In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in industrialized countries, paralyzing hundreds of thousands of children every year. A highly infectious disease, polio attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis, disabilit…
The Trooper is black. Standing in front of him and touching his shield is a curious little boy dressed in a KKK hood and robe. In this picture, innocence is mixed with hate, the irony of a black man protecting the right of white people to assemble in pr…
After the Civil War, the availability of natural resources, new inventions, and a receptive market combined to fuel an industrial boom. The demand for labor grew, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many children were drawn into the labor for…
These two men are manumitted slaves. Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. They borrowed the clothes and the hats just for the picture. It's a posed photograph and a statement about being manumitted rather than a picture of …
Few medical cases have carried the weight and controversy of David Reimer’s life. Born in Canada in 1965, he became the subject of a radical experiment meant to prove that gender identity could be shaped entirely by upbringing rather than biology. Following…
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…
During the Great Patriotic War, it was a tragic reality that many Soviet families lost sons, fathers, and brothers on the battlefield. Entire households often found themselves without a single male survivor after the brutal conflict. Amid this harsh rea…
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 …
Mourning dress is most commonly associated with the Victorian era, despite being a part of wardrobes for centuries prior. This period's prominence in the history of mourning attire is largely due to Queen Victoria, who famously wore mourning dress for forty…
Joe Arridy didn't have a last meal wish. Maybe he didn't quite get what that meant. He was just 23, with an IQ of 46. He understood the simple joys of eating, playing, and the world of trains - things you could see, smell, and live. But things like God, …
In the early 20th century, a captivating yet heart-wrenching story unfolded, centered around two albino African-American brothers, George and Willie Muse. Their lives took a dramatic turn when they were plucked from a Virginia farm and thrust into the brigh…
In 1946, a group of Russian children from the Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization (a Soviet scouting group) presented a carved wooden replica of the Great Seal of the United States to Averell Harriman, the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union. The …
Step back in time to the enchanting era of the 1950s, where dreams of rocket ships, outer space, and atomic energy fuelled the imaginations of youngsters across America. Amidst the fervor of the atomic age, a remarkable and audacious creation emerged, captu…
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…
These vintage photos, captured by Arthur S. Siegel, offer a snapshot of everyday life in Michigan during the 1940s. Arthur Sidney Siegel began photographing in the mid-1920s as a youth. He studied at University of Michigan, and graduated with a degree in so…
These glass-plate photographs depicting life in Japan were collected in Yokohama during the years 1908–1918 by Herbert Geddes, a manager for a Canadian import-export company. Originally, these types of photographs were sold as postcards or souvenirs to fore…
Back in the 19th century, Victorians thought nothing unusual about sending their loved ones bizarre and creepy images with the words “May yours be a joyful Christmas.” From frogs stabbing each other, and insects dancing in the moonlight, to Krampus (a half-…
William Bullard, born in Worcester, Massachusetts, worked as a photographer without a studio, visiting clients around the town with his camera strapped to his bicycle. From 1897 to 1917, Bullard, who was white, took portraits of his predominantly black …
Mummy portraits have been found across Egypt, but are most common in the Fayum Basin, particularly from Hawara in the Faiyum Basin and the Hadrianic Roman city Antinoopolis. "Fayum portraits" is generally used as a stylistic, rather than a geographic, d…
These posters were published in the Soviet anti-religious magazine, Bezbozhnik (“The Godless”) from 1922 to 1941. The main purpose of the magazine was to thwart any religious beliefs that were supposedly too distracting for the working class. The magazi…