At the beginning of the 1900s, leisure travel in general was something experienced exclusively by the wealthy and elite population. In the early-to-mid-20th century, trains were steadily a popular way to get around. Through these vintage photos, we can s…
In this collection, we will dive into vintage advertisements and take a look at car advertisements between the 1900s and 1950s. The very first and simple car ads were a sign of times that emphasized the fact that cars were the ultimate luxury. The first…
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.…
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, farms started to use new machinery and fertilizers that transformed them from small-scale enterprises into food factories. Entrepreneurs selling products designed to increase a farmer’s production were anxious …
Photographer Nils Olsson Reppen was born in 1856 on the farm Reppen in Sogndal in western Norway. In 1882, he immigrated to America and worked as a photographer in Browns Valley and Morris in Minnesota. He returned to Norway in the late 1890s and contin…
These amazing photochrom postcards of New York City were procured by the Detroit Publishing Company and offer a spectacular view of the Big Apple in natural colors. In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (unti…
In the early 1900s child labor was still extremely common in the United States. All across the nation children would spend their days slaving away in mines and cotton mills, far away from the school rooms that the National Child Labor Committee wanted them…
For hundreds of years, Sami people harnessed reindeer and strapped on Nordic skis as a way to travel across vast snowy expanses. Skijoring ("ski driving") is still popular in all Scandinavian countries. Reindeer races are still held in Tromso, Norway; I…
In the early 1900s, there wasn’t really such a thing as bodybuilding, there were people who had huge muscles, but they concentrated on traditional strongmen routines. Lifting large boulders, performing impressive feats of strength, and generally enterta…
The history of airships begins, like the history of hot air balloons, in France. After the invention of the hot air balloon in 1783, a French officer named Meusnier envisioned an airship that utilized the design of the hot air balloon but was able to be…
New York Central's breathtaking Grand Central Terminal (or GCT) is a New York City landmark and world-famous station. It was built during the Golden Age of rail travel and exemplified the power and scope railroads wielded at that time. While the termina…
These vintage photos capture the sun-soaked beaches and towering waves of the 1960s and 1970s, a time when surf culture wasn’t just a pastime but a way of life. From California’s shimmering coastline to the shores of Australia and New Zealand, surfing wasn’…
Motorcycles have a fascinating origin story rooted in the technological advancements of the 19th century. Their lineage can be traced back to the "safety bicycle," which featured equally sized front and rear wheels and a pedal-crank mechanism to propel the …
In 1907, when Annette Kellerman appeared on Revere Beach in a one-piece swimsuit ending in shorts above her knees, her bold choice created an uproar. Her legs, visible and daring by the standards of the day, led to her arrest for indecency. Yet those same l…
As modern technology rapidly advances, jobs that once seemed like the stuff of science fiction are now becoming everyday realities. However, as new opportunities emerge, many roles that were once essential have faded into history. This list explores …
During the early days of mugshots, the American frontier was teeming with outlaws and bandits, making it a prime location for capturing their images. This gallery of Wild West mugshots shows some of the most notorious criminals from the late 1800s and early…
Fashionable women's clothing in the 1890s moved away from the exaggerated styles of previous decades. Skirts were no longer as wide as in the 1850s or as bustled as in the late 1860s and mid-1880s. They were also not as tight as in the late 1870s. However, …
In the late 19th century, England was known for its wealth, but not everyone shared in its prosperity. Even though it was one of the richest countries, many neighborhoods, especially in London, were very poor. Around 35 percent of Londoners lived in pov…
Journeying through history often feels distant when peering at faded black and white photographs that seem to belong to another world. The mind craves color, yearning for a connection that black and white imagery struggles to provide. Adding color to pho…
In the early 1900s, when traditions held tight, a different kind of adventure was roaring to life: women on motorcycles. These vintage photos aren’t just snapshots; they're windows into a time when women embraced the thrill of the open road despite soci…