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What They Saw, What They Knew: 50 Breathtaking Historical Images From Eyes Long Closed
Interview With Expert
Nowadays, people take photos of anything and everything. Selfies, their food, pets, travel, random objects, and nothing in particular. The invention of the digital camera and mobile photography has made it uber easy to snap away somewhat nonchalantly at times. Our phone galleries and hard drives are filled to the brim with photographs. Sometimes four or five of the same thing.
But it wasn’t always like that. Back in the day, people didn’t have the luxury of whipping out their devices or a digital camera to capture a memory. They were a lot more intentional about what they used their rolls of film for, and how they executed the shots. There’s something precious about holding an actual physical photograph. Like a book, it has a feel, a smell, and certain characteristics that can only be picked up through time. It can almost transport you right back to the past as you hold a tangible piece of history in your hands. Even digital versions of old photos have the ability to stir up nostalgia.
If you're a sucker for rare and interesting historical photos, you're in for a treat. Bored Panda has put together a beautiful compilation of moments frozen in time, that we collected from the Old Historical Pictures Facebook group and the Historical Pictures IG page. They have a combined following of over 360,000 people, so they must be doing something right! Keep scrolling for a cozy trip down memory lane and don't forget to upvote your favorites. Don't miss the super interesting chat we had with Denise Levenick. She's the founder of The Family Curator and spoke to us about preserving and digitizing old photographs and heirlooms.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Two Apsaroke Native Americans On Horseback Outside Of A Tipi In A Snow-Covered Forest In Montana In 1908
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
They actually were easy to heat, there's a small fire inside and the smoke goes out the smoke hole on top (you can see the soot discoloration), there's a flap that can be opened or closed which acts a bit like a damper. So, a bit smoky, but nice and toasty warm.
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RELATED:
#2
‘Mother And Children’ Spain (1920s). Photo By Antoni Arissa
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago (edited)
Photographer Antoni Arissa, taken in Catalonia prior to the civil war. His work is incredible.
Pittsburgh rare 9 months ago
I have a poster from one exhibition of his work at home. I've always loved Arissa.
Load More Replies... cerinamroth 9 months ago
What a privilege to witness such a tender moment in this happy family. I hope this woman's love echoed down the generations, creating other happy families.
Erik Hoffman 8 months ago
What an incredible picture...from subject matter thru perspective and everything in between. I want a print if this
#3
Vespa Family, 1950s
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Hang on a bit - that's a UK numberplate. Off on holiday, I reckon. Never mind how they got the dog to stay on - how did they get that contraption up hills with that much load on it? Vespas have many fine qualities, but... 🤣
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
My 9yo brother got on his older brother's Vespa and took it 2 towns over. Parents got a call from the cops to come and pick him up.
If anyone knows about handling and working with old photographs, it's Denise Levenick. She's a writer and researcher working with family photos, papers, and memorabilia. Levenick is also the founder of The Family Curator. We're thrilled when she agrees to share some of her knowledge with Bored Panda during a super interesting interview.
"I began writing about family archiving on my blog, which led to magazine writing and eventually authoring two books on preserving and digitizing family heirlooms, How to Archive Family Keepsakes, and How to Archive Family Photos," Levenick tells us.
"I've also taught courses on family archiving and digitizing at national genealogy institutes and presented lectures, seminars, and webinars worldwide. Currently, I am working on a personal family history focused on the life of my maternal grandmother."
#4
Barcelona (1955) Photo By Ramón Masats
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
That's me hiding under the bra table at Filene's Basement as the women scramble and fight for their sizes.
#5
Rescuing A Horse That Fell In The Canal, Amsterdam, 1929
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
They seem to have a piece of equipment specifically designed to lift a horse up like this. If I'm right, horses falling in the canals must have been more common than you'd like. Perhaps the large crowd is because this horse survived? 😬
Greg Hedley 9 months ago
Canal horses pulled barges up against the current. When they came to tunnels, men and women pulled the barge through using vertically oriented stone steps for their feet and ropes and harnesses for their shoulders
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LauraDragonWench 9 months ago
The horse looking around like, "Dang, this is the third time I've fallen in a week - how embarrassing!"
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
Bless their hearts! That must have been terrifying for the poor horse.
David 9 months ago
Must not be a lot going on in that area of town. 10 people rescuing the horse. 100 people watching them do it. I mean, it's mildly interesting but I get the impression there were not a lot of other things competing for people's attention.
Lorraine R 9 months ago
The crowd is nearly all men and boys. I guess the women had better things to do than just stand around and watch.
Load More Replies... SolitaryIntrovert 9 months ago
I wonder if the blinders on the Horse were one reason it fell in the canal.
#6
Trollhättan, Sweden In The Early 1900s
Auntriarch 9 months ago
The fact that they are *both* playing silly buggers in a photo gives me the warm fuzzies
LauraDragonWench 9 months ago
Old photos give the impression of our ancestors being sullen and unhappy because of how long they'd have to hold their poses - exposure taking several seconds to a minute or so - so it's wonderful to see photos of people showing off silly behavior like this. ♥️
Verena 9 months ago
Trollhättan, where the wonderful Saab cars were made. The factory buildings still exist, the timf lapse from a busy, proud of their products factory to today is sad
Andy Frobig 9 months ago
We're these Ingmar Bergman's parents, and was his whole career compensation for their embarrassing high jinks?
Levenick tells us her passion for old photos, heirlooms and keepsakes was sparked as a child, and runs deep. "I was captivated by family history as a young girl when my grandmother shared old news clippings and photographs about her early life," she revealed.
