Sometimes a photograph is more than just a cluster of pixels on the screen or a visual representation of something.
The devil is in the details and it’s often the finer details of a pic that make it that much more fascinating.
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Spy stuff.
This pic of a man in a trench coat in an abandoned house is so much more than that. This is a CIA spy at a dead drop location in Moscow back in 1962.
End of an era.
This shows the last week of Chicago’s old trolley service. In 1948, they switched from trolleys over to buses and both modes of transport advertised the switchover.
The other half.
The Taj Mahal is a gorgeous piece of architecture that’s been photographed millions of times. But more rarely seen is the poverty of the neighborhoods surrounding it.
A monolith.
The Empire State Building is a big building even today but it’s lost amid the high-rises of modern Manhattan.
But back in the 1930s, when this photo was taken, it dominated Manhattan’s skyline.
Cats welcome.
This isn’t someone’s high rise living room, it’s actually a hotel room. When a cat owner phoned to ask if they could bring their cat, hotel staff went above and beyond.
Seen from space.
The gathering at Kumbh Mela, a massive Hindu festival, is so large that it can easily be seen from space. Whenever it’s held, more than 110 million people attend.
Reflecting on history.
This average-looking old school bus that Barack Obama is sitting on isn’t just any bus. Obama is sitting in the very seat that Rosa Parks refused to give up in Montgomery, Alabama.
I see it now.
Those random-looking horizontal lines all make sense when combined with the bar code and the knowledge that this tube contains a toothbrush.
Photography in the 1860s.
General and former president Ulysses S. Grant could stand just fine on his own. But he needed these posture braces to keep him still during the long period it took to develop a photograph.
2020 in a nutshell.
This is a stack of screening stickers, one stuck to another, dating back to the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Time really does add up.
Defiance.
This is Goldie Williams, who was arrested for ‘vagrancy’ in Omaha in 1898. As a show of defiance, she refused to unfold her arms or stop scowling at the camera.
Rare angle.
This look at the top of the Statue of Liberty’s head can only be seen from the statue’s torch. Since the torch closed in 1916, this is a rarely seen sight.
Spinny boi.
If you’ve ever wondered what the inside of one of those giant wind turbine blades looks like, wonder no more. I never would have guessed that they’re hollow.
History repeats itself.
The cross stitch seen in the background doesn’t actually depict this cat. It was made more than half a century ago and the resemblance is just a happy coincidence.
Big shadow.
Have you ever wondered if a solar eclipse basically puts a big dark shadow on the surface of our planet? You’d be absolutely correct.
Super Dorito.
Look at this incredible Dorito: it has the same surface area as your average corn chip but it’s at least five times thicker.
No one knew his name.
This pic shows the internment of the coffin of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey in 1920. Although he was unknown, he was buried him among kings and queens.
9/11 from space.
Images of September 11, 2001 invariably show a massive cloud of dark smoke emanating from the collapse of the World Trade Center. Here’s what Lower Manhattan looked like from space on that day.
Homebrew science experiments.
It’s clear something scientific is going on here, but what exactly? The uploader explained, “Dad created plasma in the basement. Apparently it is the 4th state of matter and is created under a vacuum with high voltage. He has been working on it for a while and is quite proud of himself.”
Preventative measures.
Clearly, we’re looking at a wooden hand here, but why? This is a display hand at IKEA for this product they sell, but they had to screw the middle finger down to stop people from making it flip the bird.
Layers and layers.
Just a hunk of concrete? Yes, technically, but it’s also a piece of the Berlin wall, specifically one showing the layers of spray paint graffiti.
Supply without demand.
It’s a normal DVD shelf at your local department store, until you look closer and see the 167 copies of Jumanji . I guess it wasn’t selling well.
Time flies.
What looks like a ghost town in the middle of nowhere is actually Las Vegas in 1947. Quite a lot of growth compared to today!
Spectacular selfie.
It looks like any other selfie you’d see on social media, but you see that bright dot at the top? That’s the International Space Station flying by, and this guy managed to snap a pic with it.
Perpetual sunset.
Speaking of space, this is a view of a sunset from space. To know that red sky effect is visible even from beyond our planet is really neat.
Seats for days.
At 139 meters long, this is the world’s longest train station bench in Scarborough, England. You’ll never have to worry about not finding a seat!
Look down.
Another photo of some bike racks, until you see the shadows. Painted on by an artist, they ad a playful feel to an otherwise average scene.
An artist’s eye.
In a devilishly simple engineering feat, this artist made a makeshift easle from two chairs!
Rescue at the ready.
This good boy looks hard at work, but what’s he doing? He’s about to jump into the ocean alongside the Italian Coast Guard to rescue a refugee!
Futuristic past.
This baby girl is extraordinary. She was born from an embryo that was frozen 27 years ago, and is a major feat of science.
Still keeping up.
This balloon has stayed inflated since 1996. I can’t tell which is more impressive, the fact that it’s still inflated or that this person still has it.
Riding in style.
A pretty elegant rider on that camel. It happens to be Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, in 1916.
Camo chip.
This bag of…fancy Doritos, I guess… contains corn chips that are perfectly engineered to blend into countertops that look like this.
Ewww.
Food is supposed to rot and decompose, right? Don’t tell McDonald’s. This cheeseburger, chicken McNugget, and order of fries is eleven years old.
Surprise guests.
At first glance, you could guess this is a photo of someone’s farm, but no. It’s the uploader’s normal home that just happened to welcome a large group of visiting sheep.
