40 Interesting Historical Photos You Wouldn’t Find In History Textbooks
Interview With ExpertThe aesthetic of vintage photographs is undeniably charming. Certain imperfections and the warm, grainy, soft look evoke nostalgia and take us back in time when moments were captured on film. They make one really appreciate the craftsmanship needed to create such images as well since materials were scarce and retouching was minimal, which meant that the photo had to be taken in as few takes as possible.To further kindle our love for vintage photography and history, we compiled a list of old pictures, collected by the Untold Tales Of The Past Instagram account. Scroll down to find them and make sure to upvote the ones that you wish you could’ve spotted in your textbook in school. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with award-winning analog film and darkroom educator and owner of Little Vintage Photography, Rachel Brewster, and award-winning photographer and owner of Belle Privé, Emma Finch, who kindly agreed to share a few tips with those who want to achieve a vintage photo look in the modern age.
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The Athlete Who Lost $10.000 To Help A Struggling Competitor
Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo did something that stunned the world during the 2010 Zheng-Kai Marathon when she witnessed a disabled competitor struggling to drink water who was a double amputee. Instead of seeing her moment to run ahead of this struggling athlete, she ran along side of him from the 6.2 mile mark to the 23 mile mark (10km mark to the 38km mark), helping him drink water at all of the watering stations. The aide that she so compassionately provided her fellow competitor slowed her run time down and caused her to lose her first place position and place 2nd in the race — costing her the win and the $10,000 cash prize. Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo showed the world that day that to her, being compassionate and helping one another was more important than winning a race that she had been preparing for her entire life.
While this is very nice of her, why isn't there staff at the watering stations for this?
Tangent - why didn't the other runner's team/himself have some system in place for water for him - how'd he train or run other races - divergent minds need to know
Being a good person is worth more than any amount of money because feeling good about yourself is a better aspiration. You win for yourself instead of to impress others. There's no "win" or money that can replicate good character.
Charles Thompson Being Welcomed By His New Classmates, Just 4 Months Earlier The Supreme Court Rules That Racial Segregation Was Unconstitutional
Bigotry is learned. And it's disgusting that we still teach it. But the good news is that any learned behavior can be unlearned, if people are willing to work at it.
I don’t understand why history books across the world don’t show this photo. This is probably going to be my favorite photo in the entire collection!
Unfortunately, that was the rare experience. Little kids had to have police escorts and were verbally and physically abused simply because of the color of their skin.
I remember when the first Black American enrolled in our all-white school. It must have been rough for him, but he made a lot of friends, joined the football team, and was a good student. By the time he graduated, about 45 other Black Americans had moved into the neighborhood and enrolled in the school system; Not fast progress, but the pace quickened over time and it was good to see that happen in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio.
This happened in my junior high school in Texas. We welcomed a black family (3kids) in an all-white school. Great kids and hugely popular.
A Young Inuit Girl Carrying Her Pet Husky On Her Back. 1920's
Award-winning photographer and owner of Belle Privé, Emma Finch, has a deep love for vintage photography, particularly for everything that has to do with glamour, femininity, and elegance of the 40s and 50s, the Golden Age of Hollywood, Film Noir, and the Roaring 20s.
“I have always been captivated by the glamour, the elegance, and the femininity of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I love the rich colours and the dramatic lighting,” she tells Bored Panda.
Vietnam Veterans Protesting The Vietnam War, “We Won’t Fight Another Rich Man's War”. 1970
Their kids didn't listen, and flew to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Load More Replies...Too bad we don't stand up to the corrupt US government and their war machines!
If the leaders (chancellors, presidents, kings, queens,....) want to fight, they should just get in the ring for a 1:1. Would save thousands of lives, billions of whatever currency, and life could just go on an hour later. Plus: every country would take care, that their leader is strong, smart and healthy.
Just let them do a rock-paper scissors contest for the issue. Loser gets to clean the other leaders bathroom for a month.
Load More Replies...I hear people dismiss the Vietnam war now. They say it's over now and in the past. What people don't realize is the Vietnam war is where America veered off the rails, along with the d***s. People consider it a speedbump now, but it was actually where the road of America slammed into a wall and went another way. There was a USA before the war and a USA after the war and they weren't the same country. The Vietnam war took away all the could-have-beens and all the hope in this country and things were never the same again. Living now, you just see this timeline. But if you lived then, you can see the differences and feel the changes. It's a sad thing.
Vietnam was where America found how false so many of its myths were and what the people who set its goals were really about.
