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70 Rare And Powerful Photos From This History-Focused Online Community (New Pics)
Interview
The world has seen lots of talented and capable photographers throughout history. But not everyone’s work gets as much time in the spotlight as it should. But if you spend time digging through the historical archives looking for iconic snapshots, it’s well worth the effort.
‘Utterly Unique Photos’ is a fantastic history and photography-oriented online community that shares vintage (mostly but not always) black-and-white historical photos. We’ve collected some of the most interesting ones, recently featured by members of the group, to give you a glimpse into the past from a fresh perspective. Scroll down for a trip through time.
Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to Daniel Holland, the founder of ‘Utterly Unique Photos’ and the ‘Utterly Interesting’ brand, for a friendly chat about his projects and iconic photography. You’ll find our interview with him below.
More info: Reddit | Facebook | X | UtterlyInteresting.com
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Hangu, Pakistan (1/6/2014) — 15 Year Old Aitzaz Hasan Is Confronted By A Strange Man Attempting To Enter His Local High School
Upon noticing explosives strapped to the man’s chest, Hasan tackled him, refusing to allow him inside. He did not survive. His actions saved 2000 of his fellow students.
RELATED:
#2
This Is Charlene, A Walmart Employee That Poses With Products For The Maryland Store’s Local Facebook Page
#3
A Mongolian Girl Having A Laugh With Her Camel. The Little Girl’s Name Is Butedmaa And She Was Just 5 When This Picture Was Taken In 2003 By Photographer Han Chengli
Bored Panda was curious to learn about the success of all the subreddits that Daniel runs. "I think they succeed because they celebrate curiosity and the simple joy of finding something truly unique," the founder told us via email.
"Each post feels like a small discovery, an unusual photograph, forgotten story, or historical oddity. I would think users keep returning because the content is timeless, educational, and visually striking," he said.
"Unlike fast-paced social feeds, these communities focus on genuine intrigue and context, and contributors often add researched background details, which really adds to the content," Daniel told us.
#4
Burlington Mayor Bernie Sanders Picks Up Rubbish On His Own In A Public Park After Being Elected In 1981, His First Electoral Victory
#5
From Algerian War (1958)... A French Foreign Legion Soldier Carried A Starving Donkey... They Rescued It And Later The Donkey Became Their Unit Mascot Going By The Name 'Bambi'
#6
In 1943 A Man And His German Shepherd Took Some Time Out To Pop Into A Photobooth In Grand Central, NYC. I'm Glad They Did
We were also interested in getting the creator's thoughts on taking iconic photographs that will stand the test of time.
"An iconic photograph endures because it captures emotion, truth, and simplicity in a single frame," Daniel said.
"It tells a universal story that remains powerful long after its moment has passed."
#7
Meet Yuri Knorozov, The Linguist Who Deciphered The Maya Script, 1953
He listed his cat Asya as a co-author on his work but the editors always removed her. He always used this photo with Asya as his author photo and got angry whenever editors cropped her out.
#8
Barack Obama Visiting His Grandmother Sarah Ogwel Onyango In Kenya. 1995
#9
Two Well-Dressed Gents And Their Equally Dapper Dog In Stockholm, Sweden, 1880s
Meanwhile, he shared his advice for anyone thinking of experimenting with black-and-white photography in this day and age.
"For those exploring photography today, focus on light, texture, and composition. Pay attention to how shadows and contrast shape emotion, and aim to evoke feeling rather than perfection," Daniel told Bored Panda.
"In a world saturated with images, black-and-white remains timeless because it makes us pause and actually look properly, so black-and-white is a great place to start."
#10
17-Year-Old Rowan Atkinson, Electrical Engineering Student At Newcastle University, 1972
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
And the world is forever grateful that he found his way to acting, instead of electrical engineering 💚
#11
A Kiowa Girl Named O-O-Be Wears A Three Hide Dress Decorated With Elk Teeth, Oklahoma, 1894
#12
Around 1924, A Young Frida Kahlo Is Photographed Wearing A Men’s Suit In A Family Portrait
During a previous in-depth interview with Bored Panda, Daniel, aka u/dannydutch1, the head moderator of the ‘Utterly Unique Photos’ community, walked us through the history behind the online group, as well as where he draws inspiration from.
