Ikeda Nagaoki (1837-1879) was the governor of small villages in Ibara, Bitchu Province. He was chosen to lead a group of delegates from the Japanese Embassy to Europe, sent by Tokugawa Shogunate on February 6, 1864. In his role as head the mission became known as the “Ikeda mission.” The main objective of the missionContinue reading “The Story Behind an Epic Picture of a Group of Samurais Posing in Front of the Sphinx, Egypt, 1864”
Category Archives: photography
How Many?? 20 Vintage Album Covers Prove That Gospel Groups Unable to Count Their Members
There must be something we don’t know about the way these gospel groups count their members. The term Gospel quartet refers to several different traditions of harmony singing. Its origins are varied, including 4-part hymn singing, shape note singing, barbershop quartets, jubilee songs, spirituals, and other Gospel songs. Gospel quartets sing in four-part harmony, withContinue reading “How Many?? 20 Vintage Album Covers Prove That Gospel Groups Unable to Count Their Members”
The First Photograph Ever Taken in Barcelona, 1839
It was not only the first photograph ever taken in Barcelona, but in the whole of the Iberian peninsula. It was taken on November 10, 1839 from a terrace of Pla de Palau, in an act open to the public. The photograph was then raffled to raise funds, and this is when it became lost.Continue reading “The First Photograph Ever Taken in Barcelona, 1839”
Stunning Fashion Photography by Serge Balkin in the 1940s
Born 1905, Serge Balkin was a celebrated photographer during his twenty-plus year career at Condé Nast Publications. An undeterred workhorse, Balkin’s images ran in Vogue, Glamour, and House & Garden. He used both black & white and color film to capture urban street scenes, celebrity portraits, fashion spreads, and home interiors, all with a senseContinue reading “Stunning Fashion Photography by Serge Balkin in the 1940s”
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”
Everyday Life in the U.S During the 1960s, Through the Lens of Dennis Hopper
50 Amazing Vintage Photos From the 1960s Volume 10
20 Amazing Vintage Photos Showing the Spirit of Early 20th Century Athletics
acques Henri Lartigue was fascinated by the ascent of sport in the early 20th century as a fashionable pastime for the middle classes, and was himself a keen sportsman. Lartigue’s entirely unposed photographs, presented album-style in this gorgeous, luxurious and delightful volume, capture both the joyous exuberance of amateur sports––racing, skiing, tennis, gymnastics, hang gliding––andContinue reading “20 Amazing Vintage Photos Showing the Spirit of Early 20th Century Athletics”
Here’s the Earliest Mug Shot Still in Existence, ca. 1843
When photography was invented in the first half of the 19th century, it seemed to be the solution to problems with criminal identification that police around the world had been waiting for: finally, they did not have to rely on their memories and written descriptions of prisoners to recognize criminals. As early as 1841 theContinue reading “Here’s the Earliest Mug Shot Still in Existence, ca. 1843”
Amazing Historical Photographs of Dentists From the 19th Century
Dentistry has come a long way since the gory days of teeth extraction in the 19th century. The 19th century saw the rise of dentistry as a distinct profession, with its own practitioners, techniques, and standards. The emphasis of dental care shifted from simply removing painful teeth to trying to avoid extractions by filling cavities.Continue reading “Amazing Historical Photographs of Dentists From the 19th Century”