Load More Replies...Unfortunately though, although they may not have fought another rich man's war, other's later on were more than willing to. And along with that, now that the world has been seeing atrocities and/or dictatorships (and is continuing to do so) that warrant their intervention, the rich men do not want to get involved. Why? Because they're getting richer BECAUSE of those regimes they should be contributing to bring down. War is always an ugly, ugly business for more than the evident reasons.
Lots of young men went to Canada. Canada changed their laws after Viet Nam.
Two Boys Teaching Each Other Parts Of Their Culture
Children don't see colour..race...sensuality....religion. They hear it from those around them ...be great parent don't let them HEAR the differences celebrate the uniqueness of every child, every human
Louis Armstrong, An American Trumpeter And One Of The Most Influential Artists In Jazz History, Drawing A Trumpet And Autographing The Side Of A Young Man's Head In Nice, France, 1961
Hmmm, apparently his species has visited Earth before. Only they keep reusing the same fugly disguise.
Load More Replies...I live in this city that's weird to imagine things like that happening !
That is the UGLIEST picture of a trumpet that I have EVER seen.
Meanwhile, for award-winning analog film and darkroom educator and owner of Little Vintage Photography, Rachel Brewster, creating her vintage photography business was a way of dealing with the loss of her mom.
“It was also a way of reconnecting with a tactile, physical process when I was feeling overwhelmed with the pace of the digital world. I felt that if this alternative way of creating images and telling a story was important to me, there would probably be other people who would benefit from it too, so I began running workshops and courses, teaching people how to shoot with film, process by hand and print in the darkroom,” she shared with us.
A Little French Girl Gives An American Soldier A Kiss On Valentine’s Day, 1945
please someone give the dog a kiss and a hug, he is the bestest boi apparently
Anatoly Golimbievsky, A Heavily Decorated Soviet Veteran Who Lost Both Legs In The Second World War, Acknowledges The Salute Of Four Young Sailors From The Nakhimov Navy School On V-Day In Leningrad In 1989
Black and white photography remains an art form in its own right. At that time developing and printing costs were much higher for colour film.
Load More Replies...I've seen this photo several times and it always makes me cry.
Kiss In Central Park, C. 1974
Except this member in white hair which I never heard of
Load More Replies...More and more people (including myself) are returning to vintage photography and are trying to emulate it by taking photos on film or using digital technology. One reason this is happening is because people love nostalgia and want to revisit a 'simpler’ offline world, says Brewster.
Other motivations she mentions include an interest in the imperfect aesthetic film offers and the influencer celebrity culture, which uses point-and-shoot cameras to create content that stands out from the crowd.
She also believes that people come back to vintage photography for their own mental health and well-being. “The delayed gratification of 'slow-tech', hands-on experience is so different from what is created in a screen-based digital world.
Orgone Accumulator, A Device Sold In The 1950s To Allow A Person Sitting Inside To Attract Orgone, A Massless 'Healing Energy'
The FDA noted that one purchaser, a college professor, knew it was "phony" but found it "helpful because his wife sat quietly in it for four hours every day."
I think I'm going to build one, that professor was onto something
Load More Replies...It was probably the only way she could get a break from the kids : )
A Better Walk In The Park, 1937
A Game Of Unicycle Basketball In Harlem, C. 1960s
Whereas Finch says that her clients are drawn to the timeless elegance of vintage photography. “They want images that stand out in this modern age. The women that I photograph want a break from their daily lives to look the most glamorous they ever have. The 40s and 50s in particular created a style that never goes out of fashion. Many of my clients dress in a vintage way on a daily basis.”
Nurse Showing Newspaper Headline About Polio Vaccine To A Man On Chest Respirator Due To Polio, 1955
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nominated as health secretary by Trump in the US. "...key advisor to RFK Jr petitioned regulators to revoke approval of polio vaccine" - the Guardian.
I remember polio in grade school. (Yeah, I'm that old) Every year 2 or 3 classmates would get it. I don't think any of them died of it but it crippled them bad enough that most didn't return to class. Then in 6th grade we all lined up for shots and not a parent one objected. By the end of junior high polio had all but disappeared from my community.
I don't remember any of my classmates getting polio but I do remember that in grade school we all got the vaccine on a sugar cube.
Load More Replies...The US better hope that something worse than Covid doesn't show up from 1/20/25 to 1/20/29. (Assuming RFK Jr is still around by then.)
Maybe he was happy to know his suffering would not be replicated on others no more
Back when people had some sense. Today, many want to eliminate vaccines.
