John Vachon’s Chicago in candid photos, 1941
This post was originally published on this siteIn the hardships caused by the Great Depression, the American government created the Farm Security Administration to help […]
Culture and People
The dead rotting whales who toured Europe, 1950-1970
This post was originally published on this siteThroughout the 1950s, dead rotting whales toured around Europe to promote the declining whaling industry after World War […]
The story behind the “Three Young Farmers” of August Sander, 1914
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1914, German photographer August Sander captured a now famous photo titled “Young Farmers” which is also known […]
“Women of the Future” according to the French artist Albert Bergeret, 1902
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1902, a French manufacturer released a set of trading cards designed by artist Albert Bergeret that imagined […]
Rural Puerto Rico in rare photographs, 1938-1943
This post was originally published on this siteIn response to the Great Depression during which unemployment, poverty and the effects of the Dust Bowl ravaged […]
Pablo Escobar poses for a family photo outside of the White House, 1981
This post was originally published on this siteIn this infamous photograph we see the notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar standing in front of the […]
The use of masks during the Spanish flu pandemic, 1918
This post was originally published on this siteFrom the earliest recognition that a more deadly form of influenza was spreading quickly in fall 1918, US […]
“Tragedy by the Sea”: A dreadful incident that changed a couple’s life forever, 1955
This post was originally published on this siteOn the morning of April 2, 1954, Los Angeles Times photographer John Gaunt was lounging in the front […]
Genevieve Naylor’s post-war fashion photos in stunning colors, 1945-1959
This post was originally published on this siteGenevieve Naylor was born in 1915 in Springfield, Massachusetts. She attended Miss Hall’s School and later, at age […]
Alice Liddell: The real Alice in Wonderland, 1858-1872
This post was originally published on this siteAlice Liddell was the middle daughter of Henry George Liddell, Dean of Christ Church at Oxford. Alice, along […]
The story behind the infamous Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield photo, 1957
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1957 one photo came to life that became an international sensation. It might be the most famous […]
The original dapper Mad Men, 1960s
This post was originally published on this siteDon Draper of the TV show “Mad Men” might have been fictional, but the reality was that art […]
Mailing babies: The story of kids sent through the U.S. Postal Service, 1913
This post was originally published on this siteIt’s hard to believe it, for a brief period of 6 years, it was possible to mail a […]
The story of early diving suits, 1900-1935
This post was originally published on this siteThe invention of individual diving suits in the early 18th century allowed a more refined exploration of the […]
R-100 airship: Inside a “flying hotel”, 1929-1930
This post was originally published on this siteThe R100 airship was built as part of a British government programme to develop airships to provide passenger […]
The Rotor Ride: An unsafe human spinning blender, 1950-1970
This post was originally published on this siteThe Human Spinning Rotor or simply “The Rotor” was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was […]
Skijoring with horses in Norway, 1900s
This post was originally published on this siteFor hundreds of years, Sami people harnessed reindeer and strapped on Nordic skis as a way to travel […]
Vinyl listening booths to discover new music, 1950s
This post was originally published on this siteNowadays you can easily listen to new songs on your smartphone using your earphones, but this wasn’t the […]
Colonial postcards from a dark past, 1890-1914
This post was originally published on this siteBy the 1890s postcards were widely available throughout continental Europe. The postcards appealed to tourists looking for a […]
Robert Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole, 1910-1913
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1910, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott led a privately funded expedition to become the first people to […]
The original Muscle Beach, 1949
This post was originally published on this siteWhen an earthquake ripped through Santa Monica on March 10, 1933, the city was already in bad shape. […]
Going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, 1901-1985
This post was originally published on this siteIt is said that Niagara Falls has a mystic allure that gives some people the uncontrollable urge to […]
Propaganda from the campaign against women’s suffrage, 1900-1913
This post was originally published on this siteThe woman suffrage movement actually began in 1848, when a women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, […]
A lie detector for the power of kisses, 1939
This post was originally published on this siteLie detector tests have become a popular cultural icon — from crime dramas to comedies to advertisements — […]
Old and spectacular photos of Bedouin nomads, 1898
This post was originally published on this siteThese rare photos from the end of the 19th century capture a range of Bedouins at a time […]