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Fascinating, beautiful, and enlightening photographs from history, in their original black-and-white forms or colorized.

Photography

True life is often far stranger than fiction. History, alternatively known as&nbsp;humanity&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/bizarre-items-actually-used-as-medicine/robert-wabash">trial-and-error</a> period, is chock-full of&nbsp;scenarios bizarre enough to render your favorite movies, TV shows, and books obsolete.

Assembled below are historical photos of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-weird-true-stories/jim-rowley" target="_blank">astonishing things people have done throughout time</a>, some of which aren&#39;t more than 30 years old.&nbsp;Thought you&#39;d seen it all? Wait &#39;til&nbsp;you see kids &quot;swimming&quot; on dry land.

Historical Photos

Photography has influenced society since its inception in the 11th century. The oldest photographs depict fascinating details about life before pictures were common. From&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/photos-from-history-that-transport-you-directly-into-the-heart-of-wartime" target="_blank">historical war photos</a>&nbsp;to amazing images of space, the earliest surviving pictures known to humans&nbsp;have a profound and engaging aura.&nbsp;The very first camera was invented by an&nbsp;Iraqi scientist in the 11th&nbsp;century. Called the &quot;<a href="https://www.thespruce.com/brief-history-of-photography-2688527" target="_blank">camera obscura</a>,&quot; the device only projected images onto other surfaces, and upside down at that. However, in the early 19th century, photography as we know it was born. French photographer Joseph Nic&eacute;phore Ni&eacute;pce&nbsp;used a portable version of the 11th-century device &quot;to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light.&quot; This became the first incarnation of permanent photography.The images in this list are some of the oldest photographs, and most of them are the first of their kind. From the first picture ever taken&nbsp;by Ni&eacute;pce&nbsp;to the first movie, these images capture the development of permanent photography throughout the course of the 19th century.&nbsp;

Interesting

It&#39;s not often that a person can claim to be the first in history to accomplish something important. There is only one person who conducted the first powered flight, and only one who coordinated&nbsp;the first charity walk. These monumental events have happened throughout the course of history; however, it was only in the 19th century with the advent of photography that the majority of the living population could actually see historical firsts as they took place. Rather than reading an event through text or looking at a reproduced illustration, people we were able to see fascinating photos of historical firsts and feel as if we were experiencing the moment.

Photos of historical firsts&nbsp;provide more than an experiential understanding of events as they took place, they also allow us to see technological advancements and innovations, as well as the ingenuity and curiosity of humanity.

Have you ever wished you could go back in time, just for a moment, in order to catch a glimpse of history beyond the confines of old black-and-white photographs? Wouldn&rsquo;t it be wild if you came across an old color snapshot taken by your grandma that showed what life was like when she was growing up? Well, the good news is that modern technology may not be as far behind in that regard as you think. &nbsp;Below, you&rsquo;ll find a collection of colorized vintage photos that&rsquo;ll blow your mind.

Recent developments have begun to allow talented photo artists to colorize historic black-and-white photographs, regardless of the fact that some of them are well over 100 years old. Here, you&rsquo;ll find a stunning collection of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/colorized-photos-historical-royals/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">colorized photos</a> that will give you a look at history in a way you&rsquo;ve never seen it before. These colorized photos show life unfolding all across the world from as early as the 1800s, all the way through the 20th century.

History can be dark as we tend to remember the tragedies, wars, and revolutions that change human experience and society, but oft forget that history - and life - has its ups and downs. Even in the worst situations, people have been&nbsp;able to find joy in the smallest of things.

These photos from history that will make you smile -whether they show people spending time with friends, animals, or teammates,&nbsp;or finding success in an endeavor always thought to be unachievable - should serve as a reminder that as the world changed&nbsp;with time, not everything needed to be&nbsp;glum, and as time progresses there will always be something to put a smile on your face.

The subreddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/" target="_blank">Old School Cool </a>is a study of the cool kids throughout history. &nbsp;Be it&nbsp;heavy metal headbangers from the 1980s or&nbsp;far-out frontiersmen from the 1880s, every era has its equivalent of&nbsp;cool. Here is a look back at the rad, the awesome, and the awe-inspiring individuals from a bygone era.