David Henseley, Young Child Crippled By Polio With Both Legs In Braces, Soliciting Funds In Public Fundraising Driver For A New Polio Hospital, 1948
Your grandma stole the crippled orphan's pot? Wow. How mean. 😂
Load More Replies...My grandpa was in braces as a child from polio but was eventually able to recover enough to walk normally
As Soviets Approach Berlin, The Citizens Of The City Did Their Best To Take Care Of Zoo Animals, 1945
Ah! The shoebill stork. I only recently learnt of this bird. A really gentle creature with interesting mannerisms.
Right! We know that and whilst I appreciate you keeping the truth alive, as we will 'never forget' with people like you doing your part - this image is about something else
Load More Replies...In wartime, caring is one of the greatest achievements anyone can do.
That's a Shoebill. The woman is Elisabeth Johst, a zookeeper, who took the Shoebill in after the building housing the Shoebill was destroyed during an air raid.
Load More Replies...To correct an earlier comment, it is recored that staff of the zoo had to euthanize the more dangerous animals to prevent a problem if they escaped, and that some Red Army soldiers many of the surving animals.
“TV and film also play a part—highly styled hair, makeup, and outfits can be aspirational to many women,” she adds. “I think another element is lighting—dramatic lighting that can be created in the studio, which is very authentic, is not something you can do at home with your phone, which makes vintage photography perhaps more in demand.”
Bruce Lee Doing Two Finger One Arm Push UPS, Ca. 1970s
Police Officer Unaware Of The Imminent Danger, 1959
Would be afraid to do this nowadays. Everyone has a quick trigger. Not just police.
Oh he is quite aware and is ready. What does he have in his left hand? Can you tell?
The Statue Of Liberty 🗽 Towering Over Paris Just Before Being Disassembled And Shipped To New York
That would have been quite the sight to see - to see it erected and then subsequently torn down... and then imagine going on vacation to NYC and seeing again in the same lifetime.
"Your love keeps lifting me, Higher and Higher!" Walked right accross the ocean.
Load More Replies...She looks absolutely majestic here, before the copper oxidized into the (equally majestic) green we see today.
No petina yet either! I cant ever get past these images, knowing how many years ago it was
So if you got inspired to dabble in vintage photography, Brewster recommends investing in a good-quality workshop where you can clarify anything by asking questions. “It will save you so much money and time in the long run (less ruined rolls of film and expensive processing mistakes) as well as being a lot more satisfying as an experience. Learn how to process your own film so that you are able to save money on processing costs and be fully in control of your creative vision and decisions,” she says.
Together, An Armless Man (Charles Tripp) And A Legless Man (Eli Bowen) Can Ride A Tandem. 1890s
Two men on a bike, one man who had no arms said” put yer foot down at the front, my bumhole has developed a leak” The second rider (no legs) says” shut up, thats why”. The end.
Load More Replies...A Milkman Makes His Way Through The Rubble Following A German Bombing Raid In London, 1940
It's on the right... and the left... and a bit behind you.
Load More Replies...You're correct in the fact that that isn't a real milkman but the destruction from German bombing raids is very much real.
Load More Replies...Cute picture but long ago this was proved fake and posed by the photigrapher
Alfred Hitchcock Serving Tea To Leo The Lion, Mascotte Of MGM ,1958
The lion probably treated his leading ladies better than Hitchcock did.
He lived down the road from me, as kids we'd go down to his house and his housekeeper gave us full sized Hersey bars - it was like Christmas on Halloween
She additionally advises not to overthink what you’re doing. “Grab a good-value camera (either a cheap point & shoot or an SLR from a reputable dealer with a warranty) and a few good-value rolls of black and white film (something like a Kentmere 400 or ILFORD HP5+) and experiment. These are really forgiving films, so you will still likely get some images, even if you make a few mistakes whilst you're learning.”
Soldiers Of The 6th Waffen SS "Nord" Mountain Infantry Division Bandaging A Wounded Dog's Paw
There were millions of Jews, homosexuals, dissidents, Slavs, Poles, etc. who might disagree with that.
Load More Replies...Please remember that the vast majority of soldiers are not and never were evil people. They are normal people, often forced to do evil things by the evil of those in command.
So we just accept evil because it's easier? They weren't just handing out leaflets. They were murdering children. Gassing pensioners, shooting untermenschen. At what point does "following orders" become evil? Five children? Ten? Five hundred? "Evil is as evil does" Forrest Gump
Load More Replies...An Anti KKK Group Called 'The Invisible Jungle, Knights Of The Tiger's Eye,' A New Secret Order
Nah by Big black saks, it's a brand of rubbish bags we buy in New Zealand. I have some in the cupboard 🤣
Load More Replies...Why bust heads when we can wear funny outfits? The outfits are what are getting me interested.