Aside from ‘Utterly Unique Photos,’ Daniel also moderates three other communities, including ‘Utterly Bizarre,’ ‘Utterly Interesting,’ and ‘Utterly Awful True Crime.’
Daniel explained to Bored Panda at the time how one subreddit eventually evolved into several separate online communities.
#13
In 1991, Mexican Photographer Antonio Turok Captured This Image Of The Solar Eclipse, From Chiapas, Mexico
#14
Alan Rickman As Tybalt In A Bbc Adaptation Of Romeo And Juliet In 1978
Giles McArdell 4 weeks ago
That's done it, from here on down it's all going to be in Alan Rickman voice!
#15
Soviet War Veteran Standing Near The Eternal Flame On The Anniversary Of Victory Day In 1966
“Initially, I created r/UtterlyBizarre at the end of 2022 to mirror what I was posting on my Twitter channel. But it was pointed out that some of the content I posted was more interesting than bizarre,” he said.
Reacting to this, Daniel decided to expand.
“So I set up r/UtterlyInteresting a month later to share articles and videos that interest me. One of my key areas of interest is photography and history, and I felt I was posting quite a lot of this to the r/UtterlyInteresting subreddit, and it would probably sit better on its own subreddit, hence r/UtterlyUniquePhotos,” he shared.
According to the founder of ‘Utterly Unique Photos,’ he didn’t want to simply contribute to other online groups that already existed.
He wanted niches to truly call his own. “One of the reasons I set them [the subreddits] up was because I wanted to be free of the rules employed by more established subreddits.”
#16
John Belushi And Dan Aykroyd In Their Tiny New York Apartment, Mid 1970s
#17
19th-Century Paris Once Had A Village Of Treehouse Taverns. Roast Chicken, Wine, And Rope Pulleys In The Branches, These Are Examples Of The Lost World Of Les Guinguettes De Robinson
#18
A Kiribati Warrior From Beru Wearing A Suit Of Armor Made From The Tough Outer Fibers Of Coconut Husks, A Helmet Of Dried Pufferfish, And Holding A Shark Tooth Spear
That being said, leading several popular subreddits can be quite challenging. “As they've grown, I realize I may need to implement submission rules, as all the subreddits are completely open to submissions, and spreading myself across 3 subreddits containing 100k members can be a challenge," the creator told Bored Panda at the time. (The 4th subreddit was founded later.)
Meanwhile, Daniel also has a personal blog, ‘Utterly Interesting,’ where he shares interesting stories in a different format, with more depth. "Some of the bigger pages on Reddit saw this as self-promotion, so I thought I'd set up my own pages and not be concerned about Reddit moderators," he said.
#19
Freddie Mercury Having A Sleepover With Some Close Friends. Circa 1980
#20
Madame Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) — Oldest Verifiable Person To Ever Live
She drank wine and smoked until the age of 117, and was the last living person to have met Vincent Van Gogh. When asked to describe him, she would simply reply, “ugly”.
#21
21-Year Old Yves Saint Laurent At Christian Dior's Funeral (1957)
"I've always liked to share things I find of interest, and my subreddits reflect that,” Daniel opened up to Bored Panda during an earlier interview. "They've grown into quite active communities now and are a great place to spend some time,” the creator added.
#22
Uma Thurman’s Mother Nena Von Schleebrügge Posing For Vogue Magazine In 1958
#23
A Young Liam Neeson Pictured With His Sisters, Elizabeth, Bernadette And Rosaleen In 1960 Outside Their Family Home In Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
#24
Actors Who Were To Portray The Munchkins In The Wizard Of Oz Arriving At Mgm Studios In 1938
The ‘Utterly Unique Photos’ subreddit, which was created back in November 2023, gets 351k weekly visitors at the time of writing. The group is dedicated to “Old and new photographs that can sometimes be odd or surreal, but are always unique with an interesting backstory.”
#25
A Korean Sailor Takes A Break From Transporting Cargo, Sitting Under The Shadow From The Sail, Smoking From His Long Bamboo Pipe. He Wears Cool Hemp Clothes. Circa 1904
#26
Lew Alcindor's Graduation At Ucla, 1969. (Later Known As Kareem Abdul Jabbar)
#27
The Future Queen Elizabeth In Front Of A Playhouse Gifted To Her And Princess Margaret In 1932 By The People Of Wales
If you plan on joining the community, before you start posting tons of awesome historical snapshots, make sure to read the rules in the sidebar. For one, make sure that you add the date the photo was taken, and try to identify the people in the image. What’s more, you should “Try to make the image you post unique,” while avoiding any colorized photos.
