35 Historical Photos That Shine A Light On The Past

History books may be filled with words, but a picture can tell us far more about past events. This collection of historical photos is filled with forgotten moments that really bring the past back to life. Giving us glimpses of popular trends, stirring up nostalgia and shining a spotlight on all the travesties mankind endured, these images tell a story better than any eloquent essay. Scroll below to check out these insightful photographs in the gallery below.

#1 How It Was Done Before There Was Fast Food On Every Corner

Image source: imgur.com

#2 My Grandparents’ Wedding, 100 Years Ago Today

Image source: earspasm

#3 Old School Public Shaming In Times Square, 1955

Image source: Harvest Heart

#4 The Paramount Pictures Logo On The Day It Was Originally Painted. [1965]

Image source: Campanile Fine Art, Inc. Artwork by Dario Campanile

#5 1950s Necklines

Image source: Nina Leen

#6 Atelier Photo: “A Lesbian Couple In Semi Drag Wedding Attire”; Kingdom Of Hungary – Budapest, 1920

Image source: awkward-humanbeing

#7 The World’s Last Commercial Ocean-Going Sailing Ship – The Pamir – Rounding Cape Horn, 1949

Image source: imgur.com

#8 “Happiest Man In China”

Image source: powerofthestruggle

Taken In 1901 By British Anthropologists After Deciding To Document The Chinese. The Chinese Didn’t Know Photos Were A “Serious Matter” And Decided To Be Goofy, Hence The Pose And Smile.

#9 The Dressing Room At The Moulin Rouge, 1924

Image source: themoonraker

#10 A French Woman With Her Baguette And Six Bottles Of Wine, Paris, 1945

Image source: imgur.com

#11 Google In The 1970s

Image source: R0ckandRoll

#12 A Policeman In San Francisco Scolds A Man For Not Wearing A Mask During The 1918 Influenza Pandemic, 1918

Image source: Dobbin, Hamilton Henry

#13 The 9 Kings Of Europe Gather For The First And Only Time For A Photograph At The Funeral Of King Edward Vii In London. May 20th, 1910

Image source:  W. & D. Downey

#14 A Group Of Frontiersmen With An Advertisement. United States, Montana, 1901

Image source: catsmob

#15 A Businessman And Secretary Working In A Pool During A Heatwave In Berlin, Germany 1926

Image source: Pahl, Georg

#16 Building Of The Atomium In Brussels For The World’s Fair 1958

Image source: fr3n

#17 Forced Perspective On The Beach, Circa 1943

Image source: Unknown

#18 My Mom As A Teenager With A Moose Calf In Alaska, 1952

Image source: Area_49

#19 The Wives Of The Astronauts On The Apollo 8 Mission At The Moment They Heard Their Husbands Voices From Orbit, 1968

Image source:  Lynn Pelham

#20 President Harry Truman Shakes Hands With Pablo Picasso, Vallauris, France, 1958

Image source: red_devillz

#21 Incredibly Sharp Looking Kids In Harlem, 1970

Image source: imgur.com

#22 My Dad Taking A Selfie, Using A Piece Of Wood To Activate The Shutter, Circa 1957

Image source: RAZORBACK_69

#23 Woman In Vultee-Nashville, Tennessee Operating An Air Drill For A Dive Bomber, 1942. Not Colorized, Kodachrome

Image source: Alfred T. Palmer

#24 Anti British Propaganda, Japan 1941

Image source: Gerardo Perrotta

#25 Woman Inspecting This New Thing, The Security Belt In Her Car, Circa 1950s

Image source: Joyce Johnson

#26 My Dad In 1984 Trying To Transfer Files From His Commodore 64 To His First Apple Computer

Image source: imgur.com

#27 John F. Kennedy Campaigning Door-To-Door In West Virginia In 1960

Image source: DenMother8

#28 Portable Beach Changing Rooms, 1930’s

Image source: Weird Vintage

#29 In My Research, I Came Across This Rare And Beautiful Photo Of A Jewish Jewelry Seller In Sana’a, Yemen. Probably Mid 1900s

Image source: koenji

#30 Mobsters Hide Their Faces At Al Capone’s Trial 1931

Image source: pastelitooo

#31 My American Grandmother Visiting Athens In The 1960s

Image source: ferballz

#32 A Man Browses For Books In The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati. The Building Was Demolished In 1955. Today An Office Building And A Parking Lot Stand Where It Used To Be

Image source: fcnaranjo

#33 Buzz Aldrin — Did You Know I Took The First Space Selfie During Gemini 12 Mission In 1966?

Image source: michaelconfoy

#34 An Undercover Police Officer On Duty. New York, Brooklyn, 1 July 1969

Image source: Don Hogan Charles

#35 Check Out The Gnarly Insect Screen Covering The Grill! 1957

Image source: Dave Gelinas