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These 30 Pandas Shared The Oldest Photo They Have And The Stories Behind Them
Say what you want, but photographs play an important role in everyone's life; they remind us of people, places, sentiments, and tales from our past. They can help us understand who we are, and they can also allow us to see people that are long gone but have left their footprint in history.
With that being said, I asked the Bored Panda community to show us their old treasures, and they sure delivered! Some of the photos submitted even carry some interesting stories attached to them.
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1916 - My Grandmother, Annabelle. Never Met Her, She Passed In The 1918 During The Flu Pandemic
what a beautiful photograph (My great-grandmother also died in the 1918 Flu epidemic).
I Don't Know Who She Is, This Damaged, Creased Photo Appeared On Ebay For A Tiny Amount Of Money And No Bidders. I Figured If No One Bought It, The Seller Might Throw Her Away. This Momentary Fraction Of Time, And What Might Be The Only Remenant Of Her Existance, Will Now Be Preserved And Cared For
My Great-Grandmother Is The Woman On The Right. This Was Taken In Yuma, Arizona Sometime Before Her Death In 1914. Its The Only Photo That Survived A Flood
DNA says I'm 25% indigenous but when we went to Yuma to the BIA, couldn't find her on the registers, but then found out that she died before the 1914 census done for the local tribes. But we did go by some of the tribal museums and saw old photos that looked a lot like all my sisters and me. So we are in the right area....just need to get more native americans to get on the dna pages. It's sad that we have lost our history
Photo Of My Mom On Her Dad's Shoulders In 1925
My 3rd Great-Grandmother Lavisa, Born In New York In 1830
My Grandfather's Mugshot In 1942
He was 19 years old and lived in Rhinebeck, NY when he decided to steal some tires from a garage. The dutchess county judge called him "Unpatriotic" and sent him to prison. He eventually signed up to serve in WW2.
My Great-Grandfather Francisco From The Azores, Portugal In The Late 1800s
: 1912, Milam, Tx. Great Grandfather With Mustache (My Grandfather 4th From Right). Whole Family Had Gotten New Shoes, So They Wanted To Show Them Off In A Photo
So, This Isn't The Oldest Photo I Have But I Wanted To Share It As It Always Gives Me A Smile When I See It. This Is Of My Great Grandfather (On The Right) When He Was Studying Art. If You Look At The Sign It Says "Models Posing"
My Grandfather In This Group Photo, Circa Late 1800’s
I'd love to know the names! The guy on the right looks just like my father!
My Grandmother With Her Doll In 1888. I Still Have The Doll
Wonderful that you still have that doll. What an heirloom to pass down.
My Great, Great Grandfather, Taken In The Late 1800s In Northern Ireland
Mommy. 1950 ❤️
My Grandmother, 1941
My Grandfather In 1915. He's The One On Top. He Lied About His Age To Join, He Was Only 15
Year 1904, Southern Czechia, My Great Grandmother Marie Stachova (In The Middle), Her Mother Marie And Father Vaclav, Siblings Vaclav And Bozena
Daddio. 1950. You Were So Damn Cool!
My Grandparents Knew How To Have Fun! That's My Grandmother With The Arrow. Holland 1920s
Family Homestead 1923, Eagan, Minnesota. That's My Grandfather On The Horse-Draw Farm Equipment. They Are Harvesting Onions. Gamily Farmed Here From 1870s To Early 1950s. Land Is Now Eagan's Central Park
I'm from the twin cities area (Minneapolis and St.Paul MN), and it's still amazing to think that even 70 years ago (1950s), many of the surrounding suburbs and sprawl were just farms
My Grandmother At About 3 Years Old, With Her Parents, Ca. 1898
My Dad's Great Aunt Elizabeth. Circa 1910, Derbyshire, England
#43 My Great Great Grandmother, She Was Born In 1880 And Died ? I'm Pretty Sure This Picture Was Taken In Her Mid Twentys
Great Great (?) Grandparents On Leaving England For Australia In 1879
My Great, Great Grandparents James Goddard (1876-1942) And Margaret Goddard Née Millar (1877-1948)
My Mom's Grandfather's Dressmaker Factory In Downtown Cincinnati, Late 1800s/Early 1900s
My Grandmother Jeanne, Aged 17, In 1918.
