The world has seen lots of talented and capable photographers throughout history. But not everyone’s work gets as much time in the spotlight as it should. But if you spend time digging through the historical archives looking for iconic snapshots, it’s well worth the effort.
‘Utterly Unique Photos’ is a fantastic history and photography-oriented online community that shares vintage (mostly but not always) black-and-white historical photos. We’ve collected some of the most interesting ones, recently featured by members of the group, to give you a glimpse into the past from a fresh perspective. Scroll down for a trip through time.
Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to Daniel Holland, the founder of ‘Utterly Unique Photos’ and the ‘Utterly Interesting’ brand, for a friendly chat about his projects and iconic photography. You’ll find our interview with him below.
"I've always liked to share things I find of interest, and my subreddits reflect that,” Daniel opened up to Bored Panda during an earlier interview. "They've grown into quite active communities now and are a great place to spend some time,” the creator added.
#22 Uma Thurman’s Mother Nena Von Schleebrügge Posing For Vogue Magazine In 1958
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90points
#23 A Young Liam Neeson Pictured With His Sisters, Elizabeth, Bernadette And Rosaleen In 1960 Outside Their Family Home In Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
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89points
#24 Actors Who Were To Portray The Munchkins In The Wizard Of Oz Arriving At Mgm Studios In 1938
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87points
The ‘Utterly Unique Photos’ subreddit, which was created back in November 2023, gets 351k weekly visitors at the time of writing. The group is dedicated to “Old and new photographs that can sometimes be odd or surreal, but are always unique with an interesting backstory.”
#25 A Korean Sailor Takes A Break From Transporting Cargo, Sitting Under The Shadow From The Sail, Smoking From His Long Bamboo Pipe. He Wears Cool Hemp Clothes. Circa 1904
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85points
#26 Lew Alcindor's Graduation At Ucla, 1969. (Later Known As Kareem Abdul Jabbar)
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79points
#27 The Future Queen Elizabeth In Front Of A Playhouse Gifted To Her And Princess Margaret In 1932 By The People Of Wales
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78points
If you plan on joining the community, before you start posting tons of awesome historical snapshots, make sure to read the rules in the sidebar. For one, make sure that you add the date the photo was taken, and try to identify the people in the image. What’s more, you should “Try to make the image you post unique,” while avoiding any colorized photos.
#28 In 1910, Louis And Temple Abernathy Decided To Cross America By Horseback Without Adult Supervision, From Oklahoma To Manhattan
They were just 10 and 6 years old. To get back home, they bought a car and drove it while their horses returned by train. In 1913 they made the same trip on a motorcycle
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77points
#29 Barack Obama And His Fellow Classmates Protesting Against Homework, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1970s
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76points
#30 Mississippi’s First Interracial Bride And Groom, Berta And Roger Mills, Enjoying Their Wedding Cake In 1970. 55 Years Ago
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75points
Which of these photos left the biggest impression on you and why, dear Pandas? Have you ever done black-and-white photography before? For you personally, what makes a photo truly iconic, so that it stands the test of time? Once you’ve finished upvoting your favorite pics, share your thoughts in the comments below.
#31 Robert Bloch, Author Of Psycho, At His Desk In The 1950s. Widely Regarded As His Most Enduring Work, The Novel Remains One Of The Most Influential Horror Stories Of The 20th Century
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71points
#32 Actress Merle Oberon Was Born In 1911 In Bombay And Hid Her True Origins Claiming To Have Been Born To White Parents In Tasmania
The first Asian Best Actress Oscar nominee, she used skin bleaching and reinvention to survive Hollywood prejudice, keeping her heritage secret until after her death
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66points
#33 Once Called “The Lords Of The Forest”, Billions Of Ancient American Chestnut Trees Once Dominated The Appalachian Landscape
Until 1904, when the accidental introduction of Asian Chestnut Blight rotted them by the millions. By 1920, the species was functionally extinct.
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60points
#34 A Then 118-Year-Old Sarah Knauss Posing For A Family Photo, United States, 1998
When Sarah Knauss was born, William McKinley was president, the Eiffel Tower had been standing for only a decade, and the average American life expectancy was just 47 years.
Born in 1880, she lived through three centuries, twenty-one U.S. presidents, two World Wars, and the dawn of the internet. By the time this photograph was taken, she had become the world’s oldest living person and the oldest verified American in history.
Knauss attributed her longevity to “keeping calm and not letting things upset her.” She witnessed a world that transformed from horse-drawn carriages to space travel. She passed in 1999 at 119 years and 97 days
Born in 1880, she lived through three centuries, twenty-one U.S. presidents, two World Wars, and the dawn of the internet. By the time this photograph was taken, she had become the world’s oldest living person and the oldest verified American in history.
Knauss attributed her longevity to “keeping calm and not letting things upset her.” She witnessed a world that transformed from horse-drawn carriages to space travel. She passed in 1999 at 119 years and 97 days
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57points
#35 On The Left Is David Reimer On The Right Is Brenda Reimer
They're the same person, as a child he was a victim of a botched circumcision, so on the advice of one doctor, the family decided to have him castrated and raise him as a girl. At age 13 he began living as a boy again.
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56points
#36 First Underwater Photograph Of A Person, 1899. The Photographer Was Louis Boutan, And The Man We See Is Emil Racoviță, A Romanian Biologist And Explorer
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56points
#37 Dr. William T. Corlett Of Cleveland’s Western Reserve University Took This Photograph Of A Recovered Smallpox Patient. The Scars Were Permanent. Circa Early1900s
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54points
#38 Tsar Nicholas II’s Daughters Shaved Their Heads After Losing Their Hair In Clumps Due To Measles. 1917 From Left To Right, Grand Duchesses: Anastasia, Tatiana, Olga And Maria
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54points
#39 June 5, 1965: "Pretty, Congenial Little Alicia Brown, 16 Months Old, Engages In Happy Chat With Los Angeles Police Sgt. Genevieve Hauck In The Van Nuys Police Building Yesterday Shortly After The Little Girl Was Abandoned By Her Mother In A Van Nuys Church"
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49points
#40 Hillary Clinton Getting Her Face Painted At Wellesley College, 1969. She Graduated That Year Earning A Degree With Honours In Political Science
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49points
