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Hawaii Before It Was a State: Fascinating Photographs from the Early 20th Century

Well before the celebratory ceremonies of 1959, Hawaii occupied a complex and often uncertain place within the American story. Annexed by the United States in 1898, the islands spent more than six decades as a U.S. territory, shaped by global events, cultural exchange, and a growing sense of political awareness...

From Daily Life to Fashion: Photos That Bring the 1980s Back to Life

The 1980s hold a special place in modern memory. Even people who never lived through the decade feel drawn to its colors, music, and unmistakable attitude. Something about that period still resonates today. It was loud, bold, and full of confidence, yet at the same time familiar and personal. Looking back,...

New York City in the Blizzard of 1996: A Stunning Look at a City Locked in Ice

New York City has weathered countless winter storms, but the Blizzard of 1996 stands out as one of the most dramatic moments in its modern history. Arriving in early January, the storm swept across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic with relentless force, transforming everyday routines into a struggle against nature. For three...

A Last Dance at Fort Bragg: Soldiers Enjoy a Night Out Before Deployment, 1942

In the early 1940s, Fort Bragg was more than just a military installation in North Carolina, it was a place where young men prepared for the uncertainty of war while still holding on to moments of normal life. Named after Confederate general Braxton Bragg, the base was established in 1918...

Traumatic Photographs Captured by Frank Hurley Show the Horrors of Great War’s Western Front

“An episode after the Battle of Zonnebeke.” This image is a composite scene created from multiple negatives. Frank Hurley was...

The horrors of Western Front through photographs, 1914-1918

Looking out across a battlefield from an Anzac pill box near the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders...

When the British Military Industry was Dominated by Women, 1914-1918

Women and men work amid rows of artillery shells at the National Filling Factory in Chilwell. 1917. During World War...

The First Armistice Day in Rare Historical Pictures, 1918

Soldiers celebrating the news of the Armistice. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of...

Vintage Photos Show France in the Final Year of World War I, 1918

It’s 1918 and France was caught in the final year of World War I. American photographer Lewis Hine traveled across...

The Belgian Refugees in Britain: A Warm Reception that Turned to Resentment, 1914-1918

Belgian refugees on the harbor at Ostend waiting for a boat to take them to England. 1914. The outbreak of...

The terrifying flamethrowers of World War I through rare photographs, 1915-1918

French forces use flamethrowers against enemy positions. 1916. The first flamethrower, in the modern sense, is usually credited to Richard...

Hans Hildenbrand: The German front in rare color photos, 1914-1918

German trenches. These incredible color photographs of the German battlefront during the First World War, 1914-1918, were taken by Hans...

The Ball Turret Gunner: Photos from One of World War II’s Most Dangerous Jobs

Suspended beneath the bomber’s fuselage, exposed to enemy fire and the freezing air of high altitude, the ball turret gunner occupied one of the most unforgiving positions of World War II. Assigned to the underside of American heavy bombers such...

The Night Witches: Photos of the Fearless Soviet Women Pilots of World War II

Emerging from the shadows of World War II, an astonishing chapter of aviation history comes into focus through newly colorized photographs that capture the determination and courage of the...

The Disturbing History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’: Rare Photographs

The story of Japan’s “comfort women” remains one of the most painful and heavily documented examples of wartime exploitation in modern history. Between 1932 and 1945, the Imperial Japanese government...

Haunting pictures of Londoners sheltering in the Underground during World War II, 1940-1941

During the Second World War, Londoners of all classes flocked to Underground platforms to keep themselves safe from the destruction that was being wrought above the ground by the...

Photographs from the Surplus Vehicle Boneyards of World War Two, 1945-1948

Armored vehicles sit in storage at a U.S. facility. 1946. When World War II ended in 1945, the industrial war machine did not stop overnight. Estimates of the value of...

The German occupation of Czechoslovakia in rare photographs, 1938-1939

From left to right: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini, and Ciano pictured before signing the Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland to Germany. After Germany’s annexation of Austria in March 1938,...

Rare Images of Iran Air Flight Attendants in the Years Before the 1979 Revolution

In the decades leading up to the 1979 Revolution, Iran Air—widely known by its emblem, the “Homa”—stood as a...

The Bullet Bra Craze in Photos: When Pointed Style Ruled Women’s Fashion

Fashion in the mid-20th century placed extraordinary importance on shape, structure, and presentation. Undergarments were not hidden accessories but essential...

When Leisure Suits Ruled: A Look at the Men’s Fashion Phenomenon of the 1970s

The leisure suit was impossible to miss in the 1970s. Worn in offices, nightclubs, and everywhere in between, it...

Judy Garland Through the Lens of Old Hollywood in Vintage Photos

Few figures from classic Hollywood remain as emotionally resonant as Judy Garland, whose image in vintage photographs captures both...

Santa Claus Through the Years: Fascinating Vintage Photos from the Past

Each holiday season, Santa Claus returns as a familiar and comforting presence, bringing with him a sense of warmth,...

Merry and Creepy Christmas: Vintage Santa Claus Photos That Are Genuinely Unsettling

Christmas is usually associated with comfort and cheer, but these images tell a very different story. Far from the warm...

When Victorians Finally Smiled: Rare Photos That Break the Serious Stereotype

The stiff expressions frozen in Victorian photographs have helped cement the idea of an era defined by severity and...

Joan Collins in Her Prime: A Photo Collection from Her Golden Hollywood Years

In the years before she became synonymous with glossy television drama and sharp-tongued glamour, Joan Collins was already building...