#1 In 1969, When Black Americans Were Still Prevented From Swimming Alongside White People
There’s something special about looking at photographs from American history. These images let us see what life actually looked like decades or even centuries ago, capturing moments that would otherwise be lost to time.
Naturally, none of these photographs would exist without the invention of photography itself and its arrival in America. Inventor Samuel Morse happened to be in Paris just as the daguerreotype craze was blooming and met with Louis Daguerre twice in March 1839.
The first daguerreotypes in the United States were made on September 16, 1839, by D.W. Seager, just four weeks after the announcement of the process. Back in New York, Morse set himself up to teach others how to make these images.
#3 A Young Jimmy Carter, In His Naval Uniform, With Wife Rosalynn. They Were Married For 77 Years
#4 In November 1945, Frederick C. Branch Became The First Black American Officer In The Marine Corps
Photography took off pretty fast in America. By 1853, an estimated three million daguerreotypes per year were being produced in the United States alone.
The daguerreotype process created images on polished silver-plated copper sheets, and each one was a unique photograph that showed extraordinary detail when viewed in proper light. Cities like New York had hundreds of photographers competing for customers by the late 1850s.
#5 George McLaurin, The First Black Man Admitted To The University Of Oklahoma In 1948, Was Forced To Sit In A Corner Away From His White Classmates
These are his words:
"Some colleagues looked at me as if I were an animal, no one gave me a word, the teachers seemed like they weren't even there for me, nor did they always take my questions. But I dedicated myself so much that later, they started looking for me to give them explanations and clarify their questions."
#7 First African American To Serve In The US Senate
Before photography, getting a portrait painted was expensive and out of reach for most people. Daguerreotypes changed that.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, these photographs were affordable enough that seamstresses, carpenters, and miners could have them taken. For the first time, regular folks could own an actual image of themselves or someone they loved.
#9 During The Civil War, Frances Quinn Disguised Herself As A Man And Enlisted 5 Different Times
#10 Frederick Douglass
Mathew B. Brady set himself the task of photographing the nation’s leading figures after opening his first studio in 1844, capturing everyone from presidents to stage performers. When the Civil War started, Brady wanted to document it photographically.
But his poor business skills and love of attention drove away his best employee, Alexander Gardner, who went on to become one of the top Civil War photographers himself.
#11 First Social Security Recipient 1940
#12 The State Of Massachusetts Passed The First School Vaccination Law In 1855, Followed By New York (1862) And Connecticut (1872).
#13 President John F. Kennedy's Flag-Draped Coffin In Washington, DC, 1963
Two days after the Battle of Antietam, Gardner became the first of Brady’s photographers to photograph those who had fallen on the battlefield. These photos shocked the public.
The New York Times wrote that Brady brought home the terrible reality of war. The images made it feel real in a way words never could.
#14 One Of The Only Known Photos Of Presidents Theodore And Franklin Roosevelt Together In Person, 1915
#15 The Shape Of The Statue Of Liberty Formed By 18,000 Soldiers Standing In Formation At Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa, 1918. (Photo By Mole And Thomas, Chicago, Illinois)
#16 A Delegation Of Sixteen Arapaho Indians LED By Chief Old Eagle Arrives In Paris, Capital Of France, To Beg The League Of Nations To Ask The United States Government To Recognize Indians As U.S. Citizens
George Eastman made photography much easier in 1888 with the Kodak camera. His advertising showed women and children using the camera, and he came up with a catchy slogan: “You press the button, we do the rest.”
The camera came loaded with enough film for 100 photos. When you finished, you mailed the whole thing back to Rochester, New York. They developed your pictures, put in new film, and sent it all back. Just ten years later, over 1.5 million of these cameras were out there in people’s hands.
#17 Theodore Roosevelt’s Diary Entry On The Day His Wife And Mother [Passed Away]
When color photography arrived, it changed how people saw the world. Kodachrome film came out in 1935. It was the world’s first commercially successful color film, known for its sharpness, archival durability, and vibrant yet realistic colors.
National Geographic magazine photographers used the film extensively in the 1950s and ‘60s, with their images of exotic destinations inspiring readers. The film was also used to capture Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and Edmund Hillary’s climb to the top of Mount Everest that same year.
The film stayed popular for decades because the colors didn’t fade. Many Kodachrome photos from the 1940s through 1960s still look bright and fresh today.
