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Historic B&W photos of Florence, Italy in the 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Florence, Italy in the 19th Century

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Florence replaced Turin as Italy’s capital in 1865 and, in an effort to modernise the city, the old market in the Piazza del Mercato Vecchio and many medieval houses were pulled down and replaced by a more formal street plan with newer houses. The Piazza (first renamed Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele II, then Piazza della Repubblica, the present name) was significantly…
Vintage Black and White photos of German Castles

Vintage Black and White photos of German Castles

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The centuries of invasive enterprises of the Romans from the South, Vikings from the North, and the multitude of marauding tribes and nomads from the East, each wreaking their own special brand of terror, necessitated construction of border, royal and community fortifications throughout Europe. But individual castle building is what sets Europe apart from previous defensive constructions. Personal castle building…
Vintage: Rio de Janeiro (1880s-1910s)

Vintage: Rio de Janeiro (1880s-1910s)

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When Prince Pedro proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his new empire. Rio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was replaced by a republic. Until the early years of the 20th century, the city was largely limited to the neighbourhood now known as…
Vintage: Early Days of the London Underground

Vintage: Early Days of the London Underground

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The idea of an underground railway linking the City of London with some of the railway termini in its urban centre was proposed in the 1830s, and the Metropolitan Railway was granted permission to build such a line in 1854. To prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built in 1855 in Kibblesworth, a small town with geological properties similar…
Vintage: Canadian Pacific Railway Locomotives (1880s)

Vintage: Canadian Pacific Railway Locomotives (1880s)

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The construction of the national railway by the Canadian Pacific Railway company in the 1880s is inextricably linked with the settlement and development of Western Canada. Glenbow Museum has an extensive collection of more than 6000 railway-related historic photographs, which document the building and operation of the CPR as well as other railways in the West. The locomotives in these…
Vintage: Victorian Era Portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron (1860s-1870s)

Vintage: Victorian Era Portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron (1860s-1870s)

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In 1863, when Cameron was 48 years old, her daughter gave her a camera as a present, thereby starting her career as a photographer. Within a year, Cameron became a member of the Photographic Societies of London and Scotland. She remained a member of the Photographic Society, London, until her death. In her photography, Cameron strove to capture beauty. She…
Vintage: Niagara Falls during Winter (19th Century)

Vintage: Niagara Falls during Winter (19th Century)

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There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the falls. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger, “Niagara” is derived from the name given to a branch of the local native Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the “Niagagarega” people on several late-17th-century French maps of the area.[13] According to George R. Stewart, it comes…
Vintage: Early Bicycles in the 19th Century (1850s – 1890s)

Vintage: Early Bicycles in the 19th Century (1850s – 1890s)

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The first verifiable claim for a practically used bicycle belongs to German Baron Karl von Drais, a civil servant to the Grand Duke of Baden in Germany. Drais invented his Laufmaschine (German for “running machine”) of 1817 that was called Draisine (English) or draisienne (French) by the press. Karl von Drais patented this design in 1818, which was the first…
Vintage: Mugshots of Prisoners in West London (1890s)

Vintage: Mugshots of Prisoners in West London (1890s)

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These photographs were taken in 1880 and 1890 at Wormwood Scrubs prison in West London by unknown photographer. These portraits are unusual compared with the standard of prison photography at the time, in that they combine the profile and frontal portrait in one photograph. The prisoners hold up their hands to show any identifying features, such as tattoos or missing…
Vintage: Historic views of Melbourne (1800s)

Vintage: Historic views of Melbourne (1800s)

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The decade of the 1880s was one of extraordinary growth, when consumer confidence, easy access to credit, and steep increases in the price of land, led to an enormous amount of construction. This ‘land boom’ was followed by a severe economic crash in the early 1890s which lasted until the end of the century. During the boom, Melbourne had reputedly…
Vintage: Swedish churches (1100-1900 AD)

Vintage: Swedish churches (1100-1900 AD)

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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…
Vintage: London Underground Construction (Victorian Era)

Vintage: London Underground Construction (Victorian Era)

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In the first half of the 19th century, London had grown greatly and the development of a commuting population arriving by train each day led to traffic congestion with carts, cabs and omnibuses filling the roads. By 1850 there were seven railway termini located around the urban centre of London and the concept of an underground railway linking the City…
Vintage: Father Christmas in the Victorian Era (19th Century)

Vintage: Father Christmas in the Victorian Era (19th Century)

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At the start of Victoria’s reign, children’s toys tended to be handmade and hence expensive, generally restricting availability to those “rich folk” again. With factories however came mass production, which brought with it games, dolls, books and clockwork toys all at a more affordable price. Affordable that is to “middle class” children. In a “poor child’s” Christmas stocking, which first…
Vintage: London in the 1860s and 1870s by James Hedderly

Vintage: London in the 1860s and 1870s by James Hedderly

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James Hedderly (1815 – 1885) was a painter and signwriter until the mid-1860s, when he became a photographer. He lived in Duke Street, only a short distance from Whistler’s house at 7 Lindsey Row, from 1841 until the 1870s, when the street was demolished for the Embankment. He then moved to 21 Riley Street, where The Chelsea, Pimlico and Belgravia…
Vintage: Victor Hugo’s Funeral (1885)

Vintage: Victor Hugo’s Funeral (1885)

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Victor Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. Victor Hugo’s death from pneumonia at the age of 83, generated intense national mourning. He was not only revered as a towering figure in literature, he was a statesman who shaped the Third Republic and democracy in France. More…
Historic B&W photos of Moscow, Russia