#28
In 1910, Louis And Temple Abernathy Decided To Cross America By Horseback Without Adult Supervision, From Oklahoma To Manhattan
They were just 10 and 6 years old. To get back home, they bought a car and drove it while their horses returned by train. In 1913 they made the same trip on a motorcycle
Sally Moen 4 weeks ago
Imagine driving a vehicle on unpaved roads and connected highways with a speed limit of 25 mph
#29
Barack Obama And His Fellow Classmates Protesting Against Homework, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1970s
#30
Mississippi’s First Interracial Bride And Groom, Berta And Roger Mills, Enjoying Their Wedding Cake In 1970. 55 Years Ago
Which of these photos left the biggest impression on you and why, dear Pandas? Have you ever done black-and-white photography before? For you personally, what makes a photo truly iconic, so that it stands the test of time? Once you’ve finished upvoting your favorite pics, share your thoughts in the comments below.
#31
Robert Bloch, Author Of Psycho, At His Desk In The 1950s. Widely Regarded As His Most Enduring Work, The Novel Remains One Of The Most Influential Horror Stories Of The 20th Century
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
This looks like the person who would write "Psycho"....also really curious about the contents of that bottle behind the typewriter..
#32
Actress Merle Oberon Was Born In 1911 In Bombay And Hid Her True Origins Claiming To Have Been Born To White Parents In Tasmania
The first Asian Best Actress Oscar nominee, she used skin bleaching and reinvention to survive Hollywood prejudice, keeping her heritage secret until after her death
Sally Moen 4 weeks ago
Skin-lightening products are very harmful and have toxic chemicals in them.
#33
Once Called “The Lords Of The Forest”, Billions Of Ancient American Chestnut Trees Once Dominated The Appalachian Landscape
Until 1904, when the accidental introduction of Asian Chestnut Blight rotted them by the millions. By 1920, the species was functionally extinct.
Sally Moen 4 weeks ago
There are pockets of chestnut trees that survived the blight due to isolation. And there's work going on to reintroduce chestnut trees all across the US. It used to be a very common tree, you see antique wooden furniture made of chestnut
Cybele Spanjaard 3 weeks ago (edited)
So sad to see such age and beauty be felled, and diseased Timber in its many forms has always been the basis of our needs, homes. I hope any new trees that might have been planted are well-nourished and safe
Sandra Angulo 4 weeks ago (edited)
Homer Simpson/He’s the greatest guy in history/From the town of Springfield/ He’s about to hit a chestnut tree
#34
A Then 118-Year-Old Sarah Knauss Posing For A Family Photo, United States, 1998
When Sarah Knauss was born, William McKinley was president, the Eiffel Tower had been standing for only a decade, and the average American life expectancy was just 47 years.
Born in 1880, she lived through three centuries, twenty-one U.S. presidents, two World Wars, and the dawn of the internet. By the time this photograph was taken, she had become the world’s oldest living person and the oldest verified American in history.
Knauss attributed her longevity to “keeping calm and not letting things upset her.” She witnessed a world that transformed from horse-drawn carriages to space travel. She passed in 1999 at 119 years and 97 days
#35
On The Left Is David Reimer On The Right Is Brenda Reimer
They're the same person, as a child he was a victim of a botched circumcision, so on the advice of one doctor, the family decided to have him castrated and raise him as a girl. At age 13 he began living as a boy again.
#36
First Underwater Photograph Of A Person, 1899. The Photographer Was Louis Boutan, And The Man We See Is Emil Racoviță, A Romanian Biologist And Explorer
#37
Dr. William T. Corlett Of Cleveland’s Western Reserve University Took This Photograph Of A Recovered Smallpox Patient. The Scars Were Permanent. Circa Early1900s
hardrad2009 4 weeks ago
Today antvaxers say that smallpox is practically nothing but a light flu.