"She worked as a Harvey House waitress with the railroads and as a hotel maid to support her young daughter. After her death, I inherited a trunk filled with her letters and photos. Everything inside told a story about her life and family."
#7
View Of The Pyramids, Eclipse Of The Sun Of August 30, 1905. By Gabriel Lekegian
Peter Bear 9 months ago
To Americans, 120 years is old. To Europeans, 120 miles is a long distance.
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Larry Kearney 9 months ago
Imagine a time before tour buses, thousands of tourists, and vendors hounding you to take a camel ride or to buy "ancient" artifacts.
#8
The Passing Of The Train, Nailsworth, At Dudbridge On 23rd August 1965
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
It's possible that was one of the last trains to run on that line. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts#The_closures
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 9 months ago
I was just about to say, I expect this was shortly before Beeching swung his axe.
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Cee Cee 9 months ago
My friend used to live in the station building in the '80s. Nailsworth is in the Cotswolds and the area is really beautiful.
J Adams 9 months ago
Home of the worlds first and only fully carbon neutral and vegan professional football club
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Lorraine Tilston-Brookes 9 months ago
wish we could go back and not ruin the world by so called modenisation
#9
The Future Queen Elizabeth II Being Carried Up The Steps Of Balmoral Castle In 1927
ABC NrTen FCK CENSORISM 9 months ago
Why? Seems to have had a good life, don't you think?
Load More Replies...Of course, we had to ask Levenick about the best way to store old, precious photos. "All photos should be stored in a clean and dry location, with moderate temperature and humidity. The best place is usually inside your home, away from light and heat," she revealed, adding that a closet shelf or metal filing cabinet are good locations.
"Keep old photos inside an acid-free box or file folders, stored on their edge so the photos don’t rub against each other," cautions the expert. "Plastic boxes are not always photo safe and can trap mildew causing moisture."
#10
Lincoln Cathedral: From The Castle 1898. By Frederick H. Evans
UKDeek 9 months ago
It is an amazing building. The Bishop of Lincoln was one of the signatories of the Magna Carta, a copy of which resides in Lincoln Castle where this photo was taken from (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Cathedral). Also, what isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia article, is that Lincoln Cathedral is the home to one of England's tournai marble fonts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tournai_font)...
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Andrew Vince 9 months ago
I had the opportunity years ago (1970's) to go up into the cathedral roof, accessed by narrow low steps designed for people evidently smaller than us. Inside the roof were huge spare oak beams which were over 100 years old, ready to be used in need.
Socks Thecate 9 months ago
I went on a school trip to Lincoln when I was 11. Some years later I drew Lincoln Cathedral from a photo I'd taken. There are still some medieval wall battlements left, the castle. It's a great city to visit.
3muddypaws 9 months ago
For about 200 years it had a spire on the central tower which made it the tallest known structure at the time (taller than the Egyptian pyramids). But the wooden frame rotted and it collapsed during a storm in 1549.
Paulsible deniability 9 months ago
Imagine if the money to build that had been used to help feed, clothe and house those in need. You know, do what Jesus taught.
MP Deco 9 months ago
i agree wholeheartedly but, in those days the local church was a comfort to many folks.
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Mother & Child, And It’s A Typical Day, San Francisco 1952. By Dorothea Lange
Kelly H. Wilder 9 months ago
Dorothea Lange is one of my favorite photographers. Her work has a certain rawness, for lack of a better adjective, that simply draws one in and compels one to think.
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
I think she perfected a style that has the immediacy and intimacy of a snapshot along with the artistry of a storyteller.
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Nosirrow 9 months ago
It screams the lack of love and attention seeking. Or maybe I'm biased bc I can't stand neglecting children.
Glen Ellyn 9 months ago
Or maybe "little man" just doesn't want to walk next to mom?? We know how toddlers can be.
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Carianne Sanders 9 months ago
My grandmother had shoes like those and I wore them to my highschool graduation ('79)
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
I agree with you in principal, but there's no way to know what's actually going on here. The boy may have been having a tantrum and the mother is using some distance to let him get over it, she's definitely got her eye on him.
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Sally Moen 9 months ago
I love the cursive writing font of that store's sign in the background.
#12
A Wooden Roller Coaster In Edinburgh Scotland In 1900
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
This is probably the Royal Scenic Railway at the Marine Gardens in Edinburgh. The park opened in 1909, and the coaster wasn't built until sometime after that. The clothing suggests 1915-ish. The first Scenic Railway was built at Coney Island, NY in 1884 and in a few short years, many hundreds of these were built worldwide, nearly every large city in the US had one at some point. Scenic Railways and Side Friction coasters did not have a mechanism to keep the train on the tracks (modern coasters have upstop wheels), so corners were taken at very staid speeds.
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
The "underfriction" roller design to stop the cars coming off the track was patented in 1919. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underfriction
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Multa Nocte 9 months ago
I rode on a wooden roller coaster when I was young. It's frightening to look back on.
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
We still have one in Tivoli in Copenhagen. World's oldest amusement park, look it up :)
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Riley Quinn 9 months ago
I love roller coasters. If I had the money and better health, I'd travel the world to ride them. But there's something about a wooden coaster that the modern ones don't have. They shake, rattle, and roll putting a different level of thrill into the riders.
Lorraine R 9 months ago
Um, don't you mean "a different level of terror"?
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2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
From the ones that are still running today, speeds on the straightaways are 30-40mph. Those ladies really knew how to use pins to keep their hats in place!