My Opa And Oma Idk When It Was But He Was 71 When He Died And He Died 5 Years Ago
Captain John Bogart: My Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Around 1850. As A Young Man, He Fought In The Revolutionary War
The Young Man In The Antique Shop
I don't know who he is, I found his picture in an Antique shop in Sutterville California about 25 years ago and couldn't leave him there. He's been with me ever since
My Dad, 1957. He’s Always Had A Full Beard, This Is The Only Way I’ve Seen Him Without One.
1911, Milam, Tx. My Great Grandfather And Great-Great Grandfather Are The 2 Seated. Mom's Dad Is Boy In The Middle On Ground
My Great-Grandparents. Alice Normandeau With Their Son Henri And Joseph Brault With Their Son Léopold (My Grandfather) 1908 St-Étienne-De-Beauharnois
My Great-Great Grandparents, Both Born In1827, Married In 1855. He Died In 1863 After Falling Of A Roof, She Died In 1888..
My great-great grandparents, both born in 1827, married in 1855. He died in 1863 after falling off a roof, she died in 1888. I still haven't solved the mystery of why their son and daughter-in-law (my great grandparents) died within 3 weeks of each other in 1942.
Grandma And Grandpa Ryder, Alberta Homestead 1924
Do you know where in Alberta? My great grandparents had one near Farentosh
They were in Faust. Most of it blew away in the dustbowl.
Load More Replies...My Great-Grandfather, A True "Székely"
1915. He was from Transsylvania and was of the folk székely. This photo seemingly was sent to a lady named The Honourable Manci Heigert, to the castle of Nádasdladány, from another lady called Gizella. "Dear Mancika! Hereby I send the portrait of my little brother, Károly. I received your card, please accept my gratitude for it. Mother hasn't returned so far. I wish you good health. Kisses and hugs with love, Gizi."
Japan 1944
Image 2. This Is Him Showing Off Some Of His Work
1897 - My Great Grandfather (Far Left), His Sister (My Great Aunt), His Wife (My Great Grandmother), My Great-Great Grandfather, His Sister-In-Law (My Great-Great-Great Aunt), My Great-Great Grandmother, Probably In Regensburg
My Paternal Grandmother. Picture Taken April 13, 1919, When She Was 18 Years Old.
My Great-Grandmother Sophie And Her Mother, Maria; Denmark, Circa 1895. The Picture Was Taken By A Travelling Photographer. I Wish I Knew More About It.
What a wonderful photograph. I love the natural rooftop. It honestly looks like a scene from a book.
My Grandpa, Master Sargent Cic Us Army. (Top, Center - 1949, China), (Bottom - 1952, Germany)
If The Info I Got Is Correct This Should Be My Great Great Grandfather(Top Left) And His Family
Second Great-Grandfather, Joseph Braun Sr., Circa 1894
There was a pretty well known miners strike that year in Cripple Creek.
My Great, Great Great Grandparents Andrew (Born 1830) And Nancy (Born 1838) Barkley.
This Is My Grandmother (Far Right) And Her Family In Friesland In The Netherlands. My Great Grandmother (Seated On The Right) Is Wearing A Traditional Bonnet. When You Were Considered A Grown Woman Your Hair Was Clipped Short. Over Your Hair They Put A Black Cap. Over That Was The Oorijzer, A Silver Or Gold Helmet That Has A Large V Shape Cut Out In The Front. Over That Is A Lace Cap With A Longer Section At The Nape Of The Neck. There Are Clips Attached To The Oorijzer That Help Hold The Lace In Place. It Looks Like My Great Grandmother Has Little Elfin Ears. This Picture Is From Around1890. My Grandmother Lived To Be 98.
My sister was once cutting my hair and I thought she finished so looked at how she’d cut it in the mirror. It looked just like your great grandmothers bonnet except I didn’t know the proper word for it and said it looks like a Dutch cap! Cue much laughter from sister and mother. I was only about 6 at the time and didn’t know why they were laughing!