#38
Tsar Nicholas II’s Daughters Shaved Their Heads After Losing Their Hair In Clumps Due To Measles. 1917 From Left To Right, Grand Duchesses: Anastasia, Tatiana, Olga And Maria
#39
June 5, 1965: "Pretty, Congenial Little Alicia Brown, 16 Months Old, Engages In Happy Chat With Los Angeles Police Sgt. Genevieve Hauck In The Van Nuys Police Building Yesterday Shortly After The Little Girl Was Abandoned By Her Mother In A Van Nuys Church"
Bonnie Blue Bird 4 weeks ago
Baby looks very well cared for, mom must have be in a desperate situation
#40
Hillary Clinton Getting Her Face Painted At Wellesley College, 1969. She Graduated That Year Earning A Degree With Honours In Political Science
#41
January 1941. A Textile Mill Working All Night In New Bedford, Massachusetts
Eastendbird 4 weeks ago
All I could think was "All those lights, in the middle of the war, the German bombers could see them! Why don't they have blackout....oh yeah...wrong country".
#42
On This Day In 1977, Park Ranger Roy Sullivan Was Struck By Lightning For The Seventh Time, He Survived All Seven Strikes Over 35 Years, Setting A World Record
David Paterson 4 weeks ago
It helped that most of those times he was in his car. The car took most of the energy.
#43
This Is An Example Of The Tradition Of Skull Elongation Among The Mangbetu People Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo
This ancient beauty custom, known as Lipombo, shaped identity, status and art until its colonial prohibition in the 1950s.
FreeTheUnicorn 4 weeks ago
Wild that Belgium prohibited skill elongation but promoted hacking limbs off children.
#44
Casino Security Overlooking The Pit. The Mint, Downtown Vegas, 1968
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
Oh wow, I don't know what I thought they did before the notorious camera domes everywhere, but somehow this wasn't it
#45
Barack Obama, 10, And His Father, Also Named Barack Obama. Obama’s Father Left The Family To Study At Harvard When Barack Was Just Two, Returning Only Once
#46
John Mccain Being Captured By Vietnamese Civilians, Hanoi, 1967
#47
Ota Benga (1904-1906) — A Mbuti Pygmy, Born In Congo Free State In 1885
He was sold to an American explorer for display at the 1904 World’s Fair. He was then housed in the Bronx Zoo primate house. He settled in Lynchburg, VA, but never returned home again. He [ended his own life] in 1916.
#48
Last Known Photos Of Extreme Cave Diver Dave Shaw, Moments Before His Final Dive Into South Africa’s “Bushman’s Hole”
He blacked out at a depth of 872 feet while retrieving a fellow diver’s body, his helmet camera recording his demise.
#49
Four Year-Old Mary, Who Shucks Two Pots Of Oysters A Day At Dunbar
The boss said that next year Mary will work steady as the rest of them. The mother is the fastest shucker in the place. Earns $1.50 a day. Works part of the time with her sick baby in her arms. Dunbar, Louisiana, US. 1911
Detroit Citizen 4 weeks ago
My great grandmother (b1900) worked at that age in a textile mill. My great great grandparents were homesteaders. All my great grandmother would say is that that was normal back then. My mom who raised by my great grandmother said she (great grandmother) had life long pain from when she was a child.
#50
Princess Margaret In The Bathtub Wearing Her Tiara, 1962. Tony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon) Can Be Seen In The Mirror Taking The Photo
embi miller 4 weeks ago
If I had a tiara I'd wear that sucker everywhere - the grocery store, the tub, the gas station, doctor appointments ...
#51
February 2014: Raleigh North Carolina, Following 3.3 Inches Of Snow
#52
Isabella Rossellini And Martin Scorsese On Their Wedding Day, 1979
#53
Teenage Sigmund Freud With Mother, 1872
#54
Last Known Photo Of John Allen Chau, An American Missionary Sent To Convert The Isolated People Of North Sentinel Island
In 2018, he bribed Indian fishermen to illegally smuggle him into the island’s protected waters. He was last seen being dragged along the shore, his body shot full of arrows.
#55
The Niagara Falls L Without Water, 1969
#56
A 1972 Photograph Of Maria Rasputina Holding A Portrait Of Her Father, Grigory Rasputin. She Left Russia In 1920, Became A U.S. Citizen, And Lived In Los Angeles Until Her Passing In 1977
#57
In 1939, 18-Year-Old Philip Met 13-Year-Old Princess Elizabeth At The Royal Navy College In Dartmouth
Philip, then a cadet, had been assigned to escort the Royal Family during their visit. It was the first time he and Elizabeth spent time together one-on-one.
