History might not exactly repeat itself, but it can rhyme. Old photos and images offer us a glimpse into the past, where one can often find a few points of commonality with our ancestors. Emotions, joy, sorrow, excitement, and awe, all part of the human experience since before the camera, writing, or even bread.
The “History Photographed” Instagram account gathers pictures and images that show captivating and interesting moments from our past. So get comfortable, prepare to scroll, and make sure to upvote the images that maybe changed your perspective on things. Feel free to comment your experience below if that was the case.
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#1 The African American Teenager Who Saved The Life Of A White Supremacist, 1996
1996 Keshia Thomas was an 18 year old high-school student who took part in an anti KKK rally in her home town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The town had a large African American community, and hundreds showed up to show resistance to the KKK Klansmen group who were holding a rally themselves. Keshia was in the crowd, when someone spotted a suspicious man, who was wearing a confederate T-shirt and had a SS tattoo (facist symbol tattoo) passing through the Anti-KKK supporters. The crowd began to run after the man to scare him off, however some of the crowd became violent and began to beat the man to the ground. Keshia saw what was going on and in an later interview she said: "Mob mentality had taken over. It became barbaric. When people are in a crowd they are more likely to do things they would never do as an individual. Someone had to step out of the pack and say, 'This isn't right'. When they dropped him to the ground, it felt like two angels had lifted my body up and laid me down". Keshia defended the man from the attackers. She then had this to say: "I knew what it was like to be hurt," she says. "The many times that that happened, I wish someone would have stood up for me. But violence is violence - nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not for an idea. Keshia then said that she never heard from the man, but months later at a coffee shop, a younger man approached her and said thanks. "What for?" she asked. "That was my dad," said the young stranger. For Keshia this was the greatest reward knowing she had stopped the violence and hatred from spreading to further generations. "For the most part, people who hurt... they come from hurt" said Keshia. It is a cycle. Let's say they had killed him or hurt him really bad. How does the son feel? Does he carry on the violence? The biggest thing you can do is just be kind to another human being. It can come down to eye contact, or a smile. It doesn't have to be a huge monumental act." Written and shared by @revivedhistory - an independent history page.
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#2 Princess Diana Shakes Hands With An Aids Patient Without Gloves, 1991
At the time, this was a groundbreaking thing to do. Many people did not fully understand how AIDS was spread, and so many of those who had it had to spend time alone in AIDS wards. Diana visited a number of these wards to visit the patients. She had this to say about her feelings towards the patients : "I had always wanted to hug people in hospital beds," she told Morton. "This particular man who was so ill started crying when I sat on his bed and he held my hand and I thought: “Diana, do it, just do it,” and I gave him an enormous hug. It was just so touching because he clung to me and he cried." What a beautiful thing to do
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#3 The Boy Who Became The Symbol Of Hope
hope, 2010 Diego Frazão Torquato was a boy who was born in Brazil in 1997. He was welcomed into the world in the slums of Parada de Lucas, a place corrupted by crime and disease. At the age of 4, he was hospitalized for meningitis and pneumonia. These were so severe that he struggled with memory problems. From a young age, Diego wanted to learn how to play the violin as he believed it would take him across the world. He was introduced to the orchestra called Afroraggae, which was coordinated by Evandro João Silva and was established to stop young children from falling into the terrible hands of crime. Sadly, Silva would be murdered in downtown Rio. Extremely saddened by the loss of his hero, Diego, who was sick and weak, played the violin at Silva's funeral to honor him, which is the image you see above. Tragically, Diego died a short time after this picture was taken as he suffered from a cardiac arrest brought on by an infection he got from undergoing a surgery for his appendix. Diego also had luekimia at the time of his death too. At Diego's funeral, José Júnior has this to say about Diego: " I think the legacy of Diego is hope, it is the willingness to change, to transform." Diego was only 12 years old. He is now known in his area as the symbol of hope, an inspiration to all people that no matter how bad your circumstances are in your life, fight all that you can to make it better, and to make tomorrow a better day. Written and shared by @revivedhistory - an independent history page
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Before photography, we had images that were just the combination of someone’s artistic ability (or lack thereof) and some parchment or maybe a wall. For example, the first visual depiction of Jesus Christ might be a bit of graffiti found in 1st-century Rome. It depicts a donkey-headed humanoid being crucified with the caption “Alexandro worshiping his god.” While not quite the Far Side in terms of wit, it helps historians establish that a deified figure must have been crucified around the turn of the century.