This Is My Great Great Great Grandparents On My Moms Side.
My Mom In 1954 At 2 Years Old In Montana. She’s Such A Little Cutie In This Pic.
After Posting A Picture From Ca. 1895 Of My Great-Grandmother And My Great-Great-Grandmother, I Realised That This One Is Older. It's The Same Great-Great-Grandmother, Maria Svendsdatter (Born In 1829), Who Is Clearly Younger In This Photo. How Old Would You Say She Is Here?
Fascinating info: A historian told me that what she's doing with her left hand - it looks strange, right? - is most likely making a "magical sign" to ward off the devil. Apparently, this was rather common back then, because people were afraid that being photographed put their soul in peril.
My Mother (Now 81) Is One Of The Babies In Sr. Lap. I Also Have The Original Studio Photo Too.
Great Grandparents…. 1930 Ish..,
I wonder why posts like this one get so few upvotes? I mean the challenges. I really enjoy them.
where do they post these challenges at originally? I could have joined this one.
My grandfather's grandfather in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He was a Rough Rider. IMG_201912...0032d3.jpg 
I used to collect old photo albums from flea markets. The only one that says where the photos were taken and who the sitters were is from a teacher training college in the UK from the early 1900s. All the others are obviously family albums but I have no idea who they are. All my albums date from the 1800s and up to about 1936. I also have lots of Daguerreotype, glass and tin. Even tiny tin ones in leather frames. I don’t want them to end up in a bin somewhere but what do I do with them?
I love looking at old photos especially if there's some story attached to them. But it also makes my heart ache. Because I'm searching for my ancestors and I have already found a lot of stuff (and some really cool stuff), yet I have no photos. All I have are photos of my maternal grandmother and grandfather or younger. So basically I know names and some details of lives of my greats and great-greats etc, but I'll never know their faces. PS: I don't know why there aren't any photos. However I have a few theories.
My Great, great, Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Hayden. I wish I had a date on the photo but she was born in 1833 and died in 1920 it was in that range. I would guess 1890s. She married Thomas Moss in 1849, after moving from England to Australia. Mary-Hayde...d-jpeg.jpg 
This is her daughter, F***y Moss (my great, great grandmother). I wonder if the two photos were taken at the same time, as age difference seems right. F***y married Alexander Hudson and was sewing mistress at the school he taught at in Traynor's Lagoon in Victoria, Australia. Two of many teachers in the family. Fanny-Moss...669ee.jpeg 
I wonder why posts like this one get so few upvotes? I mean the challenges. I really enjoy them.
where do they post these challenges at originally? I could have joined this one.
My grandfather's grandfather in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He was a Rough Rider. IMG_201912...0032d3.jpg
I used to collect old photo albums from flea markets. The only one that says where the photos were taken and who the sitters were is from a teacher training college in the UK from the early 1900s. All the others are obviously family albums but I have no idea who they are. All my albums date from the 1800s and up to about 1936. I also have lots of Daguerreotype, glass and tin. Even tiny tin ones in leather frames. I don’t want them to end up in a bin somewhere but what do I do with them?
I love looking at old photos especially if there's some story attached to them. But it also makes my heart ache. Because I'm searching for my ancestors and I have already found a lot of stuff (and some really cool stuff), yet I have no photos. All I have are photos of my maternal grandmother and grandfather or younger. So basically I know names and some details of lives of my greats and great-greats etc, but I'll never know their faces. PS: I don't know why there aren't any photos. However I have a few theories.
My Great, great, Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Hayden. I wish I had a date on the photo but she was born in 1833 and died in 1920 it was in that range. I would guess 1890s. She married Thomas Moss in 1849, after moving from England to Australia. Mary-Hayde...d-jpeg.jpg
This is her daughter, F***y Moss (my great, great grandmother). I wonder if the two photos were taken at the same time, as age difference seems right. F***y married Alexander Hudson and was sewing mistress at the school he taught at in Traynor's Lagoon in Victoria, Australia. Two of many teachers in the family. Fanny-Moss...669ee.jpeg
