#1 In 1969, When Black Americans Were Still Prevented From Swimming Alongside Whites, Mr. Rogers Decided To Invite Officer Clemmons To Join Him And Cool His Feet In A Pool
#2 On February 8th, 1943, Nazis Hung 17-Year-Old Lepa Radić For Being A Yugoslavian Partisan During World War II. When They Asked Her The Names Of Her Companions, She Replied: “You Will Know Them When They Come To Avenge Me."
#3 One Of The Earliest Photos Showing A Native American With A Wolf - Unlike The Myths Created About Wolves By Settlers, Indians Maintained A Close And Respectful Relationship With Wolves
The best thing about stumbling across historical pictures like these is how much they spark our interest. Many of us immediately feel the urge to do a few Google searches, quickly click on hyperlinks, and dive headfirst into the world of knowledge, all to learn more about these past eras, long-gone events, and people who created something out of them.
It’s amazing how old photos can lead to hours of research about something you might not even have known existed before. By exploring historical events through old photographs, you have a chance to interpret and enhance your perception of the world in a visual way. You’re suddenly presented with new information about how individuals lived back then and how their actions molded our society.
“Photography can definitely be a powerful tool in understanding history,” Jo Romero, a writer, sketcher, and founder of the blog Love British History, previously told Bored Panda. “It gives us that link between us and people in the past—we can look into the person’s eyes in a photograph and it creates that human connection between us.”
“From a photograph too, we can see body languages and poses within a group of people or the way a scene is laid out, and this is much more than we could ascertain from reading a book,” Jo added. “Photographs help make history seem more real. They’re like a viewfinder into the past!”
And we can’t help but agree. Of course, oral traditions, artifact collection, and volumes of manuscripts and documents are essential sources of information for historical periods. But there’s something about old photographs that enhances our understanding of history. With each and every closing of the camera shutter, a moment is recorded and frozen in the past, and uncovering these gems makes them seem even more real.
#10 Bobbi Gibb, First Woman To Run The Boston Marathon In 1966, She Ran Without A Number Because Women Were Not Allowed Into The Race
#11 " Please, God, Please, Don't Let Me Be Normal". Sigourney Weaver's High School Yearbook Picture.1967
#12 22-Year-Old Wasp Pilot Shirley Slade In Her Flying Helmet, Goggles, And Gloves, 1943
“We have so much we can learn from the visual evidence that we have, whether that’s a portrait of a person or a snapshot captured of a group or scene,” the blogger pointed out that history is an extremely varied topic. Jo added that visual media helps make the past seem more accessible and that we can see old photos like we see historical artifacts. “They add interest and give us context.”
According to Jo, it’s one thing to read about your great-great-grandfather on a page, but seeing a photograph of him and looking into his eyes is completely different. She believes that “photos of people or scenes evoke a much stronger emotional reaction, and it’s great that they can be used alongside written sources for context. Not everyone wants to learn just by reading, and using different visual sources can help keep our interest and curiosity up and make the topic a lot more engaging.”
#13 Photograph Showing Inventor Charles S.l Baker And His Assistant Demonstrating Heating/Radiator System. 1906
#14 A Jewish Hanukkah Menorah Defies The Nazi Swastika, 1931
On the back of the photograph, Rachel Posner wrote in German (translated here): Chanukah 5692 (1932)
"Death to Judah"
So the flag says
"Judah will live forever"
So the light answers. -.
#15 Bride Leaving Her Recently Bombed Home To Get Married, London, Nov 4, 1940
As Anna Pegler-Gordon, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, explained in a piece called Seeing Images in History, we rarely spend time exploring pictures that illustrate history. Most of the time, we focus on the written content “because of the way that images are presented in many historical texts and also because of the way that historians are trained to view images—as illustrations of written history rather than sources of history themselves.”
But this seems to be changing, as Pegler-Gordon mentioned evidence of a “visual turn” in learning and teaching the subject in the last few years. It looks like more academics and historians now give more attention to visual images.
By using history pictures to teach, the professor noticed that students often see media as more accessible than written records. “Students themselves mention that images make the past seem more accessible, giving concrete shape to a world that sometimes seems intangible,” she added.
#16 The Real Meaning Of "Keep Calm And Carry On." Milkman During The London Blitz 1940
“The learners who arrive in our classrooms today are not only immersed in technology, but also in visual ways of learning. They appreciate the immediacy of the image, which often conveys information more quickly than a primary document written in an unfamiliar, or even a foreign, language.” Another benefit is that this immediacy leads to a shared experience of viewing a picture together that can contribute to a lively group discussion.
Moreover, students are often advanced readers of graphic media, and with proper guidance and support from their teachers, they can truly enjoy the process of looking at and analyzing historical visual representations.
