1900s

Vintage: The Balkans (1900s)

Vintage: The Balkans (1900s)

From the album of a prussian revenue man who was stationed in Sofia (about 1900-1918). The photographs could have been taken in any other Balkan countries, because he undertook many journeys. via Wolfgang Wiggers
Vintage: Lumberjacks of North America (1900s)

Vintage: Lumberjacks of North America (1900s)

The term lumberjack is of Canadian derivation. The first attested use of the word comes from an 1831 letter to the Cobourg Star and General Advertiser in the following passage: “my misfortunes have been brought upon me chiefly by an incorrigible, though perhaps useful, race of mortals called LUMBERJACKS, whom, however, I would name the Cossack’s of Upper Canada, who,…
Vintage: Street Views of Sweden (1900s)

Vintage: Street Views of Sweden (1900s)

Despite the slow rate of industrialisation into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to constant innovations and a rapid population growth. These innovations included government-sponsored programmes of enclosure, aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato. Because the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as…
Vintage: The Globe Kittens (1902)

Vintage: The Globe Kittens (1902)

In 1895, an amendment to Canadian law allowed the British Museum to receive one copy of all Canadian intellectual property deposted for copyright registration. This situation persisted until 1924, when – as part of a general reworking of Canadian copyright law – the right of receipt was removed. During these thirty years, the Department of Agriculture – who administered copyright…
Vintage: Native Americans Dressed in European Attire (early 20th Century)

Vintage: Native Americans Dressed in European Attire (early 20th Century)

Forced assimilation is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community. This presumes a loss of many characteristics which make the minority different. The Native Americans suffered both ethnic and religious assimilation. The assimilation process took place between the years 1790 and 1920. George Washington and Henry Knox were…
Vintage: Mugshots of Prisoners (1900s)

Vintage: Mugshots of Prisoners (1900s)

“Some years ago I discovered a cache of glass negative mug shots taken in the early 20th century; each negative was inscribed with the man’s name and alleged crime. In order to research the life of each man pictured in the 500 negatives, I spent the next three years traveling back and forth from New York to the small Northern…
Vintage: Sydney during the 1900 Bubonic Plague

Vintage: Sydney during the 1900 Bubonic Plague

When bubonic plague struck Sydney in 1900, George McCredie was appointed by the Government to take charge of all quarantine activities in the Sydney area, beginning work on March 23, 1900. At the time of his appointment, McCredie was an architect and consulting engineer with offices in the Mutual Life of New York Building in Martin Place. McCredie’s appointment was…
Vintage: American Indian Girls (1900s)

Vintage: American Indian Girls (1900s)

Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indians, Indigenous Americans and other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States. A vast variety of peoples, societies and cultures subsequently developed. Native Americans were greatly affected by the European colonization of the Americas, which began in 1492, and their population declined precipitously due to introduced diseases, warfare, and slavery. After…
Vintage: Volcanoes and Avalanches by Tempest Anderson (1900s)

Vintage: Volcanoes and Avalanches by Tempest Anderson (1900s)

Tempest Anderson (1846 – 1913) was an expert amateur photographer and vulcanologist. He was the world’s first volcano-chaser, scaling the world’s most dangerous slopes in his quest to photograph volcanoes as they erupted. He was a member of the Royal Society Commission which was appointed to investigate the aftermath of the eruptions of Soufriere volcano, St Vincent and Mont Pelee,…
Vintage: Railroad Bridges With Timber Trestles

Vintage: Railroad Bridges With Timber Trestles

In the 1830s, the railroad boom started a new era in the building of railroad bridges pushing engineers to build towering wooden bridges that have become synonymous with the era. Timber trestles were one of the few railroad bridge forms that did not develop in Europe. The reason was that in the United States and Canada cheap lumber was widespread…
Vintage: Photography by Jack London (1900s)

Vintage: Photography by Jack London (1900s)

In his photography, London showed his powers of perception and revealed his compassion, respect and love for humanity. Most of his photographs remained unpublished until 2010 when authors Jeanne Campbell Reesman, Sara S. Hodson and Philip Adam published Jack London Photographer with 200 images. London lived during the first true mass-media era, when the use of photographic images ushered in…
Vintage: Amsterdam Streets by George Hendrik Breitner (1890s-1900s)

Vintage: Amsterdam Streets by George Hendrik Breitner (1890s-1900s)

George Hendrik Breitner (1857 – 1923) was a Dutch painter and photographer. An important figure in Amsterdam Impressionism, he is noted especially for his paintings of street scenes and harbours in a realistic style. He painted en plein air, and became interested in photography as a means of documenting street life and atmospheric effects – rainy weather in particular –…
Vintage: Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada (1900s)

Vintage: Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada (1900s)

Robert McKay Brebner was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on October 18, 1855 to Alan Ramsey Brebner and Francis Ann (McKay) Brebner. He moved to Alberta in 1882 and secured a homestead in Spruce Grove. In 1890, he visited Scotland and returned to Spruce Grove with a camera with which he would document his life. In 1894 or 1895, he was…
Vintage: Roskilde in Denmark (1900s and 1910s)

Vintage: Roskilde in Denmark (1900s and 1910s)

Roskilde has a long history, dating from the pre-Christian Viking Age. Its UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral, now housing 39 tombs of the Danish monarchs, was completed in 1275, becoming a focus of religious influence until the Reformation. With the development of the rail network in the 19th century, Roskilde became an important hub for traffic with Copenhagen, and by the end…
Vintage: Everyday Life of People during Edwardian Era

Vintage: Everyday Life of People during Edwardian Era

The upper-classes embraced leisure sports, which resulted in rapid developments in fashion, as more mobile and flexible clothing styles were needed. During the Edwardian era, women wore a very tight corset, or bodice, and dressed in long skirts. The Edwardian era was the last time women wore corsets in everyday life. According to Arthur Marwick, the most striking change of…
Vintage: Portraits of Girls in Their First Communion (Edwardian era)

Vintage: Portraits of Girls in Their First Communion (Edwardian era)

The sacrament of First Communion is an important tradition for Catholic families and individuals. For Catholics, Holy Communion is the third of seven sacraments received. It occurs only after receiving Baptism, and once the person has reached the age of reason (usually, around the second grade). First confession (the first sacrament of penance) must precede the reception of the Eucharist.…
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)

Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)

The population of Paris was 1,851,792 in 1872, at the beginning the Belle Époque. By 1911, it reached 2,888,107, higher than the population today. Three major new French industries were born in and around Paris at about the turn of the 20th century, taking advantage of the abundance of skilled engineers and technicians and financing from Paris banks. They produced…