In this day and age, it's easy to take our modern-day refrigerators for granted. We expect them to keep our food fresh and cold without giving them a second thought. However, it wasn't always this way. Back in the early 1900s, refrigerators were a luxur…
San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America. It is also one of the largest Chinese enclaves outside Asia. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese …
In today's world, taking a photo of a fish you caught might seem like an ordinary occurrence, but it wasn't always that way. Looking back at the early 1900s, when cameras were just becoming more accessible, fishermen took pride in capturing their big catc…
Niagara Falls is one of the world's most famous and beloved natural wonders. Every year, millions of people flock to see its majesty and power, but few get to witness it during the winter months when it freezes over, turning into an icy, otherworldly landscape…
The world of geisha and maiko women has always been shrouded in mystery and fascination. These women, who have dedicated their lives to mastering the art of traditional Japanese entertainment, have been the subject of countless books, films, and artworks. …
While many people argue that home economics classes are outdated (and patriarchal), the whole point of them was to equip young people with the practical skills they needed to live life as independent adults. Historically, the purpose of these courses was to…
The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent European settlers. Arthur A. Denny and his group of travelers, subsequently known as the Denny Party, arrived from Illinois via Portland, Oregon, on the s…
It is said that the washing machine did more to liberate women in the 20th century than the pill or the right to work or vote. Before the advent of the washing machine, laundry was often done in a communal setting. Villages across Europe that could afford i…
These old photos show couples in love from the 19th century proving that love is timeless and eternal. Despite sometimes appearing stern or sitting apart, it's clear that they still adore each other as shown by their sweetly shy smiles, flirting, tender tou…
When settlers headed to the Pacific Northwest, they were forced to improvise dwellings and start their lives from scratch. Finding the stumps of gigantic trees that had been felled by logging companies still rooted in the ground, they saw a great opportunit…
Once upon a time, Schlitz beer was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was advertised with the slogan "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer". Schlitz first became the largest beer producer in the US in 1902 and enjoyed that status a…
The 19th century saw a big shift for the butcher shops, with the population growing and many of those quickly populating the towns and cities, urban butcher shops were an important part of people’s daily life. Eating meat became popular across all sections …
These fascinating historical photographs depict immigrants and their struggle to land in America in the 1900s. Unprecedented numbers of immigrants flocked to US shores, dreaming of a life of freedom and prosperity. Between 1820 and 1920, approximately 34 mi…
In 1900s England, a mother-of-four named Mary Ann Bevan developed acromegaly and took up the title of being "the ugliest woman in the world" as a way to provide for her children. This is her tragic story, a reminder of how cruel the world can be. The Wo…
From miniskirted hostesses to clear suggestive lines, companies have a long history of using women to sell air travel. This was the time when flying was both the literal and figurative height of sexiness. While “sex sells” is one of those universally-known …
Throughout the decades, a number of important and interesting sites and landmarks have been lost, many due to the urbanization of cities, sometimes they're torn down due to mounting maintenance costs after falling into disrepair, and sometimes they'll fall pre…
In 1953, the biggest vessel to travel the Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway (at the time) managed to wind its way downtown on the Chicago River. This steel hull behemoth was nearly 634 feet long (193m) and 70 feet wide (21.3m) and according to a Chica…
This photo collection shows historic newspaper clippings that feature weird and, sometimes, hilarious reasons for divorce that made local headlines in the early part of the 20th century. By the mid-to-late 19th century, divorce rates in the United States in…
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. Training for an engineering career, he attended …
History is filled with unusual stories, and sometimes we're lucky enough to see them preserved forever in pictures. In this photo collection, you can see around 45 most unique and bizarre photographs in history. Photographs can give us a window into the p…