Photos on social media are so numerous that it’s easy to forget that there was ever a time when humans didn’t have the benefit of photography.
These photos, and their stories, were all found on Reddit, and date from the 19th century to just a few decades ago. They are each fascinating in their own right and also form a direct continuum to the modern-day photographers of Instagram.
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Looks pretty nice.
This pic shows the Greyhound bus terminal in Los Angeles back in 1969. Things were pretty different back then: Not only did every seat have an ashtray for smokers, it also had a coin-operated television set!
Young love.
These giggling teens were snapped on Main Street in Caldwell, Idaho, in the summer of 1941. Within a few months, Pearl Harbor would be attacked, America would be on a wartime footing, and things didn’t seem as innocent anymore.
Portrait of perseverance.
This photo shows Carrie Kirk, a former slave who was born in 1837. By this point, she was 101 years old and attending literacy classes in Cleveland.
Dapper fella.
If this guy’s suit looks a bit odd, that’s because it’s a cardboard cut-out that he’s posing behind. The person who posted this says the pic shows their great-grandfather in Sicily in the 1930s.
The shape of things to come.
This photo from the late 1960s shows a girl taking in a scale model of the breathtaking, futuristic skyscrapers that will soon dominate the Lower Manhattan skyline: the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Go your own way.
This mugshot from 1898 shows Goldie Williams, a woman who was arrested for vagrancy in Omaha. In a show of defiance, she refused to unfold her arms or change her facial expression for the mugshot.
All in the name of modesty.
This beach scene from the 1890s doesn’t look much different from the modern day, apart from those weird caravans in the water. Apparently they were known as “bathing machines” and were designed to allow women to get changed into swimsuits privately.
Michelangelo’s brick dome.
This photo shows Michelangelo’s David, possibly the most famous piece of Renaissance art. During the Second World War, it was encased in bricks to keep it safe from wayward bombs.
The shameful side of American history.
During World War II, thousands of Americans were imprisoned in internment camps solely for their Japanese heritage. This image shows one such camp in Manzanar, California.
Nine kings walked into a photo.
Before World War I, Europe was absolutely full of monarchs. Afterwards, things changed a bit. This 1910 photo shows all nine kings of Europe as they gather for King Edward VII’s funeral in London.
Selective service.
It looks like a fun lottery machine, but the lottery it was involved in was pretty grim. Each ball has a day of the year and is designed to select Americans to draft into the Vietnam War.
The biggest Nazi.
This colorized photo shows Canadian corporal Bob Roberts, who’s 5’3″, amiably chatting with recently-captured German soldier, Jakob Nacken, who stood a full two feet taller at 7’3″.
Operation Babylift.
This odd scene shows Operation Babylift, in which babies who lost their parents during the Vietnam War were airlifted, en masse, back to the United States for adoption.
Fatherly love.
This harrowing image from the First World War shows a Serbian soldier on the front lines near Belgrade. His dad has made the trek to join his son. Here they are during a moment of peace.
They’ve got a secret.
This 1901 photo may be the earliest surviving photo depicting same-sex marriage. Elisa Sanchez Loriga dressed as a man to circumvent laws prohibiting such unions as she wed her sweetheart, Marcela Gracia Ibeas.
Night fishing.
This pic was snapped in Hawaii back in 1948, and shows a custom that’s been unchanged for centuries. Local fishermen rig up this contraption to make it easier to see during their night fishing expeditions.
Human kindness.
A British soldier is seen fully engaged in hostilities in Normandy back in 1944. Meanwhile, a local woman is literally risking her life so she can top up his cup of tea.
Bowie in Greece.
This pic from 1988 is the most recent one on this list. It was posted by a Redditor, who says it shows their dad with David Bowie on a vacation in Greece.
He’s begging.
All we know about this photo is that it shows a man begging for his wife’s forgiveness outside a Chicago courtroom in 1948. I wonder what their backstory was.
A true first.
These photos, taken more than 130 years ago, show the first-ever tornado that was captured on film. Here’s some more info about these famous photographs.
