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Article created by: Viktorija Strelciunaite

While we tend to think of history as these big picture moments, time passed “back then” as it does now, minute by minute, day by day. The figures we learn about in school also had private lives, quiet moments, hobbies and free time. Ever since the invention of the camera, people have been able to document these moments, big and small, for posterity.

We’ve gathered some cool and possibly unseen photos from the past that help show fascinating scenes from history. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section down below.

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#1

Inventor Nikola Tesla In His Laboratory In Colorado Springs, 1899

Historic photo showing a man sitting near early electrical experiment generating large visible sparks indoors.

Dickenson V. Alley Report

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    #2

    Publicity Photo Of Audrey Hepburn, Doing Ballet, 1956

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a smiling woman in a black outfit stretching at a ballet barre.

    wikimedia commons Report

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    #3

    Miss Eastine Cowner, A Former Waitress, Is Helping In Her Job As A Scaler To Construct The Liberty Ship SS George Washington Carver, 1943

    Black woman worker welding metal with attached tool during World War II in a lesser-known historical photo showing industrial labor.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #4

    Very Large Elephant Seal Named Goliath At The Vincennes Zoo, Paris, With Zoo Staff Member, 1936

    Lesser-known historical photo of a man in uniform interacting with a large sea lion in an indoor enclosure.

    wikimedia Report

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    #5

    Police Dog, Tess, 1935

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a dog ringing a telephone bell outdoors in an early 1900s setting.

    State Library of NSW Report

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    #6

    Peking Mission School Children At Play, The Dragon's Head, China, 1902

    Group of children playing in a rustic setting captured in a lesser-known historical photo adding depth to history.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #7

    Marilyn Monroe Learns How To Use An Oxygen Mask Aboard An Air Force Jet To Korea Where She Entertained The Troops, U.S. Air Force Photo, 1954

    Marilyn Monroe and US military woman examining an object in a lesser-known historical photo adding depth to history.

    US Air Force Report

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    #8

    Albert Einstein Plays The Violin, 1927

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a man playing a violin while reading sheet music on a stand.

    Wanda von Debschitz-Kunowski Report

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    #9

    Sir Winston Churchill With His Son Randolf And The Latter's Son Winston In Coronation Robes, 1953

    Black and white historical photo showing three men in elaborate ceremonial attire, highlighting lesser-known historical moments.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #10

    Messerschmitt Kabinenroller Cars, With An Advertisement For The Film A Prize Of Gold Starring Richard Widmark, 1955

    Row of five lesser-known historical microcars parked on wet pavement in a rural setting with bare trees in background.

    IISG Report

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    #11

    Ned Parfett, Paperboy, Outside The White Star Line Offices In London, 1912

    Boy selling newspapers with Titanic disaster headline, surrounded by men in early 20th-century attire in this lesser-known historical photo.

    wikimedia Report

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    #12

    Mrs. Coolidge & White House Pet Raccoon Rebecca, 1927

    Smiling woman holding a raccoon surrounded by children in a crowd, a lesser-known historical photo in black and white.

    Library of Congress National Photo Company Collection Report

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    #13

    The Family Bicycle Included A Sewing Machine, Invented In 1939

    Lesser-known historical photo of a multi-person bicycle with a vintage sewing machine on an urban street.

    Janiththa Report

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    #14

    President Roosevelt In His Wheelchair On The Porch At Top Cottage In Hyde Park, NY, With Ruthie Bie And Fala, 1941

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a man in a wheelchair with a dog and a young girl on a porch.

    FDR Presidential Library & Museum Report

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    #15

    Dog Show, 1920

    Boy in vintage sailor outfit standing with large dog in lesser-known historical photo adding depth to history.

    Library of Congress National Photo Company Collection Report

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    #16

    On The Merry-Go-Round At Deepwater Races - Deepwater, NSW C. 1910

    Two women in vintage dresses and hats riding a historic carousel horse in a lesser-known historical photo.

    State Library of New South Wales Report

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    #17

    Women's Bicycle Race In Caubourg, 1894

    Group of women in vintage dresses with bicycles surrounded by a crowd in a lesser-known historical photo from early 1900s.

    wikimedia Report

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    #18

    Icarus, Empire State Building, 1930

    Young worker balancing on a cable high above a city skyline in a lesser-known historical photo showing daring construction work.

    Lewis Hine Report

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    #19

    The Standard Vanguard Phase 1 Was The First Completely New British Car Design To Emerge After World War II, 1947

    Vintage black and white historical photo of a woman entering a classic car, showcasing lesser-known historical moments.

    John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Report

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    #20

    Marilyn Monroe Visits American GIs In Korea, 1954

    Lesser-known historical photo of soldiers with a woman riding in a military jeep near an American flag in a camp setting.

    Alfred Zirkel, an American w:G.I. Report

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    #21

    Publicity Photo Of Lucille Ball, As Superman, 1957

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a woman in a superhero costume with birds on her helmet and shoulder.

    CBS Television Report

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    #22

    Telephone Operators, 1929

    Women operating a vintage telephone switchboard wearing headsets in a lesser-known historical photo from early communication technology.

    H. Graumann and I. Piedade Po Report

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    #23

    President Richard Nixon Plays The Piano At The Truman Library, 1969

    Richard Nixon playing piano in a black and white lesser-known historical photo with people watching and an American flag nearby

    The Nixon library Report

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    #24

    Lighthouse Keeper Cleaning Lens At The Pensacola Lighthouse, Ca. 1960

    Sailor in vintage uniform cleaning large glass lighthouse lens in a lesser-known historical photo.

