Powerful Old Photos That Tell Fascinating Stories

By now, we’ve had more than a few actors try Joker roles. Every version is consistently terrifying. But who really started them all? As it turns out, it was this actor, Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine. By his name, you might guess he was a foreigner, and you’d be right. Conrad was a German Expressionist film star. In 1928, he played this character in The Man Who Laughs. Looks familiar, right?

Viruses have been going around for goodness knows how long. What’s a professional smoocher supposed to do? In 1937, actors Stanley Morton and Betty Furness were asked to rehearse on-screen kisses before filming began. They are both wearing masks because it was deemed safer to kiss with cloth between them. An old article explained that this measure would stop four out of five germs. We’re not sure that was scientific, but they had hope!

According to Italian starlet Sophia Loren: “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” But if we look at this photo, we see she has something else reflecting in her own eyes, when she sees a rival beauty. This is a scene from a promotional party for the actress in 1957. While sitting glammed up at a dinner table, we see the blond bombshell Jayne Mansfield leaning in. Where did she come from, and what is she doing here?

All Hallows Eve is the spookiest day of the year, and that’s how we like it. But is that a new tradition? Not at all, as this vintage photo shows. Around 1900, we see an adult standing behind a kids’ lunch table at a school. We suspect it was a teacher, but this is no normal day at work. Today, the uniform is a ghost costume. But is that all?

It sounds cruel today, but people born with strange features used to tour around as circus freaks. That’s what they were called, officially! In some cases, it was the only way for them to make money. Frank Lentini was such a person, back in the early 1900s. Here he is, and it’s clear that he has too many legs. If you look closer, you might discover that he had 3 legs and four feet with 16 toes. He also had two totally functioning sets of man parts. How unusual!

Brits know that the queen can always count on her guards in red with big, furry hats. In case you’re wondering, they are made out of real Canadian black bears’ fur. Far from a fashion statement, the hats were originally designed to intimidate other armies in battle. Today, they just stand around Buckingham palace and make tourists smile. They can never smile back! But come on, don’t they ever break character?

There’s no doubt about it: We hate hearing our alarm in the morning. But what if we didn’t have one? In the old days, people had to make it to work without a device like that. How did they ever get up on time? It was all thanks to these workers, the knocker-ups. In England and Ireland in the 1920s, waking up the workforce of the city was a profession in itself. Thankfully so!

We’ve all heard of something called tear gas, but what exactly is it? Well, it’s not just one thing, as it turns out. The term may refer to a few different compounds that scientists engineered to seriously irritate human eyes and lungs. Yes, on purpose! The idea was that it could be used as a low-grade weapon for crowd control or wartime. And indeed, it has been used for these very purposes, like in WWII, Vietnam, and modern riots.

Anna Nicole Smith was a young exotic dancer when she met an elderly billionaire on the job. Late in life, oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall experienced love at first sight. Was it mutual, though? Anna Nicole recalled: “I was 23, and he was 86. I saw a very sick man. I just wanted to just talk with him. There was no physical attraction at all. He was very much attracted to me.”

You may think you know tall, but have you ever seen Robert Wadlow? This Illinois boy grew to be more than 8 feet tall — 8 foot 11, to be exact. He was used to getting attention, which was basically unavoidable. Robert shared: “The last time I was in St. Louis we stopped at the corner of 6th and Locust streets. You should have seen the crowd. They came from everywhere.” 

In the 90’s, there was no Baywatch star bigger than Pamela Anderson. She always stole the show! The buxom blond was a phenomenon, and she liked to date her equivalents in the world of rock and roll. When Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee heard she was suddenly single, he made his move. Pam recalls: “He asked me, ‘Is it true you are getting divorced, and, if it’s true, what are you doing later. ‘”

Womens’ fashion has really varied across time. In this photo, we see an ancient trend from Asia that still exists now. Three Burmese women are members of a traveling circus. Here, they’ve decided to pass the time by playing cards. Members of their native tribe put heavy brass rings on the legs and necks of girls in childhood. The idea was to stretch things out as they grew. Why, though?

The current pandemic may seem like an unprecedented event. But if we think for a moment, we’ve heard there were other dangerous viruses in the past. Take the 1918 Spanish Flu, for example. When soldiers from WWI returned home, this illness spread like wildfire across the nation. We had a lot less medical know-how, back then, but that didn’t stop big-hearted volunteers from helping their neighbors in need. Here, we see Red Cross workers in masks, preparing to do exactly that.