Load More Replies...I mean, I can understand the need to be anonymous. But I have as much sympathy for a punched Nazi as I do CEOs shot full of holes.
In London, The Double-Decker Buses Underwent A Tilt Test To Prove They Would Not Tip Over
I'm guessing the passenger weight measurement is taken into account, rather than just the tare weight. As it would seriously affect the centre of gravity.
To this day, all London buses are tested with sandbags strapped to the top-deck seats while the bottom is empty, and they must be stable passed 33 degrees tilt
Load More Replies...What happes if you turned the front wheels slightly. Let's see if it will tip over then? Or what if it is full of people and moving and go around a sharp turn real fast. Then let's see what happens?
The far strap is taught, it presents as possibly aiding in support
She also suggests, “Take loads of notes and be methodical so you can figure out what works, develop a unique style and see your photography progress! This will also save you so much money and time on wasted film and paper.”
Samuel Reshevsky, Age 8, Playing Against Several Chess Masters At Once In France
Born in Poland, He learned to play chess at age four and was soon acclaimed as a child prodigy. At age eight, he was beating many accomplished players with ease and giving simultaneous exhibitions, 1920
Wikipedia: Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s: he tied for third place in the 1948 World Chess Championship tournament, and tied for second in the 1953 Candidates tournament. He was an eight-time winner of the US Chess Championship, tying him with Bobby Fischer for the all-time record. He was an accountant by profession and also a chess writer.
Night Fishing, 1948
I'm not sure all these people understand. It's not like years ago.
Load More Replies...I was just thinking the same thing!
Load More Replies...What's even more insane is that this man is from a tribe that has evolved to be able to dive for up to 10 minutes without going up for air. Bajau tribe, Google them
Load More Replies...Nudity Is God’s Creation, 1979
This lady, and the lady on the beach holding the sign (not liking the skin) should really go for a sit down and have a chat
For more context, look up Kellie Everts aka Rasa von Werder. A very busy woman who has packed a lot into her life.
Is it just me or does anyone else think of Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie?"
A nude photo of her would be nice to look at. A nude photo of me would make you claw your eyes out faster than Oedipus just to never see such horrors again.
Load More Replies...Lastly, Finch urges not to forget the importance of styling and lighting. “To create vintage-style images, it starts with the styling. Working with a hair and makeup artist who truly understands vintage styling is essential. Lighting is also critical - understanding how to shape light and combine hard and soft lighting will really elevate your images. Posing is also very important - it should be elegant, classic and above all, flattering. It’s important to pay attention to hand positioning in particular.”
Picture Of Male Lovers From 1850 - 1950 When Being Gay Was Illegal
Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, who are married, collected over 2,800 images over the last 20 years from flea markets, estate sales and family archives before digitising them for their book Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love.
The subjects vary from 19th century working class men to fashionably dressed businessmen, students, soldiers and sailors.
We don't actually know they were gay, they may both have been looking for wives. It was common to advertise for a spouse, especially if you were from a small town and placed the ad in bigger cities as there may not have been singles in your area. Doesn't matter really but it's still worth noting.
Indeed. When this was last posted here on BP the original publication was linked to, which had no evidence to support the idea that they were wanting to marry each other.
Load More Replies...Nnnnnnnope. Don't make stuff up! The simplest explanation is they're heterosexuals looking for wives. If you have ANY corroborating evidence to suggest otherwise, I challenge you to post it. Based on their shirt collars, these guys lived in a time when homosexual behavior was a criminal offense. They would not likely have documented it with a photograph.
That's what I'm saying. The last thing you want is evidence like that laying around. Yoda only knows what they did to people who were caught, I sure don't wanna know 🙉
Load More Replies...in the late 19th century wearing a green carnation was a symbol worn by gay men. It was a sign, a way of saying but not saying. There are art works from ancient Egypt and Rome of men with men. It’s always been there.
Back then, it was a serious taboo to be gay! Most of the time they were arrested for, or beaten for it ....
London, 1939
No he's not! Come on man, the dogs grammer is not THAT good (is it?)
Load More Replies...🤦🏾♀️ The little girl and her pup being disappointed, so cute, right?! /s
Load More Replies...My mother told me that dog biscuits were "off-ration" so there was no limit on them. The children would buy and eat them.