    State Library and Archives of Florida Report

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    #25

    Napoleon Sarony, Hoop Skirt, 1893

    Two lesser-known historical photos of women in vintage dresses demonstrating early fashion innovations with structured skirts.

    Napoleon Sarony Report

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    #26

    Dog Albina - Participant In Experiments On Launching Space Rockets Into Near-Earth Space, Moscow, 1957

    Historic photo of a dog in an early space helmet suit highlighting lesser-known historical photos from the past.

    Photo by S. Guraria Report

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    #27

    Elevator Girl, Martha Washington Hotel, 1917

    Woman in early 20th-century uniform standing by ornate elevator door in lesser-known historical photo adding depth.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #28

    Rare Snow In New Orleans, 1958

    Group of women examining an object with a magnifying glass in a lesser-known historical photo during snowy weather.

    Jambalaya (Tulane University yearbook) Report

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    #29

    Telephone Switchboard Operators, Ca. 1922

    Operator in a vintage telephone switchboard room managing cables and connections in a lesser-known historical photo.

    Webster & Stevens Report

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    #30

    A Giant Sequoia Log, Undated - Generals Highway, Three Rivers, Tulare County, Ca

    Three people standing by a massive tree cross-section with a large saw in a lesser-known historical photo.

    Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. Report

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    #31

    Newly Installed "Boat Motor" Styled Coca-Cola Soda Dispenser Just After The Dispenser's Installation At Fleeman's Pharmacy, Atlanta, Georgia, Circa 1948

    Two young men at a soda fountain counter operating a vintage Coca-Cola dispenser in a lesser-known historical photo.

    Jack Fleeman / c/o collection of Richard Warren Lipack Report

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    #32

    Mule Carrying Wheels, Trails And Axeltree Of 75 Mm Mountain Artillery, Elswick Works, Newcastle Upon Tyne

    World War I soldier with a mule carrying artillery equipment in a lesser-known historical photo.

    North East Museums Report

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    #33

    Beauty Salon, 1958

    Lesser-known historical photo of a nurse performing a facial treatment with vintage medical equipment in a clinical setting.

    U. A. Saarinen Report

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    #34

    Workman On The Framework Of The Empire State Building, Ca. 1941 - Ca. 1942

    Construction worker high above New York City skyline in a lesser-known historical photo showing early skyscraper development.

    Lewis Hine Report

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    #35

    African Amercian Newspaper Boy, 1921

    Young newsboy in vintage clothing holding a newspaper in a lesser-known historical photo adding depth to history.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #36

    15 Month-Old Paulina Longworth With Her Mother, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Visiting Circus Grounds, 1926

    Two men in uniform stand near elephants while a woman in vintage clothing pushes a baby in an old-fashioned carriage in a tent.

    Library of Congress Report

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    #37

    The Parrita Milkman Travels On Horseback With His Milk Cans Strapped To The Saddle, Between Circa 1940 And Circa 1943

    Lesser-known historical photo of a woman and man preparing a horse with milk containers in a rustic setting.

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Library Report

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    #38

    George The Humanoid Robot From The 1930s Was Constructed By Motor Engineer Alan Herbert Reffell And Captain W. H. Richards, 1930

    Man in suit drinking coffee with a metallic robot at a cafe table in a lesser-known historical photo revealing unexpected history.

    Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-09312 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Report

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    #39

    Photo Portrait Of A Clown From The Barnum & Bailey Circus With A Fly Resting On His Nose, 1949

    Black and white photo of a sad clown with a painted face and an ant on his nose, a lesser-known historical photo.

    Touring Club Italiano Report

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    #40

    "The Teaser", Coney Island In Luna Park, 1911

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of people walking near an old amusement park carousel and vintage rides.

    The Library of Congress Report

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    #41

    Western College Sewing Class, 1918

    Group of women sewing under the supervision of a nurse in a lesser-known historical photo showing early 20th century work.

    Miami U. Libraries - Digital Collections Report

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    #42

    Duke Of Gloucester With Prince Richard Of Gloucester In Australia, 1945

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a man in military uniform holding a smiling baby on a couch.

    Max Dupain Report

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    #43

    Civil Servant With Punch Cards And An International (IBM 401) Calculator, Preparing For The Upcoming House Of Representatives Elections, Amsterdam, 1948

    Man operating an early computing machine, showcasing lesser-known historical technology in a vintage office setting.

    IISG Report

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    #44

    The U.S. Navy Airship USS Akron (Zrs-4) Flying Over The Southern End Of Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, Circa 1931-1933

    A lesser-known historical photo of a zeppelin flying over a city skyline, adding depth to early aviation history.

    U.S. Navy Report

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    #45

    Air Hostess And Passengers At An Aircraft At Visby Airport, 1925

    Lesser-known historical photo showing a flight attendant greeting passengers boarding a British Air Lines plane.

    Swedish National Heritage Board Report

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    #46

    Vice-President Nixon Spars With Premier Khrushchev Before Reporters And Onlookers, Including Politburo Member Leonid Brezhnev At The American National Exhibition At Sokolniki Park, In Moscow, 1959

    Lesser-known historical photo showing a group of men observing a washing machine demonstration in a vintage kitchen.

    Archives.gov Report

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    #47

    President Richard Nixon Playing Piano At Blair House, Washington, D.c., 1971

    Black and white lesser-known historical photo of a jazz band performing with piano, drums, and saxophone at a nighttime event.




    Nixon White House Photographs Report

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