We’ve all been there: Working a normal day on the pole, and shaking our bits for cash. Well, maybe not all of us. But certainly, some of us are familiar with these dark arts, and there are rules around the job in most states. This photo tells the story of a pole professional on trial in 1983. A stripper was charged with showing her privates to a police officer, and she’s arguing her case. It’s impossible, she explains.

Around the turn of the last century, a futuristic form of transport was getting a lot of buzz. The blimp was a new way to sail through the air at low cost: All it required was a big balloon and lot of gas. But this airship idea ended abruptly in 1937 with The Hindenburg disaster, as seen here. This vessel caught fire and 35 passengers died after an explosion over Manchester Township, New Jersey.

Mental health awareness has really grown in recent years. The profession of psychiatry has come a very long way, too. Back in the day, we really didn’t know what was going on with people in distress. All sorts of experimentation happened, and not all of it was pretty. Much of it was nuts! Like this treatment, for example. Here, a nurse at the Horace Berk Memorial Hospital in Philly prepares insulin to inject into a patient.

Comedian Robin Williams was a very special man, behind the laughs. He had a big heart, and one of his favorite groups was the homeless. A producer recalled: “When I got Robin Williams’ rider, I was very surprised by what I found…He actually had a requirement that, for every single event or film he did, the company hiring him also had to hire a certain number of homeless people and put them to work.”

In 1950, the USA led the world in the Korean War. The north had invaded the south, and there was some hope the country could be kept together. Now, of course, we know that they are still split. But in this picture, that outcome was not yet known. A room of men poses with funny cones on their heads. If we look closely, we can see they are actually missile noses!

Queen of country music Dolly Parton has been singing in the biz for half a century. She’s made a small fortune of $350 million, with her albums and investments combined. But who was the man who supported it all, by her side, and behind the scenes? Why, it’s this fellow right here: Carl Dean. Dolly was lucky enough to meet him on her first day in Nashville. They’re still together to this day!  

Madame Tussauds is a network of museums around the world, and it all started during the French revolution. The madam herself opened a display of relics from the unrest, and people flocked to see it. Somehow, this evolved into a strange museum with wax replicas of every celebrity we know and love. The main theme seems to be anything that creeps us out! Here, we see how the magic happens.

Bad posture is bad news. According to WebMD: “It adds to the stress on your spine. That puts a strain on the bones, muscles, and joints you need to hold your backbone in place. But lousy posture isn’t just bad for your back. A constant slump smashes your inside organs together, and makes it harder for your lungs and intestines to work. Over time, that’ll make it hard to digest food or get enough air when you breathe.” Yikes!

At the 1976 Olympics, Bruce Jenner had a record-smashing performance on the track. He won the gold medal in the decathlon, and the nation cheered. How did he pull it off? He shared: “To me, the definition of focus is knowing exactly where you want to be today, next week, next month, next year, then never deviating from your plan. Once you can see, touch and feel your objective, all you have to do is pull back and put all your strength behind it, and you’ll hit your target every time.”

President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid conservationist who did much to establish our national parks. He loved the great outdoors, and once said: “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

Annie Edson Taylor lived around the turn of the last century. She wanted a real thrill for her birthday in 1901. What better way than fall over the widest waterfall in the nation inside of a big barrel? That’s exactly what Annie planned, and she had one custom-built for the stunt. Truthfully, she hoped to become rich from it all, somehow. First, she tried it out with a cat. It survived!

The cheetah is an African wild cat that can run 80 to 128 km per hour, easy. That makes it the fastest land animal, not just the fastest feline. In its free time, it likes to chase gazelles and impala. Then, of course, it devours them. In recent times, humans started snatching them and bringing them to zoos all around the world. Here, we see a cheetah at a zoo in Berlin, Germany.

The Golden Gate Bridge connects the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Designed by Joseph Strauss in 1917, it has become an internationally recognized landmark. Today, Frommer’s travel guide calls it “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world.” It spans 4,200 feet and 746 feet high. Here, we see it halfway through its construction. We can totally see it taking shape, but it’s not quite ready yet.

Old-timey inventions are the best, aren’t they? Wild and wacky ideas were tested out before our time, and not all of them survived. The market must have decided which ones deserved to go mainstream. This is not one of those winners, but we are intrigued. Behold The mass shaving machine, from the 1800’s. It could shave a dozen chaps at once, and that could have saved labor. It could have, but it didn’t, in the end.

