Everybody has seen some historical images. Some images require no introduction, such as Marilyn Monroe’s iconic shot posing over the Subway grate or Winston Churchill’s 1941 portrait. Beyond these classic images lies a vast collection of unusual photographs that describe history from a perspective not seen in school textbooks.Continue reading to find out what youngsters did to pass the time in the 1950s and where hundreds of London residents sought refuge during the Blitz. Each photograph tells a unique narrative from a perspective you’ve never considered before.
Homecoming
Although it appears to be a horribly painful ride, this packed ship is actually a wonderfully inspiring shot when viewed in context. The ship is packed with American soldiers returning from World War II in 1945. The overhead view depicts the aft deck of the passenger ship ‘Queen Elizabeth.’ The war had been won, and all of the soldiers on board would be going home to their families and loved ones after years away.
Homecoming
The President Goes to Yosemite
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and the renowned naturalist John Muir met at Yosemite National Park. The summit had a significant impact on the government’s land and resource policies. Indeed, this gathering helped shape the term “conservation” into what it is today. Although we can’t see it in the shot, hundreds of people followed them, hoping to catch a peek of their president. The renowned historical meeting is the focus of the 2016 film “National Parks Adventure.”
The President Goes To Yosemite
The 1966 Blizzard
In 1966, a massive blizzard swept across the United States and the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. The blizzard brought significant precipitation and record low temperatures. During the blizzard, at least 142 people perished, 31 of them died from exposure to freezing temperatures. Many people died in fires that broke out while they were desperately trying to heat their homes. By the time the storm passed, the death toll had reached 201. This photo shows how deep the snow was.
The 1966 Blizzard
Jamie Lee Curtis in Perfect
Let’s face it. The 1980s were odd. It’s pretty bizarre. Shoulder pads, big hair, and over-the-top movies were all popular throughout that decade, and Perfect, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta, was no exception. In it, Travolta portrays a reporter who investigates the lively scene of – wait for it – singles’ fitness clubs and falls in love with Curtis’ character, a fitness teacher. The gyrating hips and steamy neon clothes that figure significantly in the movie weren’t enough to salvage it from criticism, but it’s considered a classic “so-bad-it’s-good” picture that is a must-see at every ’80s themed movie party.
Jamie Lee Curtis In Perfect
Robert Kennedy at Disneyland
In this shot, Robert Kennedy is riding an antique roller coaster at Disneyland with his and John Glenn’s children. Robert Kennedy was a presidential contender who was fatally shot on the night he learned he had won the South Dakota and California presidential primaries in 1968.
Robert Kennedy At Disneyland
The First Recycling Sign
You have undoubtedly seen the logo in this image hundreds of times during your life. In our ecologically aware age, the recycling emblem can be found on dustbins, packaging, and billboards. You are unlikely to have seen this snapshot of the first recycling logo, however. Gary Anderson, then 23, drew the recycling logo for a contest in 1970. He probably had no idea how successful and popular his logo entry would become.
The First Recycling Sign
Luxury Lawnmower
This magazine shot shows a luxury lawnmower from the 1950s. The image we see is reminiscent of a weird sci-fi universe. It is, in reality, a lawnmower equipped with air conditioning. You sit within the air-conditioned bubble, mowing the lawn without breaking a sweat. The only disadvantage is that you’d need a fairly large shed to keep one of these things, but if you can afford a luxury air-conditioned lawnmower, we doubt a tiny shed will be an issue!
Luxury Lawnmower
The Oregon Trail
Many of us are familiar with The Oregon Trail from the 1990s game, and this photo depicts what life was like there. The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile east-west wagon and emigrant trail that connected the Missouri River to the valleys of Oregon. Between the early and mid-1830s, the Trail was utilized by approximately 400,000 settlers, miners, farmers, ranchers, and business entrepreneurs, as well as their families. Thousands of souls never made it to Oregon and were buried along the trail.
The Oregon Trail
Getting The Giggles
This stunning photograph and the tale it portrays are not unfamiliar. How many times have you entered a photo booth on a night out with your buddies and ended up with four photos of you all in tears? This Victorian couple was not in a photo booth, but were having their photos professionally done. They posed in their smartest attire, yet they couldn’t stop laughing. The third and fourth photos depict them attempting (and failing!) not to laugh.