In the post-truth era, it&rsquo;s becoming harder and harder to separate&nbsp;fact from fiction - but history books, and especially the images contained within, are still considered as solid and inarguable as they come. But maybe they shouldn&rsquo;t be; after all, the list of famous retouched photos and outright staged historical photos is a long one. Some of the most iconic historical pictures have been staged, and although the notion of old photoshopped photos sounds anachronistic, history books are filled with manipulated and forged imagery.&nbsp;

Is there any way to determine the truth? Can we ever truly find out <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/world-war-2-pictures/ashley-reign" target="_blank">what WWII looked like from the frontlines</a>&nbsp;or how <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/bonnie-and-clyde-death-embalming/nicky-benson" target="_blank">Bonnie and Clyde appeared after their gruesome end</a>? Of course! All it takes is a critical mind and a willingness to check citations in order to find out which historical images are legitimate and which have been edited for one reason or another. The truth is out there - it&rsquo;s just in the footnotes.&nbsp;

Old Stuff

One of the most interesting things about looking at pictures from our long-forgotten past is that you discover that people haven&rsquo;t really changed much since the advent of the camera. The rare historical photos on this list provide insight into the lives of people from all over the world, dating all the way back to the 18th century when Lincoln was just walking around the American northeast, begging people to take photos of him. One of the coolest things about some of these rare pictures from history is how they add another way that we can view some of the largest looming figures from the recent past. Dictators seem less like stuffy monsters, and people, like Anne Frank, who we&rsquo;ve resigned to one specific point in time are suddenly able to live a full life. But why read about it when you can take a trip through time with these <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-badass-historical-photos/alby-thompson" target="_blank">cool history photos</a>?

There are a few pictures of history that are burned into our brains: Einstein sticking out his tongue, the guys having lunch on a steel beam, and Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston. But none of those pictures are on this list of interesting photos of history. These are the rare historical pictures that took place outside the grasp of the history books. These photos tell a story of a world that wasn&rsquo;t simply black and white, but of a time that contained a vast ocean of civilizations and experiences. Turn your computer into a time machine and enjoy these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/british-library-historical-images/melissa-sartore?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">cool historical photos</a> you probably haven&rsquo;t seen before.

From your favorite rock star&#39;s baby pictures to the unexpected casualties of international conflict, history is immortalized in the photographs your textbooks couldn&#39;t print. National Geographic&nbsp;makes certain global documentation more accessible, but have you seen the oldest surviving&nbsp;aerial picture ever taken? Did you know there are only two photos of the Supreme Court in session in existence?&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-photos-from-history/mick-jacobs" target="_blank">Weird photos</a> from history exist to remind us of our pasts and help predict our futures. And every now and then,&nbsp;these <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/photos-to-love-history-even-more/alby-thompson" target="_blank">visual mementos</a>&nbsp;resurface, depicting modern humanity in surprising ways.&nbsp;

All too often, people in the modern age assume those who lived in the past led dreary, humdrum lives. When all we see of the historical past is dour, black-and-white photos of unsmiling faces in buttoned-up collars, we forget that people have been taking chances, trying new things, having fun, and changing the course of history since the dawn of time.&nbsp;

Although <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-badasses-hanging-out/kellen-perry" target="_blank">famous people</a>&nbsp;are often the&nbsp;subject&nbsp;of historical photos, here are some vintage pictures of ordinary people doing really cool and extraordinary things. Vote up the photos that make you reconsider whether or not life in the olden days was really as colorless as you&#39;ve always imagined.

If you say the possibility of breaking a world record never crossed your mind, you&#39;re probably lying. While some records are <a href="http://ranker.com/list/easy-world-records/steve-wright" target="_blank">easier to break</a> than others, the historical record-setters found on this list spent a considerable amount of time training and working towards their achievements. These historical records range from well-known stories like Secretariat to they-have-a-record-for-that accomplishments like the world&#39;s tallest goat jump. If the images here don&#39;t inspire you to go outside and try to break a record yourself, maybe they&#39;ll motivate you to continue working towards your own goals.&nbsp;

At the very least, unlike the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scary-pictures/brian-gilmore" target="_blank">creepiest photos found on the internet</a>, the photos here could brighten your day.&nbsp;

Architecture

Sydney Opera House Under Construction, C. 1965

Rome wasn&#39;t built in a day, and neither were some of the most famous structures on Earth. From the Burj Khalifa&nbsp;to the Golden Gate Bridge, the most recognizable structures in the world all went through the rigorous construction processes of their time to emerge as iconic structures visited by thousands of people on a yearly basis.&nbsp;

The list of photos of historical structures being built includes images of the construction of some of the <a href="/list/best-tourist-attractions-in-america/ranker-travel">top tourist attractions in America</a> as well as the <a href="/list/best-places-to-visit-in-europe/island-hopper-dan">must-see monuments in Europe</a>. There are pictures of the Eiffel Tower when it was nothing more than four posts in the ground and pieces of the Statue of Liberty as they were delivered from France for assembly in New York. Some of the <a href="/list/architecture_s-modern-marvels/nychick">greatest achievements in modern architecture</a> can be seen in their conception and execution stages on this list of pictures of famous buildings being built.