A Nun Keeping Her Young Charges Cool, Madonna House Day Nursery, New York City, Summer 1941
Hey, a penguin watering little dudes. There was a picture previously of a dude watering little penguins. How 'bout that?
They should be swimming where they belong, not being so hot this needs to happen.
There's nothing wrong with this statement. It's especially sweet that she's willing to get the children wet, knowing that she will be soaked in that habit.
Load More Replies...A Zookeeper Watering Some Emperor Pinguïns To Keep Them Cool On A Hot Summer Day, 1957
They should be swimming where they belong, not being so hot this needs to happen.
Back then they were kept in cages most of the time. This water sprinkler was critical for them. He did well with the setup he had to work with
Load More Replies...POOR PENGUINS! (did yall see that entrepid fellar that ended up in Australia? Very important demonstration of methodology colonization in areas such as the Galapagos Islands)
A Boy Sitting On A Sea Mine Eating An Ice-Cream In Kent, United Kingdom, 1945
Naval mines need a good bump or a magnetic field to be triggered. I'd not advise hanging around them, but to a swimmer or beach goer back at the time they were not so dangerous.... at least not compared to the anti-personnel mines left scattered all around
Load More Replies...My mum a has told me about the fact that when she was a child they used to play on bomb sites all the time never gave a thought that there could be any Unexploded bombs there. Edited for typo thanks Robert T.
The Unexploded ones were more dangerous though. ;-)
Load More Replies...This picture pretty much encompasses what it was like to be Gen X. 😆
A Boy Selling Lemonade With A Portable Lemonade Dispenser. Berlin, 1931
Watching The Signing Of Treaty Of Versailles, 1919
Not kinda. Most everyone except the French saw it coming.
Load More Replies...the railcar was where armistice was signed in 1918, not the treaty
Load More Replies...A Navigation Hotline In The Netherlands, 1963. Long, Long Before Google Maps
They all have ashtrays. Back then everyone smoked everywhere, without a 2nd thought
Boy this would have been handy back in the day! Paper maps are all well and good unless you're completely freaking lost and have no idea where the hell you are
Woman Operating A Camera Underwater, 1940s
But there have to be another person underwater taking her picture of her taking a picture.
maybe shes takting the picture of the person taking the picture of the person taking a picture of her
Load More Replies...The lady is under water. She's taking a picture using a camera. How are you confused?
Load More Replies...A 9000 HP Spiral Turbine Being Built In Germany For A Power Plant In Norway, 1928
If that were today, someone would have that sticking out the hood of their Honda.
How The Donut Size Changed Throughout The Years
Don't show this around...the donut shops will use it for shrinkflation!
Charge the same for the donuts and double for the bigger middles lol
Load More Replies...Well, here in America... we just aren't that smart, so we use imperial. lol
Load More Replies...This 1958 Photo Shows A Prisoner Being Used To Test Safety Nets Before They Were Mass-Produced For The Public
No living being that did not give express permission should be used to test anything
Maybe he did give permission. Perhaps he received some incentive to volunteer?
Load More Replies...BS caption. These are sportsmen training for "Sled Jump" at Alexandra Palace, London, Great Britain, in 1933. The rest of the team is in the lower right in winter attire. BP, stop trusting random Instagrammers that spew b******t for clout, this photo is on several proper archives with the correct caption.
If it meant doing something new and exciting outside my cell, I would consent to testing "safety nets"
I'm sorry "SAFETY NETS '? Cause the trapeze artists circuses required 22 worldwide! THOSE safety nets?
Neither incarcerated people nor beagles should be used in experiments!
Load More Replies...Soviet Soldiers Crouched In A Trench As A Russian T-34 Tank Passes Over Them During The Battle Of Kursk, 1943
By the time of the Battle of Kursk, most Soviet soldier had seen worse...
Load More Replies...Up yo 7000 Soviet tanks were destroyed/damaged during the Battle of Kursk ... the loss of the common soldier is unbelievable
My father had his helmet crushed as it flew off his head when he dove into a hole to avoid a Sherman. My brother still has it.
It ain't stupid if you're fighting to save your homeland from being invaded by a brutal and merciless aggressor !