These little tidbits of information are important as they help make the work of ancient historians more bearable. Until relatively recently, most written history was just the work of chroniclers and annalists who mostly made long lists of figures. Very important for modern historians to get a sense of scale, but drier to read than the tablets they were inscribed on.
#5 The Woman With The Handbag, 1985
This picture, which was taken in Växjö, Sweden, shows 38-year-old Danuta Danielsson smashing her handbag into the head of a neo-fascist rally member. Danielsson was of Jewish and Polish heritage, and her mother survived being held captive in a concentration camp. Danielsson chose to be anonymous after the picture as she feared she would be the target of other neo-fascists. She was known to have suffered from mental health problems and took her own life in 1988 by jumping off the town's water tower. The man Danielsson hit is Seppo Seluska, a neo-fascist who went on a few years later to torture and murder a gay jew. Seluska was with a small group of neo-fascists, who were protesting on the streets after a local communist politician gave a speech. This led to a clash between the communists and the fascists, in which other people on the street who were not involved with either group sided with the communists to fight the fascists. In 2014, Danielsson's identity was released, and a statue was unveiled to honor her courage against the face of hate.
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#6 “I'd Much Rather Eat Pasta And Drink Wine Than Be A Size Zero.” - Sophia Loren 1965
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The first historian, at least as far as modern humans might be concerned, was Herodotus of Halicarnassus, in the sense that he sought out primary sources and attempted to build a narrative from the events. On the other hand, he also enjoyed including folk tales and other mythology in his accounting of events. Very useful for modern scholars of Ancient Greek culture, but a bit less useful for understanding precisely what happened and how.
#7 Evil Meets Power, 1996 A Black Women Salutes A Kkk Member With A Closed Fist, Which Is A Symbol Of Black Resistance Against Racism And Oppression
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#8 Power And Beauty, 2014. In 2014, A City In Iran Called Isfahan Was The Location Of A Number Of Brutal And Horrific Acid Attacks Against A Number Of Women
An acid attack is a form of physical violence. It involves a person throwing acid on a victim, usually targeting their face in order to deliberately cause disfiguration to the body. Acid attacks have primarily seen a rise in the Middle East / India in the last few years. Cases usually involve males attacking ex lovers. Isfahan saw at least 8 acid attacks in 2014. It is speculated that 2 males on a motorbike are to blame. They covered their faces and have never been identified for their crimes. It is debated as to what the motivation behind the attacks was. Some Iranians speculate that it had to do with the progression of women in Iran, as many of the women targeted were driving cars or were not wearing traditional Islamic attire. Other theories about the attackers range suggest that they were radical Islamic extremists to hardline misogynists. The woman above is Marziyeh Ebrahim. She suffered extensive injuries due to being a victim in one of the acid attacks. However, Ebrahim did not let her scars shape her, but rather, she defined them. Ebrahim is now a political activist, who heavily advocates for women's rights and awareness around acid attacks. She is considered to be one of the strongest activists in Iran, and in 2019 she helped to pass a law that outlawed acid attacks.
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Despite his flaws and flights of fantasy, the use of narrative is still common among modern historians. English historian Lawrence Stone believed that readers could better understand an event when it followed the structure of a story. We don’t tend to think of human decisions as existing in a vacuum. As you scroll through these images, notice how your mind starts to construct an understanding of what is going on before you have even read the description. The human mind loves a good narrative.
#10 Robbin Williams As A Cheerleader For The Denver Broncos, 1979
Robin Williams joined the cheerleading squad for a live game at Mile High Stadium in front of over 70,000 fans on November 11, 1979. The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 45-10. Robin dressed as Mork from Ork from the popular TV show "Mork and Mindy," which was filmed and based in Boulder, Colorado. He was dressed as a cheerleader, complete with white knee-high cowboy boots, a sequined mini skirt and top, an orange scarf, and gloves. Robin Williams holds the distinction of being the NFL's first male cheerleader.