Getting The Giggles
Modern Take on History
Photographer Dmitry Rubinshteyn’s paintings resemble old photographs. Even though this shot appears to be from a distant past, it was really taken on June 3, 2010. He had us absolutely deceived! The Russian photographer’s modern images are called ambrotypes, and they are designed to appear very old. This one’s called Katerina.
Modern Take On History
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean
The lovely woman is a young Dolly Parton, posing for a photo with her husband Carl Dean. Parton and Dean married in 1966 and have remained married ever since. They’re posing on their lawn in fashionable 1960s clothes. “My first thought was I’m gonna marry that girl,” Dean recalled when the pair repeated their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary. “My second reaction was, ‘Lord, she’s nice looking.”And that was the day my life began.”
Dolly Parton And Carl Dean
The Race For Space, 1961
NASA scientists are computing complex spacecraft paths using a time-consuming formula. Because there were no computers, all of their work would have to be done on a chalkboard. The board is so full of calculations that long ladders are required to occupy the entire space.
Realistically, the equations on this board are most likely general formulae intended for publication in a magazine. During the Space Race, scientists would not have wanted their actual calculations to be published in Life magazine!
The Race For Space, 1961
WWII’s Oldest Sniper
Nikolai Alexandrovich Morozov, a Russian communist revolutionary born in 1954, spent 25 years in prison for his operations against the emperor. He was released in 1905 and continued to work for the Communist Party. He joined the Red Army in 1942, at the age of 88, to fight in World War II. During the Siege of Leningrad, he served as a sharpshooter with a battalion in the Volkhov area. In 1944, he received the “For the Defence of Leningrad” Medal as well as the Order of Lenin. He died in 1946, at the age of 92.
WWII’s Oldest Sniper
Brave Franceska Mann
Franceska Mann (shown) was a courageous Polish-Jewish dancer deported to Auschwitz in 1943. When she was told to strip, she did so in a provocative manner, which briefly distracted the guards. While they were admiring her body, she quickly snatched the roll call officer’s gun and shot him, killing him instantly. She wounded one more guard, and her bravery prompted other convicts to join her insurrection. Unfortunately, the uprising was not successful, and all of the convicts who participated were executed.
Brave Franceska Mann
The Empire State Building, 1941
This image may like a sci-fi film from the 1950s, but it is actually the Empire State Building in 1941. Before New York City became known for its skyscrapers, the average building was only a few storeys tall. When the Empire State Building was constructed, it appeared enormous in compared to the rest of the city. It’s no surprise that visitors traveled to the city merely to see the massive renowned structure.
The Empire State Building, 1941
The Three Stooges and Grandpa
A user uploaded this photo on Reddit with the caption: “My grandfather worked as a park ranger in Yellowstone, where he took this photo of The Three Stooges when they visited in 1969.” If you look at this snapshot, you might question why just three people are in it. Last we checked, the three Stooges plus Grandpa equaled four persons. If you look closely, you’ll notice a caption at the bottom of the photo that reads “Three Stooges” in quotation marks. Grandpa must have anticipated our suspicions.
The Three Stooges And Grandpa
Burst of Joy, 1973
Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm returns home from the Vietnam War in 1973 in this moving photograph, officially titled “Burst of Joy”. Photographer Slava “Sal” Veder caught the event at Travis Air Force Base in California, after more than five years as a POW in North Vietnam. Stirm’s daughter Lorrie is seen leaping with pleasure, her arms spread, while the rest of the family is beaming. It became recognized internationally for depicting the conflicting feelings of battle.
Burst Of Joy, 1973
Boy Watches Television For the First Time
This cute snapshot depicts a youngster watching television for the first time in 1948. The boy must be no older than nine or 10 years old and has stumbled past a shop window of an appliance store from the late 1940s. A television set is exhibited in the window, and his surprised reaction stems from the fact that he has never seen one in his life. The wonderful box that showed moving visuals had blown his head.
Boy Watches Television For The First Time
When Einstein Met Chaplin
Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin first met in January 1931 at the opening of City of Lights. Prior to this meeting, Einstein had stated that Charlie Chaplin was the only person he would like to meet someday. At this occasion, Einstein said Chaplin, “What I like most about your art is its universality. You don’t utter a word, yet the world understands!”. “It’s true,” said Chaplin. “But your fame is even greater: the world admires you, when nobody understands what you say.”
