History,CuriositiesJAN 12, 2026

113 Photographs Every History Enthusiast Should See

Photos have a quiet magic to them… they can pull us out of the present and drop us into another moment in an instant.

This feeling is even stronger when we look at historic pictures taken across different eras and places.

Some of the moments feel so familiar — for example, we all can relate to a mirror selfie that was taken by a couple in the 1920s in Japan. But at the same time, some moments remind us of such strange times — for example, we will never fully understand what a soldier felt while embracing his baby after returning from World War 2.

Let’s travel back in time a bit, and check out this treasure trove from the Hatcher History Instagram page that reveals glimpses from the past.

#81 Federico Caprilli Demonstrates The Skills Of His Horse As Part Of The Esteemed Italian Cavalry School, 1906

#82 A Beautiful Daguerreotype Of A Smiling Father And Child, Location Unknown, 1856

#83 Medieval Warrior's Scull

#84 A Nursery Run Out Of East London, England, In 1911

#85 Soviet Peasants Listen To The Radio For The First Time, Ussr, 1928, The Year That Stalin Became Dictator Having Won A Bitter Leadership Battle, Following The Death Of Lenin In 1924

#86 A Group Of Children Playing In A Small Village, Location Unknown, 1905

#87 An Oldish Couple, Perhaps Sharecroppers, Happy With Their Lot, From The Beginning Of The Last Century, Exact Location Unknown, But From The American South

#88 A Young Boy Stops To Be Photographed, While Picking Hops, Yakima Valley, Washington, USA, 1939

#89 A Coke Delivery Truck, Location Unknown, USA, 1909

#90 Some Kids In Dust Bowl America, In The Great Depression Of The 1930s

#91 The Mildred, Shipwrecked On The Rocks Around Gurnards Head, Cornwall, 1912, On A Journey From Newport To London Carrying Slag

#92 Brooklyn Bridge Under Construction, NYC, 1880

#93 Henry Worsley, The British Explorer Who Lost His Life In 2016, Attempting A Solitary Trek Across Antarctica

#94 A Photo Of General High Brady Taken When He Was In His 80s, In The Late 1840s. The Good General Was Born In 1768, When The Us Were British Colonies And George III Was Still King

#95 A Lady Plays A Game Of Petang/Petanque, In The South Of France, 1970s

#96 A Photo Of The Famous Harlem Debutante Ball, Held At The Renaissance Ballroom, The Renny"), Located At 7th Avenue And 138th Street In Harlem, New York City

#97 A Colorized Picture Of Three Girls Working As Oyster Shuckers, In South Carolina, USA, 1912

#98 5-Year Old Harold Walker, Who Was Employed To Pick 20 Pounds Of Cotton A Day. Oklahoma, USA, 1916

#99 The Rear-Front Memorial, A Bronze And Granite Monument Erected In Steel City Of Magnitogorsk, Russia, Sculpted By Lev Golovnitsky, In 1979

#100 A Farmer In Central France Surveys His Domain, C1961

Poll Question

Which emotion do you most often feel when viewing these historical photographs?

Poll Question

Which emotion do you most often feel when viewing these historical photographs?