, 18th Century
#11
Tim Curry On The Set Of 'It' (1990)
#12
A Full-Faced Swimming Mask Designed To Protect Women's Skin From The Sun In The 1920s
In a strange trend throughout the 19th century, people wanted to capture the likeness of their loved ones no matter whether they were alive or not. After all, a photo will remain for long after they do (or rather, did). Known today as post-mortem photography, it was a new take on mourning portraits that were painted of the deceased in pre-photography times. It was also surprisingly popular.
#13
It Drinks
#14
Melted Wax Figures Rescued From The 1925 Fire At Madam Tussaud's London Museum
#15
Washing A Crucifix, 1938
Trying to capture someone’s best side is a challenge for all photographers, especially if your subject is dead. There were a few techniques used to make the deceased look less lifeless. One was making them appear as if they were sleeping, which is a better way to think of someone that has passed. They’d be carefully tucked into bed or laid against the armrest of a chair, as children often fall asleep.
#16
A 16th Century Plague Doctors Mask
#17
A Drunken Man In Top Hat And Tails Clings To A Lamp-Post, London, 1934. Photo By Bill Brandt
#18
Photo Of Two Women With Super Long Hair
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
Long hair, long dresses, long plant, long window shutters -- I'm sensing a theme here.
However, others preferred to see their beloved as they were before and attempted to mask the fact that they were no longer with them. This resulted in macabre photos of the living posing with the dead.
With varying degrees of success, the telltale signs were the lack of life in the eyes (which were jarringly pinned open) and the slouched posture of the subjects (if they weren’t frozen stiff by rigor-mortis). Other bizarre techniques included painting eyes onto the closed lids of the deceased or drawing them onto the film before it was processed.
#19
Linda Blair's Makeup Tests For "The Exorcist" (1973)
Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
They really put her through a lot, almost broke her spine in one of the thrashing around scenes.
#20
Some Paper Mache Heads From The First World War
Whilst the results of these photos are no doubt creepy to us nowadays, they provided a way for people of the time to process the grief of death. They served as a memorial and a reminder of the people that once were, something to be celebrated rather than spoken of in quiet tones. It also highlights how death was considered in the past.
#22
Human Teeth Found In The Wall Of A Building Formerly Used By A Dentist In The Early 1900s
#23
1952 U.S. Advertisement For Van Camp's Pork & Beans
#24
A Woman In The Wild West Wearing A Bonnet And A Mask Designed To Protect Skin From Sun Damage
With the lack of medical knowledge to treat or understand illnesses, death was seen often by people in the 19th century. Diseases such as typhoid affected millions during this time, with even the reigning Queen Victoria’s husband succumbing to it. The monarch vowed to wear black for the rest of her life to mourn her lost partner, setting the mood for the latter part of the century.
#25
Meeting Of The Mickey Mouse Club In The 1930's
#26
17th Century Metal Mask That Was Used To Restrain Individuals Who Were Considered To Be Insane
#27
‘Hells Cafe’ In Paris 1920s
Grief and mourning were met face-on and post-mortem photography was just one part of this process. Even the perception of the term has changed since that era. Nowadays, it might conjure up images of police investigations into suspicious deaths. In movies and television, this is always played to the effect of death being a dark aspect of life and the corpse as something to be afraid of.
#28
Humpty Dumpty 1939
#29
Photograph Of A Victorian Baby Held By Their Mother
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
I love these. It was hard for the baby to sit still long enough for a photo to be captured, so lots of these old baby photos have the mothers or nannies in them pretending to be furniture.
#30
The Original Ronald Mcdonald, 1963
So, whilst our lenses and cameras are the best they’ve ever been, the idea of capturing intimate photos of the deceased is something that’s been left in the past. If it ever makes a reappearance, our attitudes to death will need to change as well. After all, with all this technology available to us, would it be a good way to honor those no longer with us? Who knows, but at least it won’t be as creepy as the black and white photos here.
#31
A Clean-Cut Charles Manson On His Wedding Day In 1955
#32
The Moon From The French 1902 Movie "A Trip To The Moon"
Manndy Fisher 4 years ago
Ahh so that is inspiration for "Tonight, Tonight" video of Smashing Pumpkins!
#33
A Happy Clown From The Early 1900s
#34
Goldilocks And The Three Bears, 1908
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
I take it the costumer had never seen a bear nor any photos of bears.
#35
Freezing Off Freckles Procedure In 1930s
#36
Glurpo, The World's Only Underwater Clown
#37
My Grandfather And His Sister
#38
Found This Weird Photo Online. The Title Said That It's From "Page 896 Of The American Florist, A Weekly Journal For The Trade (1885)". Please Make Special Note Of His Feet
#39
Behind-The-Scenes Of Teletubbies' In The Late-90s
#40
Children Salute The American Flag In Front Of The Morgan Hill School (California), 1930s
#41
Three Girls In Masked Costumes At Halloween Festivities In College Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio In 1929
#42
He's Probably A Good Boy But Sure Looks Odd
#43
1938 - Trays Of Artificial Eyes
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s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
I guess the average age of a BP reader would make the 1990s ' the old days' ...
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago (edited)
When a post is new, sometimes they tweak pictures, captions and post title, and I have seen a couple of times where entries were removed entirely (like here, the display of fake eyes was originally a colour pic). The worst is when they change a pic or title and make your already-posted comment look like you are an absolute drongo who didn't read a dot before commenting, had that happen too lol😅
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𝔓𝔲𝔯𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔓𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔞ℜ𝔞𝔢N 4 years ago
And to think, SOMEDAY (sooner than later) 'we' will find OUR photos being considered "creepy" and "outdated."
Guy MacGregor 4 years ago
None of this explain the thread plot "Why the past is creepy". Sill don't know why.
Rice and beans 🤠 4 years ago
When I went on holiday I found an abandoned hotel, it was called mas de canicatti
Nikole 4 years ago
Or don't click on something that has "creepy" in the title if you're going to be a big baby about it.
Load More Replies... s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
I guess the average age of a BP reader would make the 1990s ' the old days' ...
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago (edited)
When a post is new, sometimes they tweak pictures, captions and post title, and I have seen a couple of times where entries were removed entirely (like here, the display of fake eyes was originally a colour pic). The worst is when they change a pic or title and make your already-posted comment look like you are an absolute drongo who didn't read a dot before commenting, had that happen too lol😅
Load More Replies... 𝔓𝔲𝔯𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔓𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔞ℜ𝔞𝔢N 4 years ago
And to think, SOMEDAY (sooner than later) 'we' will find OUR photos being considered "creepy" and "outdated."
Guy MacGregor 4 years ago
None of this explain the thread plot "Why the past is creepy". Sill don't know why.
Rice and beans 🤠 4 years ago
When I went on holiday I found an abandoned hotel, it was called mas de canicatti
Nikole 4 years ago
Or don't click on something that has "creepy" in the title if you're going to be a big baby about it.
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