15 Photos Giving Us a New Perspective on History
History can start to feel strangely polished when we only see the same famous photographs over and over again. Everyday life was considerably messier, funnier, and more inventive than a textbook can usually capture. People experimented with bizarre gadgets, found creative ways to do ordinary jobs, and posed for photographs that would not look entirely out of place on social media today. Other images reveal familiar landmarks and technologies at stages we rarely get to see. None of these moments necessarily changed the world, but that is exactly what makes them interesting. They fill in some of the wonderfully strange gaps between the events everyone already knows. Here are 15 photos giving us a new perspective on history.
Learning to Swim Without Any Water
A group of children in the 1920s practiced swimming while lying across wooden benches in a schoolyard. With no pool available, apparently a little imagination and some coordinated kicking had to do the job.
Stockholm’s Incredible Telephone Tower
Before telephone wires disappeared underground, Stockholm had the Telefontornet. Photographs from the late 1800s show thousands of wires radiating from the enormous structure, creating a skyline that looks more like science fiction than early telecommunications.
Delivering Mail With a Baby in Tow
Some historical photographs remind us that balancing work and family is hardly a modern problem. One early mail carrier was photographed making her rounds with a baby tucked into her mailbag, turning an ordinary delivery route into a remarkably relatable scene.
A Car That Could Drive Straight Into a Lake
Lyndon B. Johnson owned an Amphicar, a vehicle capable of traveling on both roads and water. He reportedly enjoyed terrifying unsuspecting guests by driving toward the lake on his Texas ranch while pretending the brakes had stopped working.
Testing a Jetpack in 1969
The future seemed remarkably close when pilot Robert Courter demonstrated a jetpack at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1969. The machine really could lift him into the air, although short flight times helped ensure commuting by jetpack never became particularly practical.
Making Ketchup in 1897
A photograph from the Heinz factory in Pittsburgh shows workers bottling ketchup more than a century ago. The rows of bottles are instantly recognizable, even if almost everything about the production process looks different from a modern factory.
A Coffeemaker Built Into the Dashboard
Long before cars came with giant touchscreens, someone decided what drivers really needed was freshly brewed coffee. A 1950 photograph shows a dashboard-mounted coffeemaker that was reportedly capable of heating enough water for several cups and even preparing soup or boiling an egg.
When Computers Needed an Entire Room
Early computers were not exactly designed with portability in mind. Photographs of machines such as ENIAC show people standing among walls of switches, cables, and equipment, offering a pretty dramatic comparison with the devices we now carry around in our pockets.
The Original Michelin Man Was Slightly Terrifying
Bibendum has been Michelin’s mascot since the late 19th century, but early versions looked considerably different from the friendly character used today. Vintage photographs of people wearing enormous Michelin Man costumes make modern corporate mascots seem downright restrained.
Going Skiing With a Sail
Apparently regular skiing was not exciting enough for everyone in the 1930s. Photographs from St. Moritz show people experimenting with “ski-sailing”, using large sails to let the wind pull them across the snow.
Taking the Family Bicycle
Long before minivans became the obvious solution for moving an entire family around, inventors experimented with some wonderfully ambitious bicycles. Vintage photographs show multi-seat cycles capable of carrying several riders at once, making the school run look considerably more complicated.
An Elephant Helping Load an Airplane
Heavy lifting sometimes required a surprisingly literal amount of horsepower, or in this case elephant power. A 1945 photograph shows an elephant being used to help load supplies onto an American aircraft, bringing together two very different forms of transportation in one frame.
Sunbathing Took Some Serious Equipment
A Dutch photograph from 1961 shows a woman relaxing with a large foldable reflector positioned around her body. The contraption was designed to direct more sunlight toward the user, proving that people were willing to put considerable effort into getting the perfect tan long before modern tanning products arrived.
Trying to Work Inside an Anti-Distraction Helmet
Writer and inventor Hugo Gernsback took concentration extremely seriously. His 1920s “Isolator” covered most of the wearer’s head, blocking noise and limiting vision to a tiny opening so there would be almost nothing left to distract them from their work.
The Statue of Liberty’s Hand Before the Rest of Her
Before the Statue of Liberty was assembled in New York, parts of the monument had lives of their own. Photographs and earlier images of the enormous hand and torch displayed separately make it much easier to appreciate just how strange the construction of such a gigantic statue must have looked up close.