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Just because you have a ton of old photos, doesn't mean you need to keep them all. Sometimes, it's okay to let go of a few. "Some people are eager to clear the 'clutter' and are tempted to throw away old family keepsakes. But old photos are a window to our ancestors' lives, and documents like letters and diaries can put flesh on the bones of family stories," says Levenick.
"Photos and photo albums are the number one heirloom that people do want to save. Keep the photos of family, friends, homes, autos, pets, events. Sort vacation photos and save the people pictures; toss the repetitive landscapes," advises the expert. "It's good to keep images that show progress as a kind of 'Then and Now' reference, but you probably don't need to save dozens of cactus images. If you are short on space, scan photos and pass on the originals to a cousin."
#13
Battery Powered Scooter From 1918
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Some of the comments on the original post suggest that those scooters are actually petrol powered. I would have guessed the same. The thing just above the front wheel looks like the energy store to me, and it looks to me more like a fuel tank than a battery. Perhaps I'm wrong.
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
You are correct. The roundish thing to the right (in the photo) of the front wheel houses the crankshaft and clutch, the thing on top of that is the cylinder. Above the wheel is a small fuel tank.
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LauraDragonWench 9 months ago
I still say we need to bring back hats and gloves for both men and women - look at how snazzy these two look on their scooters! 😁
Peter Bear 9 months ago
Save for the chonkier motor and that it's front-wheel drive, this looks not unlike the very scooter I take to work every day!
Pink kitty 9 months ago
They had e scooters for hire in my city up until a few months ago but a minority used them inappropriatly (too fast on footpaths etc) so they were removed 😔
shg stewart 8 months ago
There were electric cars before there were gasoline-powered cars. If arsonists hadn't burnt Edison's Detroit Electric factory in the 19-teens, we'd probably have very advanced EVs today.
Load More Replies... #14
Winter Landscape From Herstedvester'. Peder Mørk Mønsted. 1923
Lady Beluga 9 months ago
It must be a painting, but I am still looking for a spot that gives it away as such...
Lorraine Tilston-Brookes 9 months ago
what a beautiful view, I bet it was lovely living there, but hard works keeping the road clear
#15
The Ss Princess May Was A Steamship Built In 1888. The Ship Is Best Known For Grounding In 1910, Which Left The Ship Sticking Completely Out Of The Water. This Is One Of The Most Famous Shipwreck Photographs
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
When the captain heard someone mention "jump ship" he completely misunderstood the term.
Jeff Hunt 9 months ago
Them Duke boys realized that the a future at sea was not going to work out.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 9 months ago
Global warming will be along in a few dozen decades to help them out.
geezeronthehill 9 months ago
The tide in that part of the Canadian Pacific coast ran about sixteen feet between high and low. There was water around her when she went aground.
Andy Frobig 9 months ago
From that day on, the phrase "hold my beer" was forbidden on the bridge
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of old photographs, they may reveal more than we realize. "Family history mysteries have been solved by studying old photos. Fashion, hairstyles, studio props, jewelry, and backgrounds all hold clues to when the photo was taken and the identity of the subjects," says Levenick.
"An old photo of a family in front of their home might show a street address number that can help identify the time period of the family’s residence," she adds. "Use family photos to show relative ages of the children, or to note when spouses enter or leave the family group."
#16
Budapest (1914). Photo By André Kertész
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
I was really hard trying to find out, where exactly in Budapest was this photo taken, but even with 500% zoom, I couldn't get the square name right. What is sure, it was in the 1st district, on the Buda site of the city.
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
It is always wonderful to me when someone here on BP has a connection to one of these photos.
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Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Bocskay-tér, Budapest - found it! https://www.moma.org/collection/works/84018. Photo by André Kertész, 1914.
#17
An Unidentified Woman Taking A Selfie, Circa 1900
Ell Bee 9 months ago
Looking at the shelves, it seems she was a prolific photographer. Whenever I see old photos of unidentified people, I feel a bit sad for the families that lost out on keeping them.
Lyone Fein 9 months ago
The great thing about photos is that they can be reproduced! It is highly possible that there are multiple copies.
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#18
Wentworth Street In London's Eastend In 1908
Ece Cenker 9 months ago
Can't tell if this is the same direction, but gives an idea. wentworth-...a6ac72.jpg 
Glen Ellyn 9 months ago
But only empty pockets, so they'll need to find a new line of "work."
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Timothy Patel 9 months ago
This from Victorianweb.org The most notorious slum areas were situated in East London, which was often called "darkest London,"
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Debbie Cline (Grammit) 9 months ago
I ❤️ how they have the lighting above the the length of the market place. Thank you for sharing 😘
Levenick says it’s important to preserve family heirlooms with the story of the keepsake. Without a story, it’s just "stuff," she says. "Your son may not recognize your grandmother's wedding ring when he sees it in your jewelry box; it’s up to you to share the story."
"As the world becomes more and more digital, artifacts such as handwritten letters, printed photographs, and greeting cards are becoming rarer," cautions the expert archivist. "Something as small as a simple handwritten thank-you note is evidence of penmanship and thoughtfulness."
#19
Barber And Beauty Shop, Bedrock City, Rts. 64 And 180, Valle, Arizona, 1987
Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 9 months ago
They just tore the whole village apart last summer, I'm afraid
StretcherBearer 9 months ago
Bummer. I love the kitschy roadside attractions in America. Kinda fits the mood as so much seems to be dismantling.
Load More Replies... StretcherBearer 9 months ago
I have been there many times. My aunt broke a toe on the Brontosaurus slide when I was a kid. Still have some nice pictures of my grandparents in the Fred and Wilma head hole prop thing.