What did Mount Rushmore look like before it bore the images of four presidents? What important buildings were photographed under construction? What is the most impressive structure of the modern era? Some of these construction photos of world landmarks will give some insight into just how epic the building process of some structures (like the Sydney Opera House, which was under construction for nearly 14 years) really are. Make sure to vote up&nbsp;your favorite photos of old buildings being built.

History

If you&rsquo;ve always assumed that modern culture&#39;s fascination with things like hilarious photos of cats is a modern phenomenon, think again. Believe it or not, humans have been cracking up over photos of cats doing wild stuff for centuries and we&rsquo;ve put together a collection of historic photos of cats to prove it. So if you&rsquo;re a fan of Internet sensations like Keyboard Cat, Lil&rsquo; Bub, and LOLcats, prepare to become familiar the early pioneers of funny cat history, thanks to these historical cats.

Here you&rsquo;ll find historical photos that prove cats have been giving leg rubs and nabbing human beds since the earliest days of kitty kind. Not only will you see age old kitties milking it for the camera, you&rsquo;ll view rare historical evidence that humans have been obsessed with putting animals in people clothes for an unfortunate amount of history. Whether these cats were posed in highchairs by their young human friends or decked out in dresses by professional photographers, they&rsquo;re ready to treat you to some of the earliest silently judgmental stares ever caught on film.

So get ready to kick it old school with a blast from kitty past. When better than the present to curl up with your favorite fur ball and take a look back at these historic cat photos that are guaranteed to make you grin.

Have you ever wondered what life looked like during the gold rush? While most Americans are familiar with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush" target="_blank">California Gold Rush</a>, there have actually been gold rushes in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush" target="_blank">Alaska</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_gold_rushes" target="_blank">Australia</a> as well. Images from these madcap periods of entrepreneurship, expansion, and greed provide a fascinating window into the lives of people who lived for one thing: gold.It behooves us, then, to view&nbsp;pictures from gold rushes as an integral part of the complex tapestry of human history. After all, the search for gold brings out both the best and worst of humanity:&nbsp;ingenuity and depravity, in equal measure. Still, one has to appreciate the endurance and fortitude of the people who went out to stake their claim and find their fortune in the boomtowns and mines&nbsp;of the gold rushes, regardless of how perilous it was to get there. So enjoy these photos and illustrations from gold rushes, and see if you can find part of yourself reflected in the prospectors and the people they lived with.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

America

In the late 1800s, the prospects in the western part of the United States drew thousands of new residents yearly, seeking to stake their claim on unexplored, undeveloped territories. Over a century ago, however, moving wasn&#39;t as easy as calling up for a U-Haul and putting down a deposit on a new apartment. Along the way to Utah, Colorado, California and the like were bandits, giant swatches of nothingness, and natives of the land not eager to give way to new settlers. As these real photos of the Old West will show, there was a different way of living in this unexplored land.

<a href="https://historydaily.org/vintage-old-west-photos" target="_blank">Pictures of the Wild West</a> include the only known photo of Billy the Kid, bluffs and rocks in the uncharted territories, public hangings, parks, settlements, and even some photos of Buffalo Bill&#39;s Wild Circus. There&#39;s no denying, after seeing this Wild West photos, that the real America of the 1800s was nothing like the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-western-movies-ever-made">best Western movies</a>.

Where can I find pictures of the Wild West? What was life like in the Old West? What did the United States look like in the 19th century? These early America photos will shed some light on questions about life in the Wild West. Make sure to vote up the best pictures of frontier America and if you want to know more about the Wild West, check out the <a href="/list/western-fiction-authors/walter-graves">best Western writers</a> for another take on Old West life, as well as <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-wild-west-documentaries/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">our roundup of informative Wild West documentaries</a>.

When cameras were first invented, pictures were hard to take and involved posing for long periods of time. But cameras became smaller and more portable, and it became easier to take pictures that more closely depicted real life. While color photos from military history were extremely rare at first, they become much more common in later wars. 

Colorized photos of every conflict from the Crimean War through the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/colorized-photos-from-american-civil-war/gordon-cameron" target="_blank">Civil War</a> and World War 2 make war vivid and realistic in a way that no documentary or book can. The colors on uniforms pop, the mud of World War 1 looks thick and foreboding, and even Axis soldiers reveal themselves as human beings. They capture the mundane moments in the lives of troops on both sides, soldiers relaxing, smiling for cameras, and the aftermath of wars. 

