Author Archives: Yesterday Today

Scalped in 1867 by Cheyenne in Nebraska, Here’s the Story Behind William Thompson’s Scalp

Scalping is often depicted in old-timey cowboy-and-Indian movies with lots of quavering music and dramatic pauses. But then you see the real scalp under a bell jar and it isn’t so melodramatic anymore. William Thompson’s scalp, archived at the Main Library in Omaha, Nebraska, looks more like some sort of rodent than an impactful partContinue reading “Scalped in 1867 by Cheyenne in Nebraska, Here’s the Story Behind William Thompson’s Scalp”

Portrait of Madam C.J. Walker, the First Black Woman Millionaire in America

Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records. Multiple sources mention that although other women (like Mary Ellen Pleasant) might haveContinue reading “Portrait of Madam C.J. Walker, the First Black Woman Millionaire in America”

Photos of Tina Turner at Her Home in View Park, California in 1972

These photos captured moments of Tina Turner at her mid-century home in View Park, California in 1972. The front door featured handles that were molds of her hands. The family room included a waterfall with a pond and a wet bar with a built-in fish tank. Ike Turner purchased the home in 1963, shortly afterContinue reading “Photos of Tina Turner at Her Home in View Park, California in 1972”

March 31, 1889: The Eiffel Tower Is Opened

The Eiffel Tower was built to be the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Construction was started by Gustave Eiffel’s company in January 1887 and completed in March 1889. On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris in a ceremony presided over by Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s designer, and attendedContinue reading “March 31, 1889: The Eiffel Tower Is Opened”

Edwardian Ladies’ Outdoor Tea Party, Walton-le-Dale, ca. 1905

A summertime tea is a vintage themed event that you can enjoy recreating for all decades. The vintage tea gown’s heyday was centered in the Edwardian era (1900-1920), when white lace dresses posed beautifully against a luscious green garden. The enormous flower-covered picture hats were also perfectly suited for an outdoor tea. Starting in 1870,Continue reading “Edwardian Ladies’ Outdoor Tea Party, Walton-le-Dale, ca. 1905”

15 Glamorous Photos of the 1st Academy Awards Ceremony in 1929

The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks hosted the show. Tickets cost $5Continue reading “15 Glamorous Photos of the 1st Academy Awards Ceremony in 1929”

Family of Nine Living in Field on U.S. Route 70 Near the Tennessee River During the Depression, 1936

A native of Boston, Carl Mydans (1907–2004) was born into a family of second-generation Russian immigrants. He studied journalism at Boston University, where he first learned how to take and develop photographs. After he graduated in 1930, he found work as a reporter for American Banker, but eventually bought a 35-millimeter Contax camera. The ContaxContinue reading “Family of Nine Living in Field on U.S. Route 70 Near the Tennessee River During the Depression, 1936”

60 Vintage Photos of the Anglo-Egyptian Army in Sudan During the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898

The Battle of Omdurman was fought during the Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan between a British–Egyptian expeditionary force commanded by British Commander-in-Chief (sirdar) major general Horatio Herbert Kitchener and a Sudanese army of the Mahdist Islamic State, led by Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. The battle took place on 2 SeptemberContinue reading “60 Vintage Photos of the Anglo-Egyptian Army in Sudan During the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898”