CatD 9 months ago
What a thing to remember. Makes it sound like your aunt is REALLY old.😂
Load More Replies... Cathy Carey 9 months ago
OMG, there is actually a Bedrock City?! It certainly looks the part, lol, I still Love "The Flintstones". Seriously, I still watch.
Bob Gorski 9 months ago
And still there. Go to shutterstock and enter 'bedrock cit, arizonia' This building and more still here
Brian Droste 9 months ago
Is that where Fred gets his haircut done and Wilma gets her done up?
#20
“Mother's Touch” Kentucky (1960). Photo By Warren Brunner
Andie Day 9 months ago
Dee Rutherford--looks like a Sansevieria or snake plant in the lard bucket. Maybe a geranium on the right, and on the left in the dishpan, maybe hens and chicks (or some sort of succulent)with coleus next to it. Looks like she might have put her houseplants out for the summer, as I do. I'm just guessing on the plants, they're common ones and easy growers--just a houseplant lover here.
Travis Vaughan 9 months ago
People were in shape then, no need to call someone a bucket Of lard, tubby.
Spencers slave no more 9 months ago
There's only 4 and as one of four myself, born in the 60s, that's a pretty average family.
Load More Replies... #21
'Roman Bridge,' Mosul, Iraq (1930s) Photo By Aurel Stein
T'Mar of Vulcan 9 months ago
It's underground... if there's soil blocking the Gate, a wormhole can't be established!
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Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago (edited)
This is actually near the village of Eskil Mosul, about 40km NW of the city of Mosul. More information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eski_Mosul (including the photo above). I've not figured out from on-line searching if the bridge is Roman or mediaeval. https://vici.org/image.php?id=11620
Bailey 9 months ago
The arch is the strongest part of the structure, which is why it lasts so long. On top would have been the roadway and slopes to ground level, which likely have fallen away over time
Load More Replies... Levenick is all about the genuine old-school... Memory keeps our ancestors with us and their stories make us stronger, she says. "Instead of purchasing new décor with a vintage vibe, use the real thing!" the expert tells us.
We ask her for some creative examples of how to use old photos and heirlooms, instead of just throwing them into a box. "Digitize old photos and have the images enlarged and printed on canvas-wrap wall art or pillows for your sofa," suggests Levenick. "Group a collection of inherited cameras as interesting objects for your shelves. Join the movement to 'Bring Back the Brooch' and share your grandmother's vintage jewelry with younger family members who might want to hear more about the original owner."
#22
53rd Street And 7th Avenue, Manhattan, 1957
#23
Piccadilly Circus, London, 1954. By Cecil Beaton
eMpTy 9 months ago
After the Great Smog of 1952, which contributed to the deaths of thousands, the City of London Corporation, in 1954, became the first governing authority to become a Smokeless Zone, banning the production of smoke anywhere in the City.
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#24
The Sagrada Família, Barcelona, In 1905
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
Now it's in the middle/ish of the actual city of Barcelona, surrounded by blocks of flats, and a lot of crowd. Last year I was in Barcelona for a 10 days vacation. I was skipping it ... anyway I'm not a fan of church-buildings, and sure won't wait for hours and pay to enter one. Barcelona is much more, like the Sagrada.
aubergine10003 9 months ago
You missed out. If you buy a ticket in advance, you don't have to wait on a huge line. It's absolutely breathtaking (and I am NOT religious)
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Nimitz 9 months ago
Yup! Why help the poor for 150 years when you can waste money on a big ugly building while support tourism and pricing locals out of their homes for generations?
Lyone Fein 9 months ago
When you support the local economy, you are in fact helping the local poor people too.
Load More Replies... ABC NrTen FCK CENSORISM 9 months ago (edited)
I think it has never been without scaffolding. /edit: "However, in the case of La Sagrada Família, the scaffold has been permanent since the very day when the construction started in 1882.", as per https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/spain/barcelona/sagrada-familia/incredible-facts/
Load More Replies...Before we let her go, we're curious to know about Levenick's personal old treasures. "One of my favorite heirlooms is a vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machine owned by my Aunt Frances," she tells us. "She kept the little machine in like-new condition and left it for me with a sweet note from one quilter to another! I feel as though we're sewing together whenever I use her machine."
#25
Ice Skating At Night In Vienna, 1910. By Emil Mayer
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
Definitely ice skating, but not at night. Film at that time would not have allowed clear shots of moving objects in low-light conditions. Also, if it were a night shot the streetlights would be the brightest point in the shot.
Pieter LeGrande 9 months ago
Definitely not at night. To get a still photo with no blur you'd have to have used a flash; in which case the foreground would be real bright and the background dim or dark.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 9 months ago (edited)
Well it is Vienna 💃(sorry that's a flamenco emoji not a waltz but it's the only dance one)
Load More Replies... Debbie Cline (Grammit) 9 months ago
On the bottom left side. There's two young gentlemen. I can't tell if they are running 🤔 into each, or away from each other.
#26
View From Notre Dame, Paris, 1955. By Ernst Haas
#27
Angie Means Stands On A Giant Amazonian Water Lily Pad, Victoria Regia, In The Victoria Room At Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory And Botanical Gardens In 1898
Richard Graham 9 months ago
The Phipps Conservatory is still in operation in Pittsburgh. Open to the public, it is just fabulous !
Richard Graham 9 months ago
https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/blog/insiders-guide-phipps-conservatory/
Load More Replies... Ece Cenker 9 months ago
The flowers still seem to be there, although I doubt one could stand on one today: Pittsburg-51.jpg 
geezeronthehill 9 months ago
Wonder if that was a "hold my beer" moment, or if they had permission.