Load More Replies...Colonel Sanders From KFC Eating A Pie At Harry’s Cafe De Wheels In Sydney, 1972
Him thinking: this is so yummy... His white suit thinking: let me taste
An Italian Woman Curiously Inspecting The Kilt Of A Scottish Soldier In The Colosseum Of Rome, 1944
A Couple Stops Dr. Martin Luther King For A Photo On A Beach, 1956
"Wait For Me Daddy"
A touching photo, captured by Claude Detloff in Vancouver as the soldiers of the Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles marched off to fight in the World War II. The emotions seen in the parents' and child's face and their body language combine together to make it into an unforgettable image, freezing the heart-wrenching moment forever. Luckily, the father of the boy returned safe and sound in October 1945
British Soldiers Learning To Handle Mines And Booby-Trap Devices 'Blind' As Part Of Training For Night Missions At The 10 Corps Mine School. December 1943
Eiffeltower Under Construction For The 1889 World Fair In Paris, France
Pretty sure it was INTENDED as a temporary structure. However, the Eiffel Tower is a well-known sight in Paris. It was NOT taken down, LOLOLOLOL.
Load More Replies...Christmas During The Croatian War In 1992, Vukovar
Girls Dressed As Witches Going Water Skiing In Florida, C. 1950s
Well, Who is on top and What is on the left. Which is on the right.
Load More Replies...Wonder why they just didn't hop on their brooms and fly to wherever they were going
Salvador Dali Reading A Biography About Himself, 1955
Quite the eccentric, wasn't he ? Just loves fooling around, especially in public.
John Lennon Snorts Coke In The 1960s. From The Movie A Hard Days Night
The other guy is Wilfrid Brambell.. Steptoe & Son.. Brilliant comedy
Load More Replies...A Man Wearing External Pacemaker. It Is Battery Operated, 1960
Marilyn Monroe Performing In Korea For Thousands Of American Soldiers, 1954
When she came back, she said to her then-husband Joe DiMaggio "Oh, Joe, you can't imagine what it's like having thousands of people cheer for you.!" "Yes, I can", he replied.
Michael Jordan Posing In Front Of The Eiffel Tower In Paris, 1985
The Elephant Seal Goliath With A Zoo Keeper, 1936
The Consequences Of Landing On The Wrong Aircraft Carrier, 1952
Stonehenge Reconstruction, Circa 1919
In c1919 they needed heavy lifting equipment to lift and move the stones. How did the original builders move them without the benefit of "modern" equipment. Amazing to consider.
Makes you realise primitive doesn’t mean stupid. Their engineers were as good as any today.
Load More Replies...The Finish Of The First Tour De France, 1903
There are so many fun facts about the first Tour de France, really insane stuff ^^
A Mom Washing Her Children On A Hot Day In Paris, 1937
An Ostrich Carriage Being Stopped By The Police For Crossing The Speed Limit, Los Angeles, 1930
German Fraternity Mirror Selfie, 1912
Man Using An Aircraft Detection Radar Device , C. 1920s
RADAR = RAdio Detection And Ranging. Sonar would be more accurate (SOund Navigation And Ranging)
It us a "Goerz acoustic locator" ... a prewar German device used by everyone
Margaret Bourke-White, A Photographer, Climbing The Chrysler Building For The Perfect Photo, Circa 1930
Hong Kong In 1960, Captured By Fan Ho
2023 and human pulled rickshaws are still used in Kolkata
Load More Replies...A Peanut Vendor Wearing A Suit Made Of Peanuts, 1890
Peanuts, peanuts - If you haven't got bananas, don't be blue - Peanuts in a little bag are calling you, you, you - For at the very break of day - The peanut vendor's on his way - Through every city, town, and country lane - You'll hear him sing his plaintive little refrain - And as he goes by to you he'll say - Peanuts roasted today, freshly roasted today - If you're looking for a moral to this song - Fifty million little monkeys can't be wrong -
Here is that wonderful song done by Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino Orchestra (1930) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Awtl8WMUs
Load More Replies...A Blind American 🇺🇸 First World War Veteran On The Streets Selling The Bonus Expeditionary Force Papers
Photo Showing Two Berlin German Policemen On Patrol. Beside Them Is A Snowman. In The Distance, The Brandenburg Gate Stands, 1961
I thought this is three policemen. Kommissar Snowy!
Load More Replies...Russia Be Like... Moscow, 1963
The Sagrada Família In Barcelona, 1905. It Is Magnificent That After More Than A 100 Years Of Constructions, The Structure Has Yet To Be Finished
Magnificent would not be the word I'd use to describe it being incomplete after 100 years. The building maybe, but not how long it's taking to complete this structure.
Medieval cathedrals also took generations to build because they were funded by donations. Antoni Gaudi knew that he would not live to see the building completed. As it stands now, the church is mostly complete and is now a usable structure. It is projected to be completed in the next few years, with sculptures and decorative details being finished in the 2030s.
