40 Important Historical Photos That Might Change Your Perspective On Things, As Shared By This Facebook Page (New Pics)
Every glimpse of the past that we see is a chance for our imaginations to take off on a wild time-warp journey. The beautiful vintage photos of the past gathered by this amazing Facebook page also promise to take you on a journey across time and space.
Indeed, the photos featured by this account come from all around the world. Each photo tells a story of when, where, and who. We are invited to daydream (or, you know, research) about the lives of people in the photos, whether they’re hard-working peasants in a rice paddy, roguish children playing in a street, or businesspeople showing off their new-fangled horseless carriages.
We can be glad that modern technology is helping us preserve and spread these photos. Many old paper or silver plate photos are in danger of irreversible deterioration, and countless more are already lost. These few remaining glimpses of the past are to be treasured and shared, so scroll onwards, brave time traveler. Let us know which ones are your favorites in the comments and share these old vintage photos far and wide!
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Neighborhood Kids Sharing A Laugh In Nebraska, 1910
People forget places like Nebraska were less racially divided than the coastal and deep south states at the time. In fact Nebraska was one of the few states that never had interracial marriage banned. Midwest and Western farming states and communities were a very different place than the rest of the US at the time.
Three Women Who Completed Their Education And Graduated As Physicians In Philadelphia, 1885
Context from the Huffington post: "The first women’s medical college in the world, the WMCP was a magnet for ambitious ladies of all stripes. The three in the photograph -- from left to right, Anandibai Joshi, Keiko Okami, and Sabat Islambouli -- eventually became among the first licensed female doctors in their respective countries: India, Japan and Syria."
Dapper Young Man All Dressed Up To Have His Photo Made, 1905
Portrait Of A Very Handsome Young Man, 1904
The history of photography begins with very tangible chemical processes, far from the powerful digital sensors and endless reproduction we enjoy today. The first photo that has survived to this day was taken in 1826 or 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. In his heliograph, the view from a window in his home was reproduced in low fidelity using a process involving bitumen (a component of asphalt) and lavender oil.
These Progressive High School Girls Learn The Finer Points Of Auto Mechanics In 1927
Three Young Ladies Posing With A Friend, 1930
A Young Woman Posing For A Studio Portrait, Kentucky, 1890-1910
Madame Decourcelle The First Female Taxi Driver In Paris, France, 1909
The first photo approximating modern life-like quality standards was invented by Louis Daguerre. He named the daguerreotype process after himself, so we must be grateful that better and less egotistically named processes were discovered later. Although daguerreotypes required longer exposure times of up to several minutes, this was a vast improvement over the 8-ish hours used for Niépce’s heliograph.
Apache Woman And Child. Fort Apache, Arizona, 1898
What's up with the background? I've seen this before but never noticed it's a curtain?
Looks like a photography studio. Background scenes are interchangeable. Just roll down the scene you want subject to pose in front of. Potted plant is a give away too
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Shy Young Woman Smiling For The Camera 143 Years Ago
Louis & Lola, Titanic Survivors
Cultural attitudes towards photography also changed as the technology improved. With the long exposure times of early processes, photographs could be thought of much like still-life or portrait paintings. Families or dignitaries would dress up to sit for a portrait, or artists would select beautiful landscapes or scenes to photograph. As film exposure times shortened and film became easier to acquire and process, photographers were able to start experimenting more boldly and to start capturing dynamic shots.
A Promising Young Photographer, 1880s
4 Generations, 1 Picture, 1905
Young Couple In Love, 1920s
A Father With His 4 Daughters, 1904
The photographs in this collection come from a wide range of different historical photographic processes, but of course, the most fascinating aspect of each is the subject matter. In most, the people depicted are no longer with us, and if their memories don’t live on with their progeny, these may be the only signs of their existence that we have left. We invite you to spend some time with these photos and try to imagine what the moments they captured might have looked, sounded, felt, and even smelled like so many years ago.