#28
Tower Bridge Under Construction London 1889
Spocks's Mom 9 months ago
Me too. I think that about most things built before 1972, though.
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#29
Shakespeare's Birthplace Before Restoration Photographed In 1850
StrangeOne 9 months ago
Shakespeare was born 1564, so this photo was taken about 286 years later, but this building wasn't built that year he was born. I'm going to estimate it's about 300 years or older at the time of this picture.
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Auntriarch 9 months ago
Oh don't, we've got scaffolding outside our house at this very moment because there was a hole in the guttering, when we got on the ladder to replace the gutter, there were loose roof tiles in it, when we checked where the tiles had detached from the roofing felt was crumbling, long story short, a £100 job is now a £5k job... And just don't ask about the dormer.
#30
'father And Son' Italy (1962). Photo By Elio Ciol
Kabuki Kitsune 9 months ago
https://www.carters.com/b/oshkosh/c/overalls?cm_mmc=sem.okbg.us.purchase.okbg-ppc-us-brand-product.21270724308...google..oshkosh+overalls&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAlbW-BhCMARIsADnwasrgBouGXaU_zuSOpMXbQeI0u0tKt5LrtQcjp4ivPdRe4XEe1I_05F4aAqfKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Yep. Kiddo's wearing overalls.
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#31
Selling Chocolates And Sweets On The Street Kensington London ,1930
BrunoVI 9 months ago (edited)
Naw, she's actually working for a living. :-D
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#32
A Large Crowd Watches The First Balloon Rise In A Balloon Race In Berlin Germany In 1908
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
These are gas balloons - more practical than hot air balloons back in those days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_balloon
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
Thank you! I was trying to figure out how they kept the air hot enough to create lift.
Load More Replies... Cathy Carey 9 months ago
This reminds me of that one year: Cook Park had their annual hot air balloon festival and the winds were so right that all of the balloons drifted right past our back door. Phenomenal and beautiful, will never forget that morning nor will my two children.
#33
Relaxing By A Pool In California, 1940. By J. Baylor Roberts
Bi.Felicia 9 months ago
This photo was taken for National Geographic and this is the pool at The Palm Springs Tennis Club.
Karen Bryan 9 months ago
Note: No smog! This is before the huge influx during and after the war. My family was part of it.
#34
17 Year Old Pele In Sweden Before The World Cup In 1958
WindySwede 9 months ago
And the R makes it a car from 'Skaraborg' county.
Load More Replies... Erik 9 months ago
That's in Gothenburg, and that street doesn't exist anymore. It was demolished in 1972 and replaced by an office building. https://gamlagoteborg.se/2017/03/08/arkaden/
Ece Cenker 9 months ago
ooh, thanx for adding this info. I tried to look for it, but, yeah...
Load More Replies... #35
Lecco, Italy (1968). Photo By Paolo Monti
#36
Glasgow, Scotland (1980). Photo By Raymond Depardon
Spencers slave no more 9 months ago
A lot of shops across the UK didn't open on Sundays in 1980 and some areas still had half day closing one day during the week too.
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StPaul9 9 months ago
I say Gorbals. Seen enough Rebus to assume that. Kid got an earful from Malcolm Tucker!
Annika Kremer 9 months ago
He certainly looks cold with his hands in his pockets like that. I wonder where his parents are.
Load More Replies... #37
Getting Some Ice Cream, Times Square, New York City, 1982
Ece Cenker 9 months ago (edited)
Standing where the cart was, looking into the street behind. Hotel Lenox was right about where the GAP store ends. ice-cream-...fa808a.jpg 
#38
Lunchtime, Paris, 1920s
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
Correct, it's all about naked lunch these days
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CatD 9 months ago (edited)
No, hers had a really wide brim so he couldn't kiss her.😂
Load More Replies... #39
25.8 Inches Of Snow This Is A View Looking Down From 121st Street On Eighth Avenue On The Day After The Big Snowfall Of 1947
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
You can't tell by this photo, but on Christmas Eve 1947, a storm unexpectedly began dropping 3" of snow per hour for 15 hours with an accumulation of 25-26" total.
Gunný Petersen 9 months ago
This is hardly snow from where I'm from which is of course Iceland 😅
Norm Gilmore 9 months ago
From Instagram-Here is a shot of a scene typical of most New York's streets during the blizzard, looking North on Eight Avenue from 121st Street, Manhattan, New York City, December 26, 1947.
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#40
A Sunday Morning In North Aurora, Il Kodachrome Slide Taken By Clifford R. Illyes. 1951
StrangeOne 9 months ago
XD I can't help but compare this scene to what we see today when we see groups of people sitting around each other looking at their phones. Same situation. Different medium.
Mike F 9 months ago
I'm guessing that is a Sunday photo. Sunday papers used to be a ritual, dad read his section(s), mom read hers. The comics, of course, were passed to the kids to giggle over. In our house my mom and I used to descend on the crossword puzzles. Good times.
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K Madden 9 months ago
Me too! This is me on a nice summer Sunday in 2025. I miss lazy Sunday mornings with the Rocky.
Load More Replies... Glen Ellyn 9 months ago
Check out the child and that Taylor stroller! I thought those were very cool - probably expensive, though. Taylor-195...f34842.jpg 
Andy Frobig 9 months ago
Kodachrome was a great film! Never very fast, always a pain to get processed, but insanely sharp and vivid and fade-proof
joseph legatt 9 months ago
I really miss getting ink on my fingers from my morning paper. Reading the news on a computer isn't the same although it does give the opportunity to visit multiple news sites.
