The past isn’t all that bright, as many history buffs will know. In just the last century, more human deaths have occurred through war than in any other century in history.
Still, history holds a lot of learning moments for us, even in its darker moments.
With the invention of photography in 1826 and the subsequent popularization and mobilization of it, those moments could be recorded.
Let’s look through 10 important but disturbing photos. It’ll be strange, sad, but full of lessons and rare moments.
1. Texas Dust Bowl
In 1935 this photo was captured as dust storms ravaged parts of the U.S.
It depicts an encroaching dust storm on a house in Stratford, Texas.
During the 30s, poor farming practices killed off the native plant life in the Midwest, allowing soil to dry and create massive storms that traveled all the way to London, England.
2. The Death of James Dean
James Dean, the American iconoclast, died on September 30th, 1955.
This photo was taken at the site of his car accident.
It’s pretty clear how bad the incident was with how visible all the twisted metal is.
3. Cathedral of Light Rally
This rally was held by the Nazis in Nuremberg in the 1930s.
The stadium was created by placing anti-aircraft lights around the stands that would shoot bars of light into the air, making the space feel more enclosed.
The radical fascism taking over the country would soon lead to WWII.
4. Day’s Worth of Shells
In 1916, during the first World War, artillery was being fired constantly.
This is a photo of 105-mm shell casings from a single day’s worth of firing.
It stretches as far as the eye can see.
5. Hiroshima Shadow
Two atomic bombs were dropped during WWII. One on Nagasaki and the other on Hiroshima.
This photo shows the shadow left by a body of a man sitting on the steps of the Sumitomo Bank branch in 1945. When the bomb went off, the heat flash vaporized him.
6. WWI Equipment
This photo shows a British soldier training around 1941.
Although the world was about to enter into WWII, the soldier is preparing for the worst in WWI-era gear, as can be seen with the gas mask and bayonetted rifle.
7. Holocaust Wedding Rings
When the Nazis would kill large numbers of Jewish people in their concentration camps, they would often collect their valuables and jewelry.
This box contained all the wedding rings from a camp in 1945.
It’s haunting to imagine all the people that wore these rings, as well as the love that they represent.
8. Otto Frank’s Attic
Anne Franke, the young writer of the now-famous journal describing her time spent hiding in an attic from the Germans, wasn’t alone. She had her family with her and when the war was over, her father went back to visit.
Otto Frank is depicted standing in silence, solemnly remembering.
9. Prisoners in Austria
Taken in 1945, this photo shows holocaust survivors from the Ebensee concentration camp as they experience freedom for the first time in a very long time.
They are emaciated, traumatized, and close to death… but they are free.
10. Coal Miners in Belgium
Coal mines have never been nice places to visit, let alone work.
When the world ran on coal (keep in mind it still does in many places), coal mining was a major occupation.
This photo shows miners about to head down a shaft to work in the 1900s in Belgium.
The good things that we have today (relative stability, democracy, and freedoms) didn’t come without a cost.
History shows us who we were so we can decide who we can want to be.
