1800s

Historic B&W photos of Venice, Italy (19th century)

Historic B&W photos of Venice, Italy (19th century)

Venice became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio on 12 October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18 January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and became part of Napoleon’s Kingdom of Italy, but was returned to Austria following Napoleon’s defeat in 1814, when it became…
Vintage: Swedish churches from 1100-1900 AD

Vintage: Swedish churches from 1100-1900 AD

This set shows photos of Swedish churches from 1100-1900 AD – a mix of stone and wooden churches, cathedrals and chapels – country churches as well as city churches. We think that these pictures well describe the wide range of churches to be found all over the country in the 1800s. They also show the surrounding landscape or environment, often…
Historic B&W photos of Kiev, Russia (Ukraine) in the 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Kiev, Russia (Ukraine) in the 19th Century

During the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century, Kiev became an important trade and transportation centre of the Russian Empire, specialising in sugar and grain export by railway and on the Dnieper river. By 1900, the city had also become a significant industrial centre, having a population of 250,000. Landmarks of that period include the railway infrastructure, the…
Historic B&W photos of Riga, Russia (Latvia) late 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Riga, Russia (Latvia) late 19th Century

During many centuries of war and changes of power in the Baltic, and despite demographic changes, the Baltic Germans in Riga had maintained a dominant position. By 1867 Riga’s population was 42.9% German. Riga employed German as its official language of administration until the installation of Russian in 1891 as the official language in the Baltic provinces, as part of…
Historic B&W photos of Paris, France, late 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Paris, France, late 19th Century

Late in the 19th century, Paris hosted two major international expositions: the 1889 Universal Exposition, was held to mark the centennial of the French Revolution and featured the new Eiffel Tower; and the 1900 Universal Exposition, which gave Paris the Pont Alexandre III, the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and the first Paris Métro line. Paris became the laboratory of…
Historic B&W photos of Warsaw under Russian Partition in the 19th century

Historic B&W photos of Warsaw under Russian Partition in the 19th century

Partitions of Poland were a series of three partitions that took place towards the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years. The partitions were conducted by the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and Habsburg Austria, which divided up the Commonwealth lands among themselves…
Historic B&W photos of Bosnia in 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Bosnia in 19th Century

Bosnia and Herzegovina fell under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878 when the Congress of Berlin approved the occupation of the Bosnia Vilayet, which officially remained part of the Ottoman Empire. Three decades later, in 1908, Austria-Hungary provoked the Bosnian crisis by formally annexing the occupied zone, establishing the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the joint control of Austria and Hungary.
Historic B&W photos of Hanover, Germany (19th century)

Historic B&W photos of Hanover, Germany (19th century)

From 1868 to 1946 Hanover was the capital of the Prussian Province. For Hanover’s industry, however, the new connection with Prussia meant an improvement in business. The introduction of free trade promoted economic growth, and led to the recovery of the Gründerzeit (founders’ era). Between 1871 and 1912 Hanover’s population grew from 87,600 to 313,400. In 1872 the first horse…
Vintage images of Statue of Liberty under construction (1880s)

Vintage images of Statue of Liberty under construction (1880s)

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female…