Edwardian Woman With Her Friend, 1905
A Beautiful Couple From The 1940s
Hard to believe that just 20 years before this photo there would be almost no skin showing
In The 1940s, Men Dressed In Shorts And Cowboy Boots Served Up To Women At A Drive Through In Texas
Woman And Horse By Félix Thiollier, 1899
Elk River And His Wife, Montana, 1890
Butterfly Boy, New York City, 1949
Mother And Daughter Watch A Tall Ship Navigate The Thames In London, 1880
Mother With Her Daughter, 1880
Having A Little Fun On The Beach In 1940
Barefoot Kids At A Mobile Book Cart In The Appalachian Mountains
Pulling Out A Splinter In 1910
1926 Easter Celebration With Some Very Happy Children!
Happy New Year 1907
Two Friends Strolling In A Cool Stream On A Warm Day, 1910
A 'Man In The Moon' Hair-Beard Combo, 1895
A Family From Wisconsin, Late 1800s
A Stylish Woman Walking Her Dog At The Bois De Boulogne In Paris, 1910
This old photograph then became today's modern distracted boyfriend meme 😁
Young Ladies In Norway, 1890s
Portrait Of A Young Boy, Claude Clark, Sitting On A Rocking Horse, 1902
The High Jump At Olympics Games In London, 1908
What we see high jumpers do today (going over the bar head first and back to the ground) is called the Fosbury Flop, after D**k Fosbury. He won the 1969 Gold with the technique. Before that, like in this picture, people would just jump normal over the bar. Might be why it's so low.
A Mom Asks Not To Kiss Her Baby To Avoid Catching A Bug, 1939
Mistletoe Salesmen, Paris, 1928
A Drunken Man In Top Hat And Tails Clings To A Lamp-Post, London, 1934
A One Room School House, 1923
The Noonans, A Family Of 15 Living In 1920s. Lawrence, Massachusetts
Cyclist From Estonia, On A Self-Made Bicycle, 1912
A Beautiful Couple From 163 Years Ago!
These Two Photographs Are Separated By 66 Years
Nat, pictures are real . But you have your opinion, based on what? I don't know.
New York City At Night, 1935
Mother And Son, Ireland, 1890
A Young Shopper Climbs On To The Sandbags To Get A Closer Look At The Toys In A Shop Window In The West End Of London, December 1939
Teenage Sisters Gertrude And Ursula Falke. Germany, 1906
A Victorian Home Being Moved Via Horse Power In San Francisco, 1908
Young Cotton Mill Girls, Mississippi, 1913
Snowball Fight On The School Yard, Sweden, 1901
A Cable Worker During The Construction Of The Empire State Building
Depression-Era Children In 1939
Henry Ford Drives His First Automobile, 1896
Summer Refreshment For City Dwellers, 1925
Young Clock Maker At His Desk, 1860s
Palm Beach, 1905
A Car Accident In Boston, 1927
Christmas Dinner, 1936. Dinner Consisted Of Potatoes, Cabbage And Pie
This is how my grandmother's childhood was in the Appalachian mountains. She ended up owning her own very successful business and was able to give back to her community. She was an amazing woman.
Young Victorian Couple On A Tricycle, 1880s
This Is How People Was Having Some Fun In 1940!
Suited Up For A Mid Day Stroll, 1915
Man Standing On Lap Of Colossal Figure Of Ramses, 1856
Young, Well-Dressed, Victorian Girl In 1902
Edwardian. 1902 King Edward VII was on the throne. Victoria died in at the start of 1901.
Playing Auto Polo In Canada, 1919
Empire State Building Construction Workers In The 1930s
A Woman Kisses A British Soldier Returning From Ww2
Men appear to be wearing putters which is WW1, not WW2. Also that carriage is not British so photo probably taken in France.