When Einstein Met Chaplin
Anthony Bourdain In His Kitchen
Anthony Bourdain was thought to be one of the most influential chefs in the world. He is preparing a basic lunch in his New York City apartment in 1986. Bourdain rose to prominence with his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000), which was published some years after this shot was taken. He went on to host Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and The Layover, as well as his own cuisine and travel shows. Prior to his international renown, he was preparing fish in a small downtown flat, with aspirations of becoming a great chef.
Anthony Bourdain In His Kitchen
Determined Bride
On November 4, 1940, a bride leaves her recently devastated home on her wedding day in London. For over two months in the 1940s, London was bombarded 24 hours a day. This woman’s home was damaged by a bomb, but that didn’t stop her from celebrating her special day. The bride, dressed in a magnificent white gown, smiles as she walks among the ruins. Her bridesmaid smiles and waves from the window, ignoring the property’s destruction to celebrate her friend’s happiest day ever.
Determined Bride
Seeking Refuge On The London Underground
This snapshot portrays the packed circumstances on the London Underground during the Blitz, a German bombing campaign against Britain in 1940 and 1941. In the 1940s, hundreds of thousands of residents fled to the London Underground in search of safety. People would sleep on escalators, platforms, and even hang hammocks from the rails. People could reserve underground spots using a ticket system, and there were food vendors and restrooms accessible for those seeking refuge. In October 1940, 173 people were crushed as they tried to seek sanctuary at Bethnal Green station.
Seeking Refuge On The London Underground
Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
This stunning snapshot shows Queen Elizabeth II when she was Princess Elizabeth. She is standing close to Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, who was previously known as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. The pair is posing for an official portrait after their marriage. The wedding took place on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. This rare snapshot reveals how stunning the royal princess was in her youth. The newlyweds look stunning on their royal wedding day.
Princess Elizabeth And Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
Nikola Tesla In His Lab, 1890
Tesla was an electrical and mechanical engineer best renowned for his contributions to the contemporary electric power grid. Tesla made dozens of scientific advances and was a former employee of Thomas Edison. Edison was his main adversary, and rumor has it that Tesla invented the lightbulb, but Edison claimed credit. Tesla appears unconcerned about the electric sparks emanating from his lab in this photograph, sitting comfortably on a fold-out seat.
Nikola Tesla In His Lab, 1890
Refugees Entering NYC
This image depicts WWII evacuees viewing the Statue of Liberty for the first time as they entered the United States in 1946. Following WWII, hundreds of Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors were welcomed into the United States, giving them the opportunity to begin a new and better life after the horrors they had witnessed. A bunch of refugees are arriving in New York City. They are all crowded against the railings to obtain a better view of the Statue of Liberty.
Refugees Entering NYC
Potato Sack Dress
Marilyn Monroe was photographed attending a party in 1951, wearing a low-cut red dress. The following day, a columnist slammed her, claiming she appeared “cheap and vulgar.” He then stated that she would have looked better in a potato sack than in her red outfit. Marilyn had her own unique style of responding to criticism, and she handled his harsh words with her wicked sense of humor. She simply answered with this wonderful photo demonstrating that even in a potato bag, she looks unbelievably beautiful.
Potato Sack Dress
Brooklyn Supreme
Brooklyn Supreme, a red roan Belgian stallion, is thought to be the largest horse to have ever lived (1930). The horse stood 199cm tall and weighed an amazing 1450 kg. For comparison, this is over 16 times heavier than the typical man and roughly the weight of an average-sized car. Brooklyn Supreme was owned by Charles Grant Good and Ralph M. Fogleman. The pair paraded the horse across the United States, charging onlookers 10 cents to see the best.
Brooklyn Supreme
Curiouser And Curiouser
This Italian woman looks attentively at a Scottish soldier’s kilt. The soldiers are standing near the Coliseum following Rome’s capture in 1944. During the liberation, shops were shuttered, and large crowds flocked to the streets to shout and throw flowers at passing cars. They were applauding Hitler’s decision to evacuate all troops from Rome. While numerous images were taken throughout the celebrations, this one shows an Italian woman casually looking at what appears to be her first kilt.
Curiouser And Curiouser
50’s Fashion Show
This photo was taken at a fashion display in 1950s Germany. In the 1950s, the world was recuperating from the devastation of war and needed to restore buildings and recreate culture. This reinvention intended to provide communities with lighter, happier culture and entertainment. As a result, the fashion show and the glamorous 50s housewife became popular during the 1950s. Christian Dior was extremely important at this time, while Coco Chanel restored herself with simple, beautiful design and the little black dress.
50’s Fashion Show