Horatio Gordon Robley (1840-1930) was a British army officer and artist who served in New Zealand during the New Zealand land wars in the 1860s. He was interested in ethnology and fascinated by the art of tattooing as well as being a talented illustrator. He wrote two books relating to his time in New Zealand,Continue reading “Major General Horatio Gordon Robley With His Collection of Tattooed Maori Heads, 1895”
Author Archives: Yesterday Today
Manhattan Project: 20 Black and White Photos Document Everyday Life in the Secret City, Oak Ridge, in the 1940s
Starting in 1942, the U.S. government began quietly acquiring more than 60,000 acres in Eastern Tennessee for the Manhattan Project — the secret World War II program that developed the atomic bomb. The government needed land to build massive facilities to refine and develop nuclear materials for these new weapons, without attracting the attention ofContinue reading “Manhattan Project: 20 Black and White Photos Document Everyday Life in the Secret City, Oak Ridge, in the 1940s”
Go West, Young Woman! A Short History of Mail-Order Brides of the Wild West
Why would a young woman leave her family, and her home – likely never seeing them again in this earthly life – to travel in sub-par quarters to become a mail-order bride? Why would a bachelor agree to marry someone he had come to know only through her letters? The phenomenon of a courtship correspondenceContinue reading “Go West, Young Woman! A Short History of Mail-Order Brides of the Wild West”
Rare and Amazing Vintage Photos Showing London in the Late 1940s
Photographer Ernst Haas (1921–1986) is best known for his color saturated images of post-war America, where he moved in 1951. Born in Vienna, Haas suffered under the Nazi occupation, turning to photography after being kicked out of medical school for being Jewish. His big break came after his photographs of prisoners of war returning toContinue reading “Rare and Amazing Vintage Photos Showing London in the Late 1940s”
Before and After Photo Comparisons of Lobotomy Patients
Today, the word “lobotomy” is rarely mentioned. If it is, it’s usually the butt of a joke. But in the 20th century, a lobotomy became a legitimate alternative treatment for serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia and severe depression. Physicians even used it to treat chronic or severe pain and backaches. There’s a surprising historyContinue reading “Before and After Photo Comparisons of Lobotomy Patients”
Last Known Photos of John Lennon and Paul McCartney Together in 1974
These are the last photos ever taken of John Lennon and Paul McCartney together. They were taken in the spring of 1974. It would be 6 more years before Lennon was killed in New York. The two would meet for the last and final time in New York City in April 1976, but there areContinue reading “Last Known Photos of John Lennon and Paul McCartney Together in 1974”
A German WWII Prisoner Is Reunited With His Daughter for the First Time Since She Was 1 Year Old, 1956
Helmuth Pirath, the winner of World Press Photo in 1956 captured the most touching moment when a German WWII prisoner, released by the Soviet Union, reunited with his daughter who had not seen her father since she was one year old. This man was one of the last prisoners of war to be released byContinue reading “A German WWII Prisoner Is Reunited With His Daughter for the First Time Since She Was 1 Year Old, 1956”
The Luxury Apartment on Wheels: Camping in Style in a 1930s Jungle Yacht
The Jungle Yacht was created for and used by Italian explorer Commander Attilio Gatti and his wife, who both traveled extensively to the African Congo as a deluxe apartment “for his 1937-1940 (his 10th) and 1947 (his 11th) expeditions” and “equipped them quite lavishly.” The expedition used two streamlined trailers designed by Count Alexis deContinue reading “The Luxury Apartment on Wheels: Camping in Style in a 1930s Jungle Yacht”
These Amazing Self-Portraits by Joseph Byron May Be the First Selfies Ever Made
Selfies are a 21st-century thing, right? Well, they certainly got popular in the 2000s, but the first selfies were taken way back. Before it was cool. Photographer Joseph Byron may be responsible for the first selfies ever taken, both individual and group. One picture, conveniently titled “self portrait,” was taken in 1909, reportedly on theContinue reading “These Amazing Self-Portraits by Joseph Byron May Be the First Selfies Ever Made”
Wonderful Behind the Scenes Photos of Janis Joplin During the Photoshoot for Pearl’s Album Cover in California, 1970
Janis Joplin wasn’t around when her second solo album, Pearl, was issued in January 1971. She wasn’t around a few weeks later when it shot to No. 1, either. The singer had died of a heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970, while recording the sessions that would make up Pearl. That unfortunate turn of eventsContinue reading “Wonderful Behind the Scenes Photos of Janis Joplin During the Photoshoot for Pearl’s Album Cover in California, 1970”