Load More Replies...Australian Soldiers Of The 4th Division Field Artillery Brigade On Duckboard Track In The Château Wood
Kendal Green Bicycle Club, 1884
and everyone wears a helmet! We have to put up with the older people laughing at us and saying that in the past we would have ridden without one and nothing would have happened... sure...
To be fair, bikes in the 70's weren't that tall.
Load More Replies...Michael Jackson Hanging Out With Oscar The Grouch, 1978
A Sky Trooper From The 1st Cavalry Division Keeps Track Of The Time He Has Left On His “Short Time” Helmet, While Participating In Operation Pershing, Near Bong Son During The Vietnam War, 1968
Power House Mechanic Working On Steam Pump. Photo By Lewis Hine 1920
Beautiful man, but to stage him in that position, the wrench isn't set properly on the nut.
This would be the best position for loosening that specific nut, given its proximity to the locating pin.
Load More Replies...British Policeman Wearing Either A Mk4 Or Mk5 Gas Mask
A Chest X-Ray In Progress At Dr. Maxime Menard’s Radiology Department At The Cochin Hospital. Menard Would Later Lose His Finger To Side Effects From Operating The X-Ray Machine. 1914
A Window Washer Of The Empire State Building As He Draws A Lung-Full Of Clean Air At This Height
A Teenager Getting Her Hair Straightened With An Iron, Queens, New York City, 1964
The World's Fattest Woman And "Major Mite", One Of The World's Shortest People. 1922
Nowadays she wouldn’t qualify for the “my 600lbs life” show on TLC
Load More Replies...One can see ladies this size quite regularly on any British council estate.
The Lincoln Memorial Being Constructed, 1922
The Future Is Now! Traffic Jams Are No More With The Flying Car. The Convair Model 118 Unfortunately Never Made It Into Mass Production, 1947
Given the lack of skill or focussed attention most drivers possess when dealing with only two dimensions, mass flight is never going to happen.
Load More Replies...The "Follyphone", A Fake Musical Instrument Designed By Lewis Sydney As A Parody Of New Musical Instruments Being Devised At The Time
Charlie Chaplin And His Nemesis Eric Campbell, 1916
To Study Facial Muscles, Neurologist Duchenne De Boulogne Electrocuted A Man's Face, 1862
All the experiments using electricity are horrifying to see/hear about, though a few led to important discoveries/treatment
A Man Balances Himself On A Wooden Rod On The Edge Of A New York Skyscraper, 1939
He has a "safety" cable looped around his right wrist and clipped to the building, looks like. Still... hard pass
Repair Workers Fixing The Damage To The North Side Of The Empire State Building After The B25 Crash In 1945
Healing A Back Problem With A Bear. Romania, 1946
Ick, my ancestors were also known for bear “training” too. So sad seeing bears in chains.
British Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks To Chop Onions. Tobruk October 1941
They are peeling potatoes but I would have worn my gas mask to peel onions if I had a gas mask so I imagine some soldiers did
They are peeling onions, not chopping them. And for the two commenters who said they're potatoes, no they aren't. Zoom in on the ones on the rim of the pan; you can clearly see they are onions.
It appears to me it's a mixture of potatoes and onions. Some are clearly onions, no doubt. Others look conspicuously like potatoes.
Load More Replies...A Young Boy Riding A Tortoise While Tempting It With Some Food, 1945
It makes me think of the time I was a teen and went to Marine World in California and they had an elephant ride attraction. I did it and it was amazing and I have a great memory of it. But now, as an adult I realize what the elephant probably went through and how cruel it really was to do that and feel bad. I didn't know any better at the time, but now I do. Hopefully we can just learn to be kinder better people!
Load More Replies...American Gangster Mickey Cohen Standing Amongst The Front Pages Of Newspapers That Helped Make Him The Most Infamous Citizen In Los Angeles
Testing A Football Helmet By Charging Into A Wall, 1912
Not Everyone Likes Bikini, Miami Beach, 1980s
Yeah 😂 this would have been my partners mum back in the day, it’s not jesusss friendly 😂
Load More Replies...I can't imagine any heaven worthy of the name if it's filled with such pushy, myopic religious nuts. All the interesting people like Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Lemmy Kilmister will be in Hell.
