History can sometimes get a bit dry and a bit dull- as a history student myself, I would know. It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the long list of names and dates, and you wonder why anyone would want to study it at all. However, the truth is history can be full of crazy things that you wouldn’t even believe, things that bring it truly to life. And in the world of historical sources, there are no sources that bring history to life than photographs.
Photographs can capture moments in time that would have otherwise been lost, and they not only show the event but the emotions of the people there too. That’s why we’ve brought together a list of 20 stunning photos that shine new light on historical events and show that maybe they aren’t as dull and distant as they seem. Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, and others will make you wonder why you’ve never seen them before. It is true what they say- a picture can tell a thousand words.
Anyone know who this belongs to? I have no eye-dear!
Bananas first arrived in Norway in 1905. Wonder how many people tried to eat them whole?
This shot was taken in 1954, and this particular scene was filmed in New York in front of a large crowd to create hype about the movie. It seems there were always publicity stunts, even in the past.
This is the image of people being rescued by the first ship to respond. The Titanic has since become the most famous ship disaster, claiming the lives of 1503 people.
We can only hope she found him.
This dog was wounded in the Orote Peninsula in 1944 in the midst of fighting. What a good boy!
This only happened in 1939, less than 80 years ago.
This was taken in 1895 when Winston was serving in the cavalry in the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars. He would go on to serve in countries all over the world before he became the famous politician we all know today.
This young girl hadn’t seen her father since she was a year old. The twist in the tale? This was taken in 1956- 11 years after the war ended.
This picture was taken in 1957, and I don’t know how she’s resisting the urge to tell those boys to shut up.
A pure act of silent resistance.
Just look at his face!
This would eventually work… just not then.
The horrified expressions on their faces say it all.
This was during the era of the Great Depression. Sometimes this was all people could do to try and get work.
Anyone else scared just looking at this?
An image as tragic as it is strangely beautiful.
For anyone who thinks being gay is just a ‘modern thing.’
This shows just how the wall divided families, not just a nation.
The astronaut sadly died when his parachute didn’t open, and he fell from space. Not a nice way to go…