The photograph precipitated a dramatic change in how we perceive history. Amazing old photos like these can make it seem like you were standing right there during that historical moment.
Books and paintings have documented historical events far further back, but there's nothing like a vintage photo to give you the sense that you're looking at something real. Even a famous photo from old times can still misdirect the viewer, but it's still more truthful than a painting or book.
If you know of any cool historical photos we've missed, please add them to this list and vote for your favorite interesting photos!
This post may include affiliate links.
A Lone Man Refusing To Do The Nazi Salute, 1936
Nikola Tesla Sitting In His Laboratory With His "Magnifying Transmitter"
The Graves Of A Catholic Woman And Her Protestant Husband, Holland, 1888
Race Organizers Attempt To Stop Kathrine Switzer From Competing In The Boston Marathon. She Became The First Woman To Finish The Race, 1967
The Unbroken Seal On Tutankhamun’s Tomb, 1922 (3,245 Years Untouched)
First Morning After Sweden Changed From Driving On The Left Side To Driving On The Right, 1967
Animals Being Used As Part Of Medical Therapy, 1956
I haD polio in 1954 and they out an aquarium on the window sill for me to watch.
The Kiss Of Life – A Utility Worker Giving Mouth-to-mouth To Co-worker After He Contacted A High Voltage Wire, 1967
Annette Kellerman Promotes Women’s Right To Wear A Fitted One-piece Bathing Suit, 1907. She Was Arrested For Indecency
Albert Einstein, Summer 1939 Nassau Point, Long Island, Ny
Grotto In An Iceberg, Photographed During The British Antarctic Expedition, 5 Jan 1911.
Painter Of The Brooklyn Bridge,1914
If the men on the wires arranged themselves correctly, they could spell out the first bar and a half of 'Star Spangled Banner'
Massive Crowds Gather For The First Woodstock, 1969
And there were no riots, nothing set on fire... back when people, even YOUNG people, weren't as completely narcissistic like they are now
Women Delivering Ice, 1918
Hannah Stilley, Born 1746, Photographed In 1840. Probably The Earliest Born Individual Captured On Film
The Beatles Play For 18 People In The Aldershot Club, December 1961. They Were To Become Superstars In One And A Half Year.
The First Ever Underground Train Journey, Edgware Road Station, London, 1862
Elvis In The Army, 1958
Customers At A London Music Store, 1955
Baby Cages Used To Ensure That Children Get Enough Sunlight And Fresh Air When Living In An Apartment Building, 1937
At least they got fresh air. Though not the safest contraption I've ever seen.
Measuring Bathing Suits, If They Were Too Short, Women Would Be Fined, 1920’s
Salvador Dali Kisses The Hand Of Raquel Welch After Finishing His Famous Portrait Of Her, 1965
Little Girl With Her Doll Sitting In The Ruins Of Her Bombed Home, London, 1940
Georges Blind, A Member Of The French Resistance, Smiling At A German Firing Squad, 1944
All that hate is petty much wasted energy, it takes him only one smile to be "immortal".
“wait For Me Daddy,” By Claude P. Dettloff In New Westminster, Canada, October 1, 1940
Sailor Kissing Nurse, Times Square, August 14, 1945.
Audrey Hepburn Shopping With Her Pet Deer “ip” In Beverly Hills, Ca, 1958
African Americans Protest Against The War In Vietnam During The Harlem Peace March, 1967
Three Men Run In The Marathon At The First Modern Olympic Games, 1896
Harley Davidson’s First Factory, 1903
The First 5 Mbyte Hard Disk Loaded To A Panam Plane, 1956
View From The Top On The Opening Day Of The Empire State Building, 1931
Charlie Chaplin At The Age Of 27, 1916
To all magicians (cardicians), he looks like the twin Dan and Dave Buck. lol
Newspaper Boy Ned Parfett Sells Copies Of The Evening Paper Bearing News Of Titanic’s Sinking The Night Before, April 16, 1912
Painting Wwii Propaganda Posters, Port Washington, New York, 8 July 1942
posters before worth millions today posters today worth the simple cannon printer
Factory Workers Race On The Roof (test Track) Of The Fiat Factory In Turin, Italy, 1923
Titanic Departure, Southampton, Uk, 1912
Mother Hides Her Face In Shame After Putting Her Children Up For Sale, Chicago, 1948
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper
Bird’s Eye View Of Jfk’s Funeral In The Capitol Building, November, 1963
The Glasses John Lennon Wore When He Was Assassinated, 1980
Dressing The Bride, 1890s
Norway Receive Their First Ever Shipment Of Bananas,1905
Che Guevara And Fidel Castro Fishing, 1960
East German Soldier Jumping Barbed-wire Fence 1961
Street Life In London, 1876
By the looks of his shoes he would have been born with hip dysplasia. Glad they can do something about it these days.
Broadway At The United States Hotel Saratoga Springs, N.y. Ca 1900-1915