ThatCrazyChick 9 months ago
I love how they all have different parts of the same newspaper. :)
#41
San Francisco, Chinatown ,early 1950s
Kris 9 months ago
No, No it didnt lol Chaomian was introduced from China into the United States by Chinese immigrants who came from the Guangdong provinces.
Load More Replies... David 9 months ago
I have memories of going to San Francisco's China town in the mid 60s with my parents. Notable memories were the rice candy where you can eat the inner wrapper, finger cuffs, and getting a long (about 18") bamboo cigarette holder with brass fittings on each end (about 25 cents). Obviously I didn't get cigarettes, Just had fun pretending, thinking I was cool. It also kind of doubled as a "magic wand" for some little kid magic tricks I had.
Sally Moen 9 months ago
You can still get that rice paper candy, it's still made in Japan, still gives a sticker as a prize in every box!
Load More Replies... #42
Dublin, C1896. Photo By John J Clarke
Gossameringue 9 months ago (edited)
This is the Hamilton Long pharmacy on Grafton Street from Joyce's "Ulysses". https://www.joyceproject.com/notes/050001hamiltonlongs.htm
#43
Sweden (1966) Photo By Sune Jonsson
Data1001 9 months ago
What's with all the "Windy" comments in this article? And why so many upvotes? Am I missing something?
Auntriarch 9 months ago
The name of the Panda in question is WindySwede, so everyone is ribbing him about the Swedish photos
Load More Replies... #44
From The Back Window, New York, 1915 - By Alfred Stieglitz
Lee Gilliland 9 months ago
Those buildings in the background can also be seen at a different angle at https://www.history101.nyc/skyline-from-manhattan-bridge-1915
#45
The Wooden Sibley Breaker, Pennsylvania, Built In 1886 And Destroyed By Fire In 1906
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
This is a coal breaker, used to break large chunks which were then sorted by size. The thought of a fire inside a massive building full of coal dust is absolutely terrifying.
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago (edited)
It seems that was basically a huge shed over a coal mine shaft. The height was used for breaking coal with a long drop. Coal dust, coal fired steam winding engines, and a wooden structure? "Destroyed by fire" seems impossible to avoid. https://www.timesleader.com/archive/1209215/history-of-the-sibley-breaker and https://www.designer-daily.com/massive-wood-structures-of-americas-early-20th-century-109961
Lara Verne 9 months ago
What an unusual building. If it survived, it would make a good tourist attraction.
Larry Kearney 9 months ago
If only there were other building materials available that aren't so susceptible to fire!
CatD 9 months ago
If the coal dust caught, it wouldn't matter what it was made of.
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#46
Passengers On A NYC Municipal Ferry.. (Staten Island) In 1895 ( Library Of Congress)
Paulsible deniability 9 months ago
Those kids not socializing and just staring at their smartphones!
#47
Roof, "Latin Quarter" Paris, 1926. By André Kertész
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
That little terrace is SO charming. They will need the outside space, basically living in a tin shed with no protection from the sun.
#48
Canoeists In A Boat Cave, Wisconsin Dells, C. 1890-95. Photo By Henry Hamilton Bennett
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Yes, of course they're dressed smartly for the city in hats and ties. Of course they are. 🙃
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
These are working fellows, although it seems strange to us today, almost everyone wore a jacket and tie. These men are wearing rough wool coats (like a modern jacket) and the hats are a relaxed style also. The one in the back may be wearing a sweater vest over his shirt where the one in the front has a white cotton shirt and probably a knitted wool tie.
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BrunoVI 9 months ago (edited)
I saw the Wisconsin Dells in Reader's Digest Natural Wonders of the World, a book I had gotten as a kid. When passing through Wisconsin, I had to visit. There is still a gorgeous, natural park, as shown, but I was wholly unprepared for the fact that the surrounding area is like Orlando of the North. And it turns out that the title, "Cheese Capital of the World" isn't because of Wisconsin's dairy industry. Cheesiest place I'd ever been. But a fun kind of cheese.
Dee Rutherford 9 months ago (edited)
Can’t anyone just enjoy the picture without picking it apart??
Pamela Hutchison 9 months ago
I wonder if the person who took the picture was with these two men but got out and walked through the water to take the picture? There seems to be plenty of room in the middle of the boat for a third man .. because if not, where did the photographer and the photographers boat go? I'm guessing it was a very shallow area or else they had at least one pair of tall waterproof rubber boots that were used by the photographer and that he was part of this group of men.
Graceann Macleod 9 months ago
He might be standing on a spit of rock just this side of the arch that is framing them. H.H. Bennett knew the Dells extremely well and used it like a portrait photographer used drop-down painted backdrops. If you ever get to the Dells, be sure to visit the Museum devoted to his work. Most of the tourists rush past it on the way to Ripley’s which is a shame.
Load More Replies... #49
Budapest, 1963 - From The Budapest Municipal Photography Company Archive
Peter Bear 9 months ago
...wait a minute, is that why we call the lil' mushroom monsters in Mario 'Goombas'?!
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#50
Amsterdam, 1901. By Bern Eilers
Bartlet for world domination 9 months ago
That's the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, which at the time was only 14 years old.
#51
School Class, Paris 1956. By Robert Doisneau
#52
Public Telephone, Paris 1982. By Gilles Caron
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
I have seen movies starting like this ... They were never a Hallmark production.
