50 Rare Historical Photos That Might Change Your Perspective On The Past

Pictures illuminatethe shadows of history, revealing the forgotten people and places that otherwise may have faded into oblivion. They help us make sense of the past and, in turn, allow us to understand the present.So we at Bored Panda decided it would be a nice idea to explore the subreddit ‘Rare Historical Photos’ — it has 40,000 members constantly digging through the archives and sharing their best finds. Prepare to be transported through time!This post may includeaffiliate links.

So we at Bored Panda decided it would be a nice idea to explore the subreddit ‘Rare Historical Photos’ — it has 40,000 members constantly digging through the archives and sharing their best finds. Prepare to be transported through time!

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Ojibwe Woman, Ponemah, Minnesota, Photograph Taken By Roland W. Reed C.1908

A Seaman’s Request For An Extraordinary Leave Of Absence, 1967. Reason: “My Wife Is Planning To Get Pregnant This Weekend And I Would Like To Be Present.”

But who needs history anyway? Some people wonder why we should bother studying it when we could be preparing for the future instead. But think about it: can we be ready for what’s coming if we don’t know what’s happened before? The past gives us all kinds of insights that can help us tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow. Without that knowledge, we could be in for some tough times.

“Men who have lost their grip upon the relevant facts of their environment are the inevitable victims of agitation and propaganda. The quack, the charlatan, the jingo … can flourish only where the audience is deprived of independent access to information,” he wrote.

Renowned Photographer Walter Chandoha Created One Of His Most Famous Photographs Of His Daughter Paula And A Small Kitten Smiling At The Camera At The Same Time, 1955

A Police Officer Playing Duck Duck Goose With Children In New York, 1970

A GI Shares His Rations With Two Italian Children, 1944

Historian Daniel Bessner agrees. “If Americans don’t seriously invest in history and other humanities disciplines, we encourage the ahistoric ignorance … Progress depends on studying and arguing about the past in an open and informed manner.“According to Bessner, this is especially true nowadays, when people use history to fight over which vision of the country will dominate the political scene.

According to Bessner, this is especially true nowadays, when people use history to fight over which vision of the country will dominate the political scene.

A Former Prisoner Points Out The Most Brutal Guard. Germany. 1945

A Baby Lamb Snuggles Up To A Sleeping Boy, 1940

Girls Sent Home From Mckinley High School For Wearing Slacks And Blue Jeans, Chicago, 1946

The Oldest Indian, John Smith, Managed To Live In Three Centuries At Once, Being Born In The 18th Century, Living Throughout The 19th Century And Dying In The 20th Century. It Is Alleged That He Lived For About 137 Years

Dr. Darren R. Reid, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Dundee and is now a lecturer at Coventry University, explained to Bored Panda forour earlier publication on historical picturesthat images are an incredibly important part of how we understand the past.“They give us a distinct look into how people and societies viewed themselves and each other,” Reid said back then. “In the medieval period, for example, Jesus and the saints were often depicted as physically larger than ordinary people — not because they were believed to be taller, but because they occupied a higher status in the minds of the artists who produced these images, and the audiences who consumed them. In later centuries, Europeans (and their descendants) looked to the classical world for inspiration, spending huge amounts of time (and money) on images that were both increasingly realistic and idealized.”

“They give us a distinct look into how people and societies viewed themselves and each other,” Reid said back then. “In the medieval period, for example, Jesus and the saints were often depicted as physically larger than ordinary people — not because they were believed to be taller, but because they occupied a higher status in the minds of the artists who produced these images, and the audiences who consumed them. In later centuries, Europeans (and their descendants) looked to the classical world for inspiration, spending huge amounts of time (and money) on images that were both increasingly realistic and idealized.”

A Dog Says Goodbye To His Fallen US Soldier Friend. Afghan War, 2004

Vancouver’s First Official Lifeguard, Joe Fortes, 1905. Fortes, Who Was Born In Trinidad And Tobago, Was Credited With Saving Dozens Of Lives And Was Known As “Old Black Joe”

Shy Young Woman Smiling For The Camera 143 Years Ago

Reid added that “Native Americans and American colonizers were frequently depicted in classical poses — all deliberate choices that show us how many people perceived the invasion of the Americas and the genocides that occurred there.““They also include important details (such as items of clothing, hairstyles, etc.) that help us to picture the past. For modern people, this means we can more accurately imagine, and perhaps, empathize with the very different folks who came before us.”

“They also include important details (such as items of clothing, hairstyles, etc.) that help us to picture the past. For modern people, this means we can more accurately imagine, and perhaps, empathize with the very different folks who came before us.”

Portrait Of A Family. Georgia, USA, Circa 1900

The Ship “Queen Elizabeth” Arrives At The Port Of New York. On Board Are Soldiers Returning From World War II, 1945

A Young Woman Photographed In The 1910s

Five-Year-Old Albert Einstein, 1884

Darren R. Reid highlighted that developing an eye for visual storytelling allows us to detect when someone’s trying to bend the narrative.

“American comic books and movies depicted Native Americans as simple, brutish, and savage. This helped to justify genocide and colonization as it was ongoing — and justify it, long after the most violent part of the process was complete. For a great example, check out the awful depiction of Native Americans in Disney’sPeter Pan. They helped to justify the colonial project to generations of children, right up to the present day.”

This Is What The Empire State Building Looked Like Against The Background Of Other Buildings, 1941

Abraham Lincoln In 1861 And 1865. A Noticeable Four-Year Contrast Against The Backdrop Of War

An Old Fisherman Photographed In Bergen, Norway In 1902 By Anders Beer Wilse

New York, 1958. Dancers In A Nightclub Play Chess. Smartphones Haven’t Been Invented Yet

Today,66 percentof the global population and97 percentof the U.S. population use the internet where they are under a constant barrage of content. Hopefully, places like the subreddit ‘Rare Historical Photos’ will help them navigate the overwhelming amount of information.

Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau Carries The Country’s Future Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Under His Arm. Ottawa, 1973

With Her Husband At War, Mom Works On The Car, 1944

A Lady From High Society. Ottoman Empire, 1900s

Man With Down’s Syndrome, 1890s

Young Couple Standing At A Speed Limit Sign. Oklahoma, 1920s

Republican Party Supporters And Democratic Party Supporters Fight With Snowballs In Front Of The Capitol. January, 1921, Washington, USA

Queue For The Premiere Of The Star Wars Film. Vancouver, 1977

Early Use Of A Selfie Stick In The 1940s

American Soldier Returning Home From The Great War, Ca 1918-19

A Youthful Marine, Da Nang, Vietnam, August 3, 1965

A Cowboy, 1890s

Goodyear Illuminated Tires, 1961

Pictured Is Paul Overby, One Of Two Drivers Trapped In The Cab Of The Truck. He Is Pulled By A Rope In The Pit River Bridge Over Lake Shasta Near Redding, California, May 3, 1953. Both Overby And His Partner Hank Baum Were Rescued Before The Car Plunged And Caught Fire