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#11 "Everyone You Meet Always Asks If You Have A Career, Are Married Or Own A House As If Life Was Some Kind Of Grocery List. But Nobody Ever Asks If You Are Happy." - Heath Ledger
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#12 This Lovely Couple Celebrated Their 59th Anniversary By Recreating Their Wedding Photos And She Even Wore The Same Dress! Congratulations
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Even when the first cameras were more readily available (though not at all common), the time and material requirements often limited what early photographers could actually take pictures of. This is why old war photos tend to focus on the dead and battlefields after a battle. Corpses tend to not move around a lot, unlike people, so the camera can actually capture the images. This had the interesting side effect of possibly changing perceptions of war, as the most common images from a conflict depicted death and destruction.
#13 Syrian Student Sader Issa, Who Is Training To Be A Dentist, Was Raised By A Dad Who Has Down’s Syndrome
His father, Jad, has the genetic condition where a person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, leading to learning disabilities and delayed development. The condition hasn’t meant that Sadar’s childhood was lacking in love, support and guidance in any way. Dad Jad showered his only son with as much attention as he could and made sure he focused on his studies. The wheat factory worker has also become an important pillar of the community because of his selflessness. According to the Down’s syndrome society, if one parent has it, there is a 35% to 50% chance that the child may inherit the condition. Most men with the condition can’t have children while some women may be able to, making Sader and Jad’s story even more special. Sader said: ‘I’m proud of my father. Throughout my life, he has been the greatest support for me when I needed it.’
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#14 It’s Nice To Know That Over 145 Years Ago People Were Taking Silly Pictures Of Their Pets. 1875
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Humans do develop thicker skin the longer they are exposed to something and we all have a bit of morbid curiosity. As camera technology developed, photographers could get closer to the frontline, yielding more dynamic images, at a greater risk to life and limb. Robert Capa, possibly best known for his images taken on D-day, died covering the First Indochina War when he stepped on a landmine. If you want to see some more interesting historical pictures, check out our other articles here, here, and here.
#17 During Wwii, Jews In Budapest Were Brought To The Edge Of The Danube, Ordered To Remove Their Shoes, And Shot, Falling Into The Water Below. 60 Pairs Of Iron Shoes Now Line The River's Bank, A Ghostly Memorial To The Victims
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#18 The Girl Who Forgave Death, 1945 Eva Kor Was A Romanian/American Survivor Of The Holocaust
She was taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. At the camp, her mother, father and two sisters were taken away upon arrival to be executed. Eva had this to say: "I never even got to say goodbye to her. But I didn't really understand that this would be the last time we would see her" Eva and her sister Miriam were spared as they were twins, and they were sent to be experimented on by Josef Mengele, the Nazi Angel of death. Eva and Miriam would go through months of medical torture. They were injected with unknown liquids which modern doctors can't figure out. Both girls became very sick, and Eva suffered from a fever for 5 weeks. Eva was so sick that she could not walk and was given 2 weeks to live, however she fought through the experiments and the pain and kept telling herself "I must survive, I must survive". In 1945, the camp was liberated by the Soviet Army, and Eva and her sister returned to Romania. In 1950, Eva moved to Israel and served in the army for 8 years. She then moved to the USA in 1960, and married a man named Michael Kor, who was also a Holocaust survivor. Eva suffered from health problems as she grew older, however Miriam showed complex and severe medical issues during her 3 pregnancies. It was discovered that Miriam's kidneys did not grow since she was 10. Miriam's kidneys failed, and Eva speculated this was due to the experimentation they went through as children. Eva donated a kidney to her sister and said: "I have one sister and two kidneys, so it was an easy choice." Sadly, Miriam died in 1993 due to kidney cancer. Filled with anger at what the Nazis had done to her and her family, Eva went on to campaign for recognition of the Holocaust. However, Eva made her emotional journey about forgiveness, and in the 1990s, she forgave Mengele and the Nazis for the pain they had caused. In 2019, Eva passed away. In the picture above, she shows a picture of herself in Auschwitz with her sister Miriam standing beside her to her left in the hood.
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#20 Startled Bystander At The Annual Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, 1994
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