Here are colorized photos from the mid-1800s through WW1 and WW2. You&#39;ll even see some colorized Civil War photos in the bunch. Vote up the color images and pictures that make history come alive.&nbsp;

Travel back to a time before smog and freeways ruled <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-burgers-in-los-angeles/hoserusc?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Los Angeles</a> with a list of vintage LA photos. We all have an image of LA, whether it's based on the beaches of Santa Monica or the glitz of Hollywood, but these photos from the 1800s and early 1900s show the City of Angels in a whole different light.Los Angeles is a city that is constantly changing, which makes looking at old pictures of the LA area a strange experience. Though the city's history goes back much further, California's induction into the United States and the railroad's arrival in the mid-19th century resulted in a massive immigration boom and breakneck industrialization. That's when LA as we know it began to take shape.These mind-blowing black and white photos from the period allow us to trace the origins of modern <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-burgers-in-los-angeles/hoserusc?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Los Angeles</a>, illuminating just how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in the Southland.

The Louvre Pyramid

We frequently see photos of structures like the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty in their completed states, but we rarely get to see photos of monuments, buildings, and historical landmarks as they were being created. Unlike such naturally occurring wonders as Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon, the things on this list are made by humans, so photographs are available of their construction.&nbsp;This list is chock-full of&nbsp;pictures of old buildings, historical monuments, bridges, museums, and more.

Thanks to the invention of the camera, we have plenty of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/photos-of-historical-landmarks-then-and-now/alby-thompson" target="_blank">historical photos of landmarks</a> under construction from the last two centuries.&nbsp;

In 1893, the United States wanted to commemorate&nbsp;the 400th anniversary of Columbus&#39;s voyage to the Americas in style. National leaders planned a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Worlds-Columbian-Exposition" target="_blank">grand exposition</a> featuring exhibits of new technology and arts from around the globe, spread across hundreds of acres of meticulously designed grounds. After some spirited lobbying for the honor of hosting such an event, Chicago, IL, was finally selected - it was a major railway hub with space to spare.

Under the direction of architect Daniel Burnham, designer-in-chief Charles Atwood, and landscape master Frederick Law Olmstead, the dazzling &quot;White City&quot; took shape. The exposition&#39;s soaring Classical buildings and sparkling fountains - all rigged to shine with electricity at night - were as much of a marvel as the wonders contained inside their massive halls. Millions flocked to Chicago to take in the sights, despite the city&#39;s history with <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/chicago-crimes/christopher-shultz" target="_blank">famous crimes</a>.&nbsp;

Some aspects of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-world_s-fair-locations-and-world-expo-host-cities/places-to-go" target="_blank">World&#39;s Fair</a>, like its breathtaking architecture and the debuting Ferris Wheel, are still widely admired today. Others, like displays involving people from non-Western cultures, haven&#39;t aged as gracefully. The White City was dismantled once the exposition closed a few short months later, but photographs from the fair remain as evocative as the day they were taken.

Old photos capture the way the world looked long before anyone living now can remember. It&#39;s a thrill to go back and sift through them to see people from the late 1800s and early 1900s working, hanging out, or just exploring the world. But when color is added to these historic photos, it adds a whole new layer of depth. Below are 21 of the best <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/colorized-photos/ashley-reign?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">colorized historical photos</a> depicting people from all over the world. Be sure to vote up which ones you enjoy the most.

Life in Pictures

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Photographs capture moments in history with a sense of&nbsp;permanence and security. You may not know the people, places, or events shown in a picture, but it doesn&#39;t matter - in its own way, that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-photos-111320/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">photo keeps history alive</a> for all who see it.

A simple image introduces you to someone enjoying a sunny&nbsp;afternoon decades ago; it shows you a new side of a well-known historical&nbsp;figure; or it serves as a reminder that, for more than 100 years, cats have provided&nbsp;quirky cuteness in front of the camera.&nbsp;

We saw a bunch&nbsp;of incredible photographs from history that awed us with how they captured the past. Vote up the ones that leave you saying &quot;whoa,&quot; too.&nbsp;

21 Historical Photographs We Saw This Week That Made Us Say 'Whoa'

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Bernard Otto Holtermann With The World's Largest Gold 'Nugget,' c. 1874 - c. 1876

Four African American Women At Atlanta University, c. 1899 - c. 1900

Women From The New York Association For The Blind Weaving, c. 1910 - c. 1915

A Game Of Auto Polo, c. 1910 - c. 1915

Photographs capture moments in history with a sense of&nbsp;permanence and security. You may not know the people, places, or events shown in a picture, but it ...