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 …
On April 26, 1986, a series of explosions destroyed Chernobyl’s reactor No. 4, and several hundred staff and firefighters tackled a blaze that burned for 10 days and sent a plume of radiation around the world. More than 50 reactor and emergency workers were ki…
The Russian word used in the original title, "физкультурники", is now usually translated as "gym teachers", but at the moment of the parades meant "sportsmen/bodybuilders or athletes". This is a legacy of Stalin era propaganda parades to promote physica…
The men are practitioners of Kyudo, Japanese Zen archery. Their outfits and the way they hold their second arrows (Ya) between their fourth and fifth fingers give this away. The target is most likely 28m away from the men since they are shooting outdoors a…
A liquidator, clad in a gas mask and protective clothing, pushes a baby in a carriage who was found during the cleanup of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The infant had been left in an abandoned house in the village of Tatsenki. The worker found the chi…
Thatcher is surrounded by troops on a visit to Goose Green in January 1983, where the Parachute Regiment had secured a crucial victory seven months earlier. The war was a turning point in her premiership. The Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges called …
This image might be one of the most impressive photographs of all time. While it might just look like a regular Polaroid of some industrial sludge in a rundown warehouse, you’re looking at the epicenter of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Known as “the E…
Rat-catchers were employed in Europe to control rat populations. Keeping the rat population under control was practiced in Europe to prevent the spread of diseases to man, most notoriously the Black Plague and to prevent damage to food supplies. Today this…
Bobby Fischer is considered by many to be the greatest chess player who ever lived. In this particular simultaneous exhibition, he won 47 of the matches, drew 2, and lost 1. He lost to Donn Rogosin, not a well-known player. Fischer was 21 in this pictur…
In October 1963, a small tuxedo cat from the streets of Paris was chosen to do something no feline had ever done before. Her name was Félicette, and she would become the first cat launched into space. At just five and a half pounds, she hardly seemed like t…
Long before Photoshop and digital touch-ups, the art of seduction was perfected with paint. In the 1940s and 1950s, pin-up girls became cultural icons, their images gracing bomber planes, barracks walls, and magazine pages. They weren’t just pictures…
The 2000s was a decade that left behind some of the most memorable—and sometimes questionable—fashion moments in recent history. It was an era defined by experimentation, blending old and new, and embracing bold statements that reflected the rapid globaliza…
Studio portraits of couples in the 1970s capture a unique mix of intimacy, style, and playful energy. Unlike the stiff, formal poses of previous decades, these photos often show couples relaxed and comfortable, bringing a sense of life and personality to th…
Cheerleading has long been a fixture of American sports culture, combining energy, performance, and a sense of tradition. What began as simple chants from the stands gradually evolved into an organized activity that blended athleticism with entertainment. …
Bacon perfectly toasted in disposable trays, sonic-powered dishwashers, and refrigerators that rose from the floor at the touch of a button—these were once visions of everyday life. In 1962, a book titled 1975: And the Changes to Come by Arnold B. Barac…
There was a certain energy in the air during the 1980s, a restless excitement that pulsed through malls, living rooms, and offices as technology rapidly reshaped everyday life. It was a decade when gadgets were not just tools but status symbols, convers…
In the decades following World War II, architecture in Eastern Europe underwent a radical transformation, guided not only by necessity but by ideology. Under the umbrella of Socialist Modernism, countries within the Communist bloc embarked on an ambitious a…
For over a century, women have been told what their bodies should look like—and just as importantly, what they shouldn’t. Among the most enduring expectations has been the removal of body hair. While many women still follow this unwritten rule, others have …
Igor Youriévitch Bogdanoff and Grégoire “Grichka” Youriévitch Bogdanoff were French television presenters and producers best known for hosting programs on science fiction, popular science, and cosmology. The identical twins gained widespread recognition in …
The 1970s were a fascinating era for children's toys, driven by advancing technology and the influence of popular culture. Electronic toys like Simon, an addictive memory game, and the Atari gaming system brought new, interactive play experiences into home…