Conrad Heyer, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, is known as the only photographed person to have crossed the Delaware with George Washington, 1776. He also is the earliest-born American to have ever been photographed. As well, he is believed to be the earliest born human ever photographed. Heyer was born in Waldoboro, MaineContinue reading “Conrad Heyer, the Only Photographed Person To Have Crossed the Delaware With George Washington, 1776.”
Tag Archives: 1800s
Armless and Legless Men Riding a Tandem in the 1890s
Charles B. Tripp, the armless man and Eli Bowen, the legless man, riding a tandem. ca. 1890s. While the pair posed for promotional photographs one of them spotted a tandem bicycle. In no time at all the two gents not only mounted the bicycle-built-for-two, but rode off together laughing as boys would. The photographer quicklyContinue reading “Armless and Legless Men Riding a Tandem in the 1890s”
15 Interesting Vintage Photos of People Dressed in Bat Costumes From the Early 20th Century
Before the Batman character that we all know to be created in 1939 to appear in Detective Comics #27, bat costumes were already popular for a long time, with illustrations and photographs that date back at least until from 1887.
In 1896 Workers Attempted to Eradicate Moth Larvae From a Large Elm Tree in Malden, Massachusetts
Medford, being one of the oldest towns in the State, had many very large elms. This was also true of Malden. It was believed by some of the residents that it would be impossible to clear the moths from these trees except by the aid of a balloon. The largest tree in the infested regionContinue reading “In 1896 Workers Attempted to Eradicate Moth Larvae From a Large Elm Tree in Malden, Massachusetts”
Hawaii, 1890: This Is the First Known Photograph Ever Taken of a Surfer!
Dating back to 1890 this is perhaps the first photo ever taken of a surfer. The muscled Hawaiian beach man is photographed wearing a traditional loin cloth and shown standing in the shallows holding his rudimentary board. The original owner and the photographer are not known. Surfing rituals and the sport itself continued in theContinue reading “Hawaii, 1890: This Is the First Known Photograph Ever Taken of a Surfer!”
Believe It or Not: Human Zoos Really Existed in the Past, And There Are Pictures to Prove It
Have you ever heard of a human zoo? A human zoo was a place (and yes, they really existed in the past) where people were kept for display, just like animals are kept in zoos. The displays often emphasized the cultural differences between Europeans of Western civilization and non-European peoples or with other Europeans whoContinue reading “Believe It or Not: Human Zoos Really Existed in the Past, And There Are Pictures to Prove It”
Portraits of John Clem, Who Was 12 Years Old When He Became a Civil War Hero
Johnny Clem was a soldier in the service of the United States for most of his life. He was born on August 13, 1851, in Newark, Ohio. His actual name was John Joseph Klem. When President Abraham Lincoln in May 1861 issued the call for volunteers to serve in the Union army for a threeContinue reading “Portraits of John Clem, Who Was 12 Years Old When He Became a Civil War Hero”
Mary Bowser: The Former Slave Who Helped Bring Down The Confederacy
The Confederates were sure former slave-turned-Union spy Mary Bowser wouldn’t be able to read the sensitive documents they left out around her — they were wrong. Oftentimes, the outcome of a war is determined not out on the open battlefields, but in the shadows. Espionage has played an important role in virtually every great militaryContinue reading “Mary Bowser: The Former Slave Who Helped Bring Down The Confederacy”
The Infamous Montparnasse Train Derailment, 1895
These incredible photos of the wreck at Gare Montparnasse in Paris shows a very dramatic scene of a train that has crashed through the wall and partially tumbled to the street. The cause? Both mechanical failure and human error. The train was late, so the driver had it pull into the station at a highContinue reading “The Infamous Montparnasse Train Derailment, 1895”
14 Historical Nebraska Mug Shots from the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
Photography revolutionized crime investigations. Beginning in the mid 1800s, police photographed the faces of known criminals. Called “mug shots” (after the British slang word “mug” meaning “face”) these images replaced drawings and descriptions on wanted posters. Scientists even studied mug shots to see if physical traits could predict criminal behavior. The Nebraska State Penitentiary usedContinue reading “14 Historical Nebraska Mug Shots from the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries”