The Detroit Police Tug-Of-War Were Ready To Demolish The Competition In 1991 Wouldn't Want To Be Up Against Them In The Squid Game
Pablo Escobar Pictured In A 1976 Mugshot ⠀ In 1993, Escobar Famously Escaped From Police Custody Ahead Of A Transfer From La Catedral - The Prison He Built For Himself - To Another Facility
I think he looks completely normal, which is somehow more disturbing
Load More Replies...Harry Houdini Before He Jumped Off The Harvard Bridge In Boston. (1908) Houdini Was A Hungarian-Born American Illusionist And Stunt Performer
Basketball Inventor Dr. James Naismith. (Circa 1900)
Men In Diving Equipment On The Beach, 1940s
A Man Standing On The First Cables During The Construction Of The Golden Gate Bridge
Many years ago I seen a PBS show about the building of the Golden Gate bridge. He put up safety nets for the workers so they wouldn't die. The workers would on purpose jump into the net.
Woman Riding A Bucking Barrel At The Mayan Dude Ranch. Bandera, Texas, 1953
The Dynasphere Is An Electric Monowheel Vehicle. It Could Reach A Speed Up To 25 Miles Per Hour, Which Is About 40 Kilometers Per Hour. 1932
Lipstick Tester, 1960. Based On The Look On His Face I Doubt He Minded Being Tested On
Fascinating Bike Exhibition In Chicago, 1948
Blondie, The Pet Lion, Texas, USA, 1953
Fidel Castro Playing Basketball Against Polish Student During His Visit In Krakow, 1972
He's wearing American shoes, namely Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.
Photo Of Mao Zedong Playing A Game Of Table Tennis, 1963
Win ... and it's off to the firing squad !
Load More Replies...Checking The Specifications To Be A Stewardess, 1948
A Young Woman Holds Her Arms And Legs In Four Water Bathes With Electric Current, To Improve Blood Circulation, 1938
View Of The Empire State Building From A Hole On The Roof Of A Penthouse On 33rd Street
"The Empire State Building can be viewed through a hole in the roof of a penthouse on 33rd street, New York, in this July 28, 1945 photo. Debris from an army B-25 bomber which crashed into the Empire State Building caused the hole in the roof along with a fire to the penthouse." - https://flashbak.com/watching-b-25-mitchell-bomber-hit-empire-state-building-1945-387391/empire-state-bomber/
Load More Replies...American Soldier Wearing The Crown Of The Holy Roman Empire In A Cave In Siegen, Germany, On April 3, 1945
That's not the genuine crown of the Holy Roman Empire though. It's a replica created in the early 20th century. The real crown was hidden in Nuremberg, where it was found in late April 1945.
Eunice Padfield And Her Horse Plunge From A High Platform Into A Pool Of Water Below
For the same reason we thought circus animals, public executions, and racial hatred were amusing. Sadly it's what it was at the time. Does it forgive the act? Absolutely not. We just have to do better moving forward.
Load More Replies...Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. I think she went blind (in the movie anyway)
Yes! I LOVED this movie as a kid. Only later did I learn it was based on a true story.
Load More Replies...Please, people. Get some perspective here. The horses are TRAINED for this. You think they just galloped a horse off a high platform and then just jumped? LEARN a little bit about what you don't know before you put it down.
Yeah. Horses are trained and bred for a huge variety of sporting and useful activities. They can jump amazing amounts and were NOT just herded, terrified, off a plank for amusement. Yes, there has been a lot of mistreatment of animals throughout history, in industry and entertainment, but just assuming something is cruel without context is not the way to proceed.
Load More Replies...BP PLEASE Stop "shortening" the articles. We can look at 100 pictures, it's not a burden. If we want to stop at 30, we can stop. But commenting on an interesting post, then it disappears, it's annoying, and "shortening" serves no purpose.
Oh, it's evdn worse, now you have to sign up for "BP premium" to see the rest of the list...
Load More Replies...Interaction. Ad space probably sells for more if they can show that people are interacting.
Load More Replies...Why would I pay to see more pics, when BP already incorrectly described several of the first 30? How about doing some verification work instead of spreading someone else's misinformation?
Haven't been on BP in a while and now there's silly ads?! Yeah, no thanks, never again.
BP PLEASE Stop "shortening" the articles. We can look at 100 pictures, it's not a burden. If we want to stop at 30, we can stop. But commenting on an interesting post, then it disappears, it's annoying, and "shortening" serves no purpose.
Oh, it's evdn worse, now you have to sign up for "BP premium" to see the rest of the list...
Load More Replies...Interaction. Ad space probably sells for more if they can show that people are interacting.
Load More Replies...Why would I pay to see more pics, when BP already incorrectly described several of the first 30? How about doing some verification work instead of spreading someone else's misinformation?
Haven't been on BP in a while and now there's silly ads?! Yeah, no thanks, never again.
