We have photographic evidence of some pretty amazing moments in human history – and some pretty grim ones as well.
Of course, the photos we tend to see most often present a neat, tidy, and often sanitized version of events. But deep down we know there’s more to the story.
Here are some photos you’re not likely to see in history books, but which tell their own tales of how humans have lived and died throughout history.
1. Archaeologists in Pompeii
We’ve all heard of the volcano blowing up at Pompeii, but it’s easy to forget just how perfectly the falling ash preserved things (and people).
This photo shows excavators working on the site – and the reality of those bodies is a bit haunting!
2. Kamikaze plane shadows
In a real “shadows of the past” moment, we can see the outline of a Kamikaze flight from WWII outlined here on the HMS Sussex. It’s a truly harrowing photo and it cost the life of the pilot.
3. Ann Frank’s dad
The story of Anne Frank is well known. Her family hid in the attic of a gracious family while the Nazis searched for anyone of Jewish descent. This is a photo of her father, Otto, in the attic they hid in during the war.
4. The last known Thylacine
Every day, dozens of species go extinct. Many of those aren’t that consequential to us (bugs, plants, etc.), but that isn’t always the case.
In 1933, a photo of the last known Thylacine from Tasmania was taken. They were a now-extinct marsupial and are often known as the Tasmanian Tiger.
5. Frozen Fire Trucks
Rock beats scissors and ice beats fire, right? This photo was taken in 1920 when a fire happened during an ice storm during which the temperature dropped below 0-degrees F.
The photo was taken in Maine at a YMCA.
6. An original aerial photo
When this photo was taken in the 1920s, aerial photography was just invented! This is a photo of Edinburgh and was taken by Alfred G. Buckham. He was severely disabled after WWII but still had a passion for photography.
7. Therapy ducks
We’ve all seen therapy dogs walking around hospitals before… but what about therapy ducks! This photo was taken in 1956 and it shows a young girl in a contraption similar to an “iron lung.”
She was likely hospitalized due to polio, but those ducks brought a smile to her face.
8. King Tut’s Tomb
King Tutankhamun is probably the most famous mummy around. He was preserved when he was 19, after becoming king at 9.
This is the seal to his tomb, unbroken for 3,245 years.
9. Prohibition lumber
Prohibition happened in the US between 1920-1933. During that time, people got REALLY creative in order to get their liquor! This was a lumber truck that was used to get the good stuff around.
10. Cow shoes
Another prohibition tool, these shoes made human footprints look like cow hooves!
For bootleggers, it was important that your prints were never found.
11. Nuclear photography
Taken in the 1950s, this photo by Harold Edgerton shows a nuclear reaction test captured with a shutter speed of 1/1,000,000th of a second. For it to be clear shows how bright the bomb was.
12. Sad and witty signage
During the height of the Great Depression, people were willing to do anything to survive.
For this man, a witty sign was all he could do. He just wanted a place for his pregnant wife to sleep. It didn’t even have to be furnished.
13. The founders
This photo, taken in 1948, shows the founders of a very famous burger chain – McDonald’s! It was called McDonald’s because of its founders, the McDonald brothers!
They weren’t the ones to grow the chain into the massive enterprise it is today, however.
14. Harriet Tubman
If you want to see what a regal woman looks like in her 80s, this is the photo for you.
Pictured here is Harriet Tubman, the famed American abolitionist who helped the Underground Railroad operate.
15. Arctic Explorer and his wife
This is the Danish explorer Peter Freuchen and his wife, Dagmar Cohn. Peter would go on to explore the Arctic through a series of expeditions known as the Thule Expeditions.
Once, while trapped under ice, he chiseled his way out using his own frozen feces. Talk about a survivor.
16. John Quincy Adams
Looking like a ghoul, this is the first photo of John Quincy Adams, taken in 1843. It’s also the first photo taken of any president.
Adams was the 6th US president and proposed the Monroe Doctrine, as well as fighting the expansion of slavery.
17. A star is born
Freddie Mercury has always been an interesting character. Although it looks like he is wearing a girl’s dress, this sort of thing was common practice into the 40s for babies.
He already looks like he’s going to be a star.
18. Jimmy Hoffa and the finger
Jimmy Hoffa, the famed Union Boss, was giving someone the bird here. Wanna know who?
It was attorney Robert Kennedy, brother to JFK.
Hoffa would later be involved with organized crime, likely leading to his death.
19. President Coolidge becomes honorary Sioux
In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge was asked to become an honorary member of the Sioux Tribe after doing his best to smooth over relations with the Native Americans.
According to the Coolidge Foundation:
“He lamented the grinding poverty which afflicted most tribes, and readily posed with four Osage tribal leaders in a photograph taken right after the signing of the law. In 1923 he met with a prominent committee dealing with Native affairs, and a legation from the Rosebud Reservation visited him at the White House in 1925. In 1927 he was formally thanked by the Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, which made him an honorary tribal member with the Indian name ‘Chief Leading Eagle.'”
20. David Bowie just looking cool
This photo, taken in 1963, shows Bowie just straight up looking cool. He was posing with his sax and drums from the band “The Kon-Rads.”
“So The Kon-rads consisted of, David Jones on lead vocals, tenor saxophone, Neville Wills on lead guitar, Dave Crook on drums, and George Underwood on lead vocals.” – BMA
21. One of two
Photos are not allowed of the inside of the Supreme Court. As a result, there aren’t any! Well, there are only two. This is one of them, taken in 1937.
22. German Frat group
This photo shows a German Fraternity taking a selfie! While that might seem trivial today, taking a selfie was a much tougher task back in 1912 when this photo was taken.
23. Arrested for crossdressing
Nowadays you can walk around in nearly whatever clothes you like. 100 years ago and that wasn’t the case. This is a photo taken where a man was believed to have been arrested for crossdressing, a crime worthy of jail at the time.
24. Massive lobsters
Lobsters can grow massive. The older they are, the bigger they get. With modern fishing practices, they don’t get as big as they used to and this photo shows us that reality pretty well!
25. Hitler posing
This photo was taken by his private photographer in his favorite winter house, the Berghof. When he died, it was supposed to be destroyed. As we can see, it wasn’t!
(1942) Adolf Hitler poses for his private photographer during winter at his favourite residence, the Berghof – the photo was meant to be destroyed upon his death but was kept as a memento. (410×640) from HistoryPorn
These photos aren’t necessarily history-changing, but they do give us new insight into people from the past.
To be sure, these pictures are worth at least a thousand words.
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