Rare Photos From The History Books You Have to See to Believe
The invention of the camera and of photography, in general, changed the way we see history forever. In centuries past, history as we know it was recorded by the diarists, the writers, the painters and chroniclers who captured the great moments of their age. The everyday details of real life were lost between the cracks of time, and became unknowable mysteries, fleeting experiences which disappeared as soon as they occurred. Photography transformed everything: suddenly, we have those moments in time captured on film, and we are able to return to them again and again, and gaze in wonder at the happenings of many years ago.
Let’s step into a time machine of imagery, and take a look at an amazing collection of the rare photos you’d never come across in your history books!
1. A Royal Faint
It must be incredibly hard being a royal guardsman. Those hot uniforms, heavy helmets, and the need to stand still for long periods of time must be utterly exhausting. As this photo shows, for one guardsman it all became too much one sunny day, and he simply keeled over in front of The Queen as she passed by on horseback to inspect the troops.
Actually, this is by no means a rare occurrence. Guardsmen often faint at such parades, and in 2017, seven individual soldiers passed out during the ceremony which was held on a particularly hot day.
2. A Truly Epic Movie
The Ten Commandments was a movie of truly Biblical proportions. Released in 1956, it told the epic story of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt and was the most successful and lavish of all of Cecil B. DeMille’s movies. Even today, it still manages to massively impress us with its scale and use of color.
In this photo, we can see actress Anne Baxter, who played Queen Nefretiri. Her costumes caused gasps of amazement on the film’s release, due to their stunning design (although not for their historical accuracy!).
3. A WWII Stunner
This incredibly beautiful woman was photographed during WWII (although the exact date is not known) wearing a uniform and sat on the wing of a VMTB-234 aircraft. Nobody really knows who she was, but her stunning beauty looks utterly timeless and strangely modern – she could appear in a magazine today, and people would still surely swoon!
Her sullen look, wild blonde hair and attractive uniform surely gave the airmen a thrill when this photograph was released. Such stunts were fairly commonplace in WWII, and photos were shared among soldiers to raise morale.
4. Superstar in the Backseat
Photographer Sam Shaw is well-known for his series of photos of Marilyn Monroe, and he had an uncanny ability to capture her off-guard, allowing us a glimpse at the woman beneath the stardust and glare of fame. Because of their close relationship, Shaw was able to capture Monroe at her most relaxed and human, and this shot – which shows the megastar cruising with husband Arthur Miller in their shiny Ford Thunderbird – shows Marilyn’s rarely seen playful and genuine side.
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When Newsweek published a series of candid shots of Marilyn in 2014, the scrapbook they were taken from featured a love note written by Marilyn for Sam Shaw, which could explain that dazzling yet elusive smile.
5. Before Abbey Road
August the 9th, 1969 saw the Beatles – at that point the biggest band in the world bar none – gathering outside of the famous Abbey Road studios, preparing to be photographed for the most iconic album cover of all time. Paul’s wife, Linda, snapped some shots of the Fab Four just before they strode across the street.
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The final and more famous photograph was taken by Iain McMillan (the street was blocked by police, and the shot had to be taken five times), but this special photograph gives us a peek at what happened just before the magic was made.
6. A Different Point of View
A lone Native American stands over a winding creek in 1868, surveying the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad in Nebraska. Little did he or his fellow tribespeople know that this project would slice its way through their homeland, and interrupt their ancestral hunting grounds.
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The native peoples had handed over the rights to their land some years earlier… but the construction of this railroad proved devastating to their whole ecosystem. The bison population the Navajo depended on for food and clothing was decimated, and this early photo somehow captures that sense of despair.
7. Earliest Example of Duck Face?
We often think of Victorians as being people who were obsessed with etiquette and manners, and pretty dour as a result. However, the reality was – of course – that people in the 19th century enjoyed a giggle as much as we do today, and posing for the camera didn’t necessarily result in straight faces 100% of the time.
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This woman shows us a rare example of someone having fun in front of the camera in the 19th century, and perhaps gives us the first ever example of the pervasive selfie ‘duck face’ we see today everywhere on social media!