4 Generations In 1 Picture, 1880s
A Stylish Young Gentleman On A Winter Stroll, 1900
Two Female Passengers Eating A Meal In A Dining Car. England, 1905
American Couple In Their One-Room Cabin 1900
A 19th-Century Family At Their Sod House On The Plains Showing Off Their Goods In The Yard
A New Year’s Party In The Edwardian Era
Children Carrying Holly And Mistle Toe, 1915
Portrait Of Eighteen Girls And Boys At Sunday School
A Group Of Kids Gathered Together, Massachusetts, 1904
Beautiful Victorian Woman, 1900
Portrait Of A California Gold Miner With Pick And Shovel, 1850
A British Soldier Whispers Into The Ear Of A Loved One As He Leaves For The Front, 1939
Unpacking The Head Of The Statue Of Liberty, 1885
Kentucky Family Undertaking Spinning Activities On The Porch Of Their Appalachian Mountain Home
A Man On The Porch Of His Cabin, Eagle Creek, Murray, Idaho, 1889
A Bankrupt Investor Tries To Sell His Luxury Roadster For $100 Following The 1929 Stock Market Crash
Lincoln Visits A Civil War Camp In Maryland, 1862
Family Having A Picnic By The Side Of The Road With A Model T Ford In The Background, 1918
A Bus Conductress At Work On The Top Deck Of An Open Top Bus In The Snow During World War L
Young Woman Removing Her Loaf Of Bread From The Oven, 1909
School Children Playing In Their Iowa Classroom, 1892
The poem on the blackboard behind the children on the right side is from Swinton's Second Reader published in 1882. "Work where you work, play where you play; that is the way to be cheerful and gay; All that you do, do with your mind; Things done by halves are never done right." True even today.
Nikola Tesla In 1879 At Age 23
Teenagers And Their Car In The 1950's
Taking The Neighborhood Kids To School, 1904
I wonder if they are actually all siblings? I didn't think there would be a dedicated carriage like that for a neighbourhood then, but maybe it depends where they lived? I know in Australia, my grandad, when he still had older brothers at school they might have a horse and gig to go to school, but otherwise it couldn't be spared from the farm for the day. He was lucky sometimes to have railway workers on the hand pedal cart stop as he walked past and give him a lift part way. Otherwise it was 'shank's pony' (walking) all the way.
Happiness Can Come From Just Being Together, 1930
People Posing In Front Of A Big Tree In Stanley Park, Vancouver, 1904
A Pair Of Glasses Designed For Reading In Bed, 1936
A Woman On The Frozen Mississippi River At St. Louis, Missouri, 1905
“World’s Largest Log Cabin”. Portland, Oregon, 1938. Built In 1905, Burned Down In 1964
Dodge City, 1872
The Oldest Known Documented Wheelie, 1936
A Small Family In Front Of Their Home
Two Boys Going Fishing, Texas, 1925
Two Children With A Snowman Greeting The New Year 1911
Workers Taking A Break On The St. Johns Bridge, Portland, 1931
Portrait Of An Unknown Chap With Long Beard. Taken In The 1890s!
I think his descendant lives in my town. He cycles around all day and hands out sunflowers at random.
Founder Of Cadillac And His 1906 Cadillac Model "M" Touring, 1906
Some Lumberjacks, 1880
Two Men Demonstrate A Pipe Called The “Double Ender” In New York, 1949
Very Stylish Woman From 1918
A Family From Minnesota Showing Off Their New Car, 1900s
Children Sled Down A Snow-Covered Path In Central Park, 1901
Taking The Train In 1865!