We never hear about kings, these days. But European nations used to have monarchs. In modern times, we rely on parliaments and prime ministers to make decisions, and we vote them in. But let’s look at who was in charge in 1910. Here, the royals from every nation in Europe gather to honor a fellow fallen king. It’s the funeral of King Edward VII of England. Who is in attendance? This photo shows us exactly who came.

Following the crowd often feels like the natural thing to do. But sometimes, standing up to a mob is the right thing to do. Here, we see an incredible moment in history captured on film. A whole mass of nazi supporters give their signature salute. But one man is standing with his arms down and isn’t participating at all. That man is believed to be August Landmesser. What was his issue?

Once upon a time, doctors had very different attitudes about tobacco. Countless vintage ads show medical professionals recommending cigarettes and endorsing brands. Today, we certainly know better. These products cause cancer, and they are certainly not available to buy at hospitals. But once upon a time, you could stock up right from your hospital bed! This old photo shows nurses selling all sorts of smoking options as part of their job.

We take electric automation all around us for granted, these days. How often do we think about how a stoplight works? Well, traffic wasn’t always so smooth, without human intervention. This man is manually signaling to drivers in 1922. At the beginning of car culture, not many people even had wheels. But as time went on, more and more accidents began to happen. Obviously, the road needed to be more organized.

America is a diverse place, these days. But once upon a time residents of the nation did not all live, work, and play together. For decades, a policy called segregation governed public spaces. What was the idea? Well, blacks and whites were supposed to use different facilities. Drinking fountains, diners, and bathrooms all counted. And here, we see an example of just what that used to look like before modern reforms.

Marilyn Monroe was a phenomenon in her time, and frankly, she still is. A timeless beauty with a quality no can imitate, she was beloved by men and women alike. When Americans were sent off to fight in Korea, Marilyn was asked to visit and provide moral support. Of course, she agreed! Husband Joe DiMaggio was busy with baseball duties, and she thought it would be a great solo trip for a good cause.

This old photo shows an unknown Mississippi man in 1910. He has been out fishing and caught something notable. What a giant fish! We would also take a photo. He may not have been able to figure out its name, but we have. This is the alligator gar, a modern species with an ancient history. The fish has actually been swimming around for about a hundred million years. And strangely, it has barely changed!

Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal once said: “Because I’m so big, you have to look at me. I think of myself as a monument. But sometimes I like to feel small.” But that’s too bad. At 7 foot 1, Shaq isn’t going to be able to hide in plain sight. But the troubles he experiences are nothing like the ones of the late Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history. He wasn’t just big. He was a literal giant!

Woodstock legend Jimi Hendrix certainly played a lot shows with anti-war musicians. But was he totally against fighting? Once, he explained: “Of course war is horrible, but at present, it’s still the only guarantee of peace.” And if you’re wondering where he got such perspective, take a look at this photo of a young Jimi in uniform in 1961. At age 19, he repeatedly tried to get out of service, ABut he gave in, and eventually joined as an army paratrooper. Was he any good?

Today, transportation is diverse and we can choose whatever wheels we want. Whether it’s bikes we pedal or motorcycles we vroom, two wheels are a popular choice. There’s also the car, the train, the bus, and even a private jet, for fancy folks. Something’s missing, though. Could it be this strange contraption, from 1930? It is called the monowheel, and it’s actually based on a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci!

 

Before modern refrigerators, we suppose people drank lukewarm water all the time. It sounds terrible, to ice snobs like us. But if you were wealthy, you could order big slabs to chill whatever you want. These ladies are bringing that delightful product to the wealthy in lower Manhattan in 1918. They have been tasked to drive around the supply and distribute them to delighted New Yorkers. If you have money to spare, why not buy some nice ice?

Earthquakes are a fact of our planet, and there’s no getting out of it. Every once in a while, tectonic plates beneath our feet get angry. They shake uncontrollably, and they make quite a mess. If this happens in the middle of nowhere, it doesn’t affect us very much. But when it happens near a city, that’s another story. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a wild ride, and many didn’t survive. 3,000 people perished!

Yoda once mused: “On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken; some come back so different only their names remain.” The creator of this character seems to be such a person. He went on a wild journey helping to bring Star Wars to life. Only his name remains as an obscure credit at the end. But shouldn’t we know more about him than that?

In 1875, Dutch photographer Francisco Van Camp took the photo that would fascinate thousands for years to come. The woman is so uniquely beautiful, and is only made more so by the fact that so little is known about her identity. Her name is unknown, and she’s only been described as “Mestiza Sangley Filipina,” a commonly used term to describe people who were both ethnically Chinese and Indigenous to the Philippines.