#53
London Cafes In The 1980s
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Yes, dat's sun - we have it for a few days each summer here in the UK. 😁 (I thought it might be a Datsun Sunny, but the filler flap seems to be in the wrong place. See various photos here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Sunny#Datsun_210_(1979))
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Gossameringue 9 months ago
Here's the cafe whence this picture came: https://flashbak.com/22-more-london-cafes-in-the-1980s-458333/ivy-cafe-lewisham-1990-90c4-02-73/
UKGrandad 9 months ago
It's a second generation (mark 2) UK spec Datsun Cherry.
Load More Replies... #54
Travelling In Style C 1910
#55
Riding The Broughton Lumber Company Flume Boat In Washington State - 1930s
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
Nor me - but hey, it didn't fall down yesterday, why would it fall down today? 😁😱
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#56
Detroit, 1960. By Balthazar Korab
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
With the very appropriate "Winter Wonderland" plate!
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#57
The Tour Saint-Jacques. Paris, 1890
#58
San Francisco. Steep Hill, North Beach 1952
Carl Roberts 9 months ago
The Peter Macchiarini Steps on Kearny Street, at Broadway Street. And, here's how they look today... Screenshot...80-png.jpg 
#59
The Allier Road, 1929. By Roger Schall
#60
‘A Man Leaning Over The Edge To Look Over In To The Crater Of Aso San Mountain’ Kyushu, Japan (C.1906) Photo By Herbert Ponting
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
The fellow with him is mentally adjusting the size of the tip that he was given and then will act accordingly.
Hiram's Friend 9 months ago
They average about 11 deaths a year in the Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA, for the Euros).
#61
Taking The Tube In 1970s London - Via Peter Barron
Auntriarch 9 months ago
I had that coat. And that haircut. And those glasses. Actually it looks a lot like me, but she's not crocheting so no.
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Kabuki Kitsune 9 months ago
Not pictured is the guy behind the photographer that keeps asking for a light.
Don't listen to me 9 months ago (edited)
What a quiet day! Going to work on the tube in the 1970s was a lot busier than that!
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
I don't want, I really don't want. But I can't help, that are coming images in my mind abour New York metro from the same period. And how unsafe they are looking.
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
The Tube in London was generally pretty safe in those days. I certainly travelled around London on it as an unaccompanied child without having or seeing any sort of trouble - although there were pickpockets. There was risk, though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Cross_fire
Load More Replies... #62
Santa Claus With Christmas Toys On A Sled Drawn By Turkeys, 1909
Glen Ellyn 9 months ago
Turkeys got a Thanksgiving Day reprieve, but Christmas is coming and there may not be another one. 😉
#63
Paris - 1875
Auntriarch 9 months ago (edited)
And just for a few seconds too long I was thinking, but they didn't have public telephones then... Feel free to bless my innocent little socks
#64
Sardinia, Italy (1956). Photo By Jean Dieuzaide
#65
Bridger Teton National Forest (Wyoming) Circa Early 1950
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
My mother climbed the Grand Teton in the 1970s. She was a wild woman.
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
OMG, you are right! https://wyofile.com/doge-cuts-will-hobble-outdoor-recreation-in-wyoming-advocates-say/ "Trail projects around the state have kept Wyoming Pathways busy in recent years. Fueled both by the growing popularity of outdoor recreation and by statewide interest in nurturing the industry, the nonprofit group has worked with local and federal partners to develop trails from Togwotee Pass near Dubois to Pole Mountain near Laramie and Commissary Ridge near Kemmerer. Wyoming Pathways Executive Director Mike Kusiek expects that pace to slow if not halt due to the Trump administration’s recent cuts that resulted in untold job losses in federal offices managing Wyoming’s national forests, parks and other public lands. Federal spending freezes will also surely damper the work, he said."
Load More Replies... #66
Woodward Coal Breakers, Kingston, Pennsylvania, 1895
Kabuki Kitsune 9 months ago
I've seen this photo a couple times before, especially on a website called Shorpy.
#67
Jerusalem During A Snowstorm, 1915. By Eric Matson
Multa Nocte 9 months ago (edited)
I never think of Jerusalem as having snow. Unless this is Jerusalem, Michigan in the States.
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
This is Jerusalem in Palestine "the Via Dolorosa in the old city of Jerusalem during a snowstorm" (Palestine, not Israel, since this is 1915). The full collection of the Matson's photos is here: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/matpc/about.html. https://picryl.com/media/the-via-dolorosa-in-old-city-of-jerusalem-during-a-snowstorm-courtesy-of-american-b9c00d
Load More Replies... #68
Passengers Watching Coin-Operated TVs In The LA Greyhound Terminal In 1969
Petra Peitsch 9 months ago
The same today, just you don't have comfy armchairs, and you pay for your own streaming-service watching on your device.
#69
Snowy Pier. Venice, 1920s
Thorsten Massow 9 months ago (edited)
Not towards the Piazza San Marco, it's photographed along the Riva degli Schiavoni. Left is the Pallazzo Ducale, on the right edge would be the water.
Load More Replies... #70
A Photo From A Family Vacation In Gatlinburg, Tennessee In 1977. Taken On Parkway, The Main Street Through Town
Kelly H. Wilder 9 months ago
Fabulously beautiful still today. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is a wonderful vacation spot for families. The glory of the Smoky Mountains, the simplicity of Appalachia, and don't forget Dollywood!