Ice Being Delivered In The London Smog, 1919
One-Room Schoolhouse, Wisconsin, 1904
Ford Model T Next To The Sphinx, 1914
Photographer William Leftwich At Work
Purchasing A Christmas Tree, 1933
Stagecoaches And Freight Wagons On The Road To Cripple Creek, Colorado, 1890s
Sculpting Of A Statue Of Liberty Model In Paris, 1882
Anyone else think that looks like a hand holding a phone while taking a selfie? :)
Portrait Of Three Sisters, Martha, Elizabeth And Delie, 1850
High School Football Players Practice In Chicago, 1902
A Family Getting Ready To Cruise In Their 1903 Cadillac Model A Tonneau
Car Camping In The 1920s
My Great Grandmother was the first woman to drive across the US in 1914 in a convoy of cars. Woman broke a lot of glass ceilings, she was also a schoolteacher in Guatemala and Alaska.
Mail Delivery In 1914
Titanic At The Docks Of Southampton, 1912
Did you know Titanic had a coal fire that started days before it sailed over the Atlantic? And continued for several days into the journey? There was discussions if they should cancel the trip but they decided to try to limit the fire and go on anyways, since it would be bad business for the company, White Star Line if they cancelled. It's debated whether this helped to weaken the hull or not. It was arguably also the same mindset to not make a bad name for White Star Line that caused the rushed decisions that led to the iceberg incident, since they were very determined to make the journey in time despite the known risks. It's always the money.
First Delivery Of Coca-Cola To Knoxville, 1919
Skating At The Ice Carnival On Sunset Lake, 1922
A Public Bath In New York, 1895
Gold Diggers Climb Chilkoot Pass In Alaska, 1898
Unidentified Lass Swimming, Taken In 1897
Traveling Medicine Salesman In Oklahoma, 1895
Decorating Your Car For Christmas, 1930
2 Young Girls Playing Music
Cowboys And Hands Camping In The Dakota Badlands, 1870s
Portrait Of A Little Girl, Half-Kneeling, Seated, Facing Front, Wearing Mittens, 1842-1855
Inside A Bar At The Table Bluff Hotel And Saloon. Humboldt County, California, 1889
Construction Men On A Suspended Iron Section, 200 Feet Above Ground, 1907
Mine Workers Coming Out Of The Mine Shaft. Virginia City, Nevada, 1867-1888
This is such a far cry from the mines with small tighter caves , rough timbers, and rickety mine cars.... this looks to be So modern and sturdy structure.
Thomas Edison In Newark Laboratory, 1870
Some Of The Young Workers From A Cotton Mill In Mississippi, 1910s
We need more BP articles like this and less dumb articles recycled from Reddit
Dear that one guy (I think his handle was Klopec) who kept on asking/complaining why nobody was smiling, in those times (mostly Edwardian and Victorian) photographs were seen as serious things not to be smiling for, because they were essentially portraits that would be passed down to future generations, and you had to look smart - the same as you would if you were getting an actual portrait painted. Hope that helps :)
And what pictures do you think Bored Panda is going to show in 100 years from life in the 90's and 2000's? The pictures are amazing but it makes me kind of sad knowing most, if not all, of these incredible people are no longer with us. I wonder where their lives took them after this one snapshot in time?
I wished all of the names and stories of those people in the photographs were known!
So women and people of color have had opportunities well before they were claimed to have had.
you don't think that it is important to learn about history?
Load More Replies... We need more BP articles like this and less dumb articles recycled from Reddit
Dear that one guy (I think his handle was Klopec) who kept on asking/complaining why nobody was smiling, in those times (mostly Edwardian and Victorian) photographs were seen as serious things not to be smiling for, because they were essentially portraits that would be passed down to future generations, and you had to look smart - the same as you would if you were getting an actual portrait painted. Hope that helps :)
And what pictures do you think Bored Panda is going to show in 100 years from life in the 90's and 2000's? The pictures are amazing but it makes me kind of sad knowing most, if not all, of these incredible people are no longer with us. I wonder where their lives took them after this one snapshot in time?
I wished all of the names and stories of those people in the photographs were known!
So women and people of color have had opportunities well before they were claimed to have had.
you don't think that it is important to learn about history?
Load More Replies...