These iconic photographs were taken the day Soviet and American troops met at the Elbe River, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe. The first image shows American Lieutenant William Robertson and Sov…
In the 1950s, visionary business entrepreneur Lawrence Freiman opened a new concept store that tried to reinvent the way people purchased things. "Vis-O-Matic" was the Amazon Prime of its era: a store equipped with televisions where customers sat down, orde…
These incredible black and white photographs document everyday life in New York City in the 1940s and offer a glimpse into a long-gone era. From street peddlers selling fish or fresh ears of corn, to cars stalled under mounds of snow, scenes are both fa…
The Ericofon, created by the Swedish phone giant L.M. Ericsson in the 1950s was the lightest phone on the market at the time of its introduction. It revolutionized the look of this common household object by concealing its dial on the bottom of the base, ma…
These photos taken by photographer Gordon Parks capture the Fulton Fish Market in lower Manhattan and document the path of a fresh catch from the boats of New England fishermen to the vendors’ stands. The fish market was originally a wing of the Fulton Mark…
Spurred by the instant nationwide success of blended cigarette brands such as Camel, Lucky Strike and Chesterfield cigarette companies spend millions on advertising and promotion to encourage smoking. Tobacco marketers featured healthy, vigorous, fun-loving…
These photos, taken by Eugène Atget, document all of the architecture and street scenes of Paris before their disappearance to modernization. Atget took up photography in the late 1880s and supplied studies for painters, architects, and stage designers.…
These images, taken between the turn of the 20th century and the 1950s, show how student housing in the US has changed over the past hundred or so years. The students used a vivid combination of vintage decor, collegiate pennants, high school diplomas, fami…
This article displays an impressive photo collection of vintage car advertisements in the late 1950s and 1960s. The 1960s automobiles belonged to a distinct decade of automobile history with the advent of economy, muscle and pony cars. The 1960s saw the …
These pictures of Las Vegas strip in the 1950s were taken by LIFE photographer Loomis Dean and capture the nightlife and the long-gone sights of Sin City. The 1950s were a defining era for Las Vegas. It was the decade that saw the rise of the Riviera, the S…
In the world of glamor and allure, where beauty reigns supreme, one name shines brightly: June Wilkinson. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Wilkinson captivated audiences with her exquisite looks and undeniable charm. She emerged as one of the era's…
These interesting photos, captured by photographer Charles Percy Pickering between 1863 and 1868, illustrate the ability of alcohol to transform a fine upstanding citizen into a staggering wreck. Across the five pictures, an upright, dignified gentleman s…
These photos, taken by Farm Security Administration photographer Arthur Rothstein, show cowboys and dudes from the Quarter Circle U Ranch in Big Horn County, Montana as they gather their herds for the seasonal roundup. Roundups were held within a specific r…
At Tartu University in Estonia, it was a tradition for students to hold “pledge theatres” in late autumn which consisted of staging plays as rites of initiation for soon-to-be members. The all-male pledges were expected to play both male and female roles an…
These photos, taken from a book on phrenology, are packed with strange theories and a whole host of strange illustrations. Published by Chicago phrenologist L.A. Vaught in 1902, the book lays out the 42 known elements of human nature (including Acquisitiven…
Ry-Krisp, a brand of rye crisp bread, was founded by Arvid and Erik Peterson, who immigrated to the United States from Sweden, and brought with them a recipe for traditional Swedish “crisp bread.” Crisp bread or knackerbrod was a staple of the 19th-century …
Bettie Page ( born in 1923) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Popularly referred to as the Queen of Pinups, she was famous for her free-spirited demeanor and unabashed sensuality. Her trademark short bangs, …
In 1945, Todd Webb was discharged from the U.S. Navy following World War II, and landed in New York. With a keen fascination for the bustling humanity of Manhattan, he took his large-format camera out to the streets, capturing its people and places in all w…
These haunting mugshots show Victorian child criminals, some as young as 12, who faced cruel punishments for the most petty crimes. The pictures are taken in the 1870s and originate from Oxford Gaol, a prison that later became HMP Oxford. During this time…
These vintage advertisements, published in magazines and newspapers from the 1930s to the 1960s show how weight gain was aspired to then as firmly as we today aspire to weight loss. The ads tout scientific ways to "add attractive pounds and inches" (a compl…