#58
State Hospital Staff Wearing Skull Masks (1898-1912)
#59
King Frederick Ix Of Denmark Showing Off His Tattooed Upper Body. The King Had A Passion For Sailing And Bodybuilding. The Photo Appeared In Life Magazine In 1951
#60
Judy Garland Backstage In Vegas. Photo: William Caxton (1961)
#61
James Dean Sitting In An Open Coffin At Hunt’s Furniture Store In Fairmount, Indiana, 1955. He Would Return To His Hometown In A Coffin Just Seven Months Later
Frunkadunk 4 weeks ago
I'm not superstitious, but a friend of mine had his pic taken in a coffin at a local bar on Halloween as a joke and died a month later. I don't plan on ever testing my luck.
#62
A Gigantic Man In A New York Tavern, 1908
Detroit Citizen 4 weeks ago (edited)
I know its a thyroid issue, but wowza. Dude really is gigantic. Must have cost a small fortune to buy clothes and everything else. It still would today. Edit: spelling
#63
Chet Baker Aged 26 vs. Chet Baker Age 56. Stay Away From [illegal Substance], Kids! Two Years After The Photo On The Right Was Taken, Baker Fell From A 2nd Story Window In Amsterdam And Passed
#64
Luigi Lineri, The Italian Collector Who Gathers And Chategorizes Stones From The Adige River In Northern Italy For Over 50 Years
Zac Boliek 4 weeks ago
"there was no autism back in my day" well the man with catalogs of stones from one river dating back 50 years would beg to differ.
#65
John F Kennedy Talking To A Neighbor While Wearing The Back Brace, Which Was Designed And Fitted Especially For Him
#66
This Is The Grave That 20yr-Old Barbara Mackle Was Buried Alive In After Being Kidnapped In 1968
Miss Tinker 4 weeks ago
She was rescued unharmed 3 days later after her father paid the ransom.
#67
In The Summer Of 1959, Bruce Davidson Photographed Brooklyn Teenagers, Capturing Their Private And Public Moments
#68
Disappointed But Unharmed, A Vacationing Couple Pose With Their Pontiac Catalina. 1969
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago (edited)
I love how, besides the wheels pointing skyward, the vehicle looks like it could still be the right-way-up 😹 also love their seemingly chipper attitude about the whole thing
#69
Dennis Rader (BTK) With His Daughter On Her Wedding Day In 2003
#70
A Couple Enjoys Some Privacy As They Embrace In A Hole In The Sand On A Beach In Santa Monica, California. July 1950
#71
A Trio Of Images Showing Some Of Warren Jeffs' Wives
Jeffs was a self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He became well known in the 1990s when it emerged he kept 500 kids on a farm and married 12-year-olds.
#72
Boxer Fred Bretonnel In 1920 At The Age Of 15 And In 1928 At The Age Of 23
In a career totaling 76 matches, he lost 18, drew 14 and won 42 with 14 knock outs.
Zac Boliek 4 weeks ago
this is shortly after the adoption of boxing gloves, which made the sport quite a bit more dangerous than it had been. contrary to what many people think, the idea of a boxing glove is not to protect the other persons face from damage, but your own knuckles. when boxing switched from bare knuckle to gloved, the punches got faster and harder becasue you no longer risked breaking your hands from a single punch. in fact, when the rules changed the heavyweight champ was a bareknuckle fighter and was knocked out in like the second round by his opponent with gloves on. more boxers have died due to fights after the adoption of gloves than before it.
#73
This Is The Last Photo Of Travis Alexander, Taken In The Shower Moments Before His Life Was Taken By Jodi Arias On This Day In 2008
#74
22 Yr-Old Charlie Johns Reading The Bible To His 9 Yr-Old Bride, Eunice Winstead. They Married In 1937 And Went On To Have 9 Children Together
#75
Students At Augustana College React To The Not Guilty Verdict Of O.j. Simpson’s Trial, October 3rd, 1995
#76
Priscilla Presley With Her Then-Boyfriend Robert Kardashian, 1976
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