#71
Street In Salzburg, Austria, Shops To Left, Building With Arched Doorway At End Of Street, Man And Dog To Left, Blurred Figure In Arched Doorway), C. 1890 - C. 1915
The Darkest Timeline 9 months ago
Dead and buried for around 100 years at that point
Load More Replies... #72
Railroad Overpass At The Bingham Mine, USA, 1914 - Denver Public Library
Panda Cat 5 months ago
So much more terrifying than the flume above this.
Load More Replies... Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
I think you can still ride this as a trourist attraction. Don't quote me on that.
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
But would you want to? That gives me the major heebie-jeebies.
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#74
Hollywood Blvd In 1961
#76
Pioneer's Cabin, 1865–66, Printed Ca. 1876. By Carleton E. Watkins
#77
Broadway And Fifth Avenue, 1950s. By Rudy Burckhardt
Richard Graham 9 months ago
That is the famous "The Flatiron Building" (originally the Fuller Building), a 22-story, 285-foot-tall (86.9 m) steel-framed triangular building at 175 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick P. Dinkelberg, and sometimes called, in its early days, "Burnham's Folly", it was opened in 1902.[
#78
Cars On Cannon Beach On The Oregon Coast, 1960's. By Ray Atkeson
Richard Graham 9 months ago
(Front to back) 1958 Plymouth Belvedere, 1953 Pontiac, 1955 Dodge, 1954 (?) Plymouth, 1952 Ford.
Dina 9 months ago
This looks like Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. It's been about 5 years since I was last there, but the shore line is a lot smaller then this photo portrays. Definitely a lot more beach in this photo. It's also monstrous up close. Oregon shores are beautiful and their PCH is stunning compared to Washington and California. It's natural with very few structures unlike California where everyone built right of the coastline.
#79
A Woman Stands At A Weathered Wooden Well, Nestled Amidst The Rugged Beauty Of The Appalachian Mountains In The Early 1930s
#80
New York, 1938 . By Helen Levitt
#81
Fishing Boat “New England” Covered In Ice, British Columbia, 1916
Pieter LeGrande 9 months ago
They should be chipping off the ice or that boat is going to get top-heavy real soon and turn turtle.
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
Looks like Captain Jack Sparrow's boat when they went to the world's end.
Kyle Shade 9 months ago (edited)
They ought to rename this place "Wackyville" Ooh, because it's wacky!
#82
Miners Using An “Aerial Tram” To Descend Into The Kimberly Diamond Mine In South Africa, Ca. 1885
Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
"Blood diamond" refers to diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to support an insurgency. These miners were just being brutally exploited in horrendously unsafe conditions on terrible pay. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago
There's no redundancy, but those are almost certainly steel cables. And you can tell it's not suicidally dangerous because at the back, there are two white men. Who, me, alluding to racism in colonial South Africa? 😳
Load More Replies... #83
University Of Illinois Frat Boys In The Comfort Of Their Apartment Circa 1910
#84
Alabama, 1940s. Photo By John Vachon
Dina 9 months ago
I'm sorry, but anything from that era in that part of the country upsets me. So much prejudice and injustice.
Kabuki Kitsune 9 months ago
Don't limit your disgust or upset to just the South. Segregation was, after all, a nation wide thing. Keep in mind, the Pentagon, located in the nation's capitol, was built with twice as many restrooms as it needed, to keep in line with segregation. Segregation was EVERYWHERE, not just in the South. So, as we often say here "Make sure your own house is in order before you start talking about others'."
Load More Replies... #85
Four Stunning Views Of London, All Photographed In The Summer Of 1857. The Construction Of Parliament; A View Down The Thames; The Bustle Of Piccadilly And Carriages In Trafalgar Square
Multa Nocte 9 months ago
I checked the others and they definitely put up the best of the 4 photos.
#86
Hyatt Regency San Francisco, San Francisco, California - Built In 1973. Photo By John Portman Archive
2WheelTravlr 9 months ago
looks like someone had the blueprints turned the wrong way and they built it on its side.
#87
Chilles 17-Pdr Tank Destroyer Uses A Building For Cover Near Goch, Germany - 20 February 1945
Auntriarch 9 months ago
If there had been more than one, BP would have headed the photo Two Chilles
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 9 months ago (edited)
Achilles 17-pdr tank destroyer - yes, British. "17 pounder, Self-Propelled, Achilles". A US M10 tank destroyer with the original (US) M7 gun replaced with the (British) Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder. Both 3 in/76.2mmm but the British gun was much more powerful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17pdr_SP_Achilles and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_17-pounder#Adaptation_into_tanks_and_AFVs
#88
Waterloo Station In The 1930’s. Taxis Are Queing Up On The Left Waiting For In Incoming Train. Enhanced And Colourised
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Cronecast AtTheRisingMoon 9 months ago
These were wonderful, thank you so much for sharing them. So many of them had so much emotional resonance. My mother is from Scotland, not far from Glasgow, both my mother and brother retained British citizenship, and there were a couple from Glasgow, 1980 one with a very upset looking little boy. The economy in that area was dreadful during that era and I swear you can feel the regional anxiety in that one.
Michael Largey 9 months ago
"Eyes long closed"? I was around for a bunch of these. Some of these photos are from the 1980s (AD).
Cronecast AtTheRisingMoon 9 months ago
These were wonderful, thank you so much for sharing them. So many of them had so much emotional resonance. My mother is from Scotland, not far from Glasgow, both my mother and brother retained British citizenship, and there were a couple from Glasgow, 1980 one with a very upset looking little boy. The economy in that area was dreadful during that era and I swear you can feel the regional anxiety in that one.
Michael Largey 9 months ago
"Eyes long closed"? I was around for a bunch of these. Some of these photos are from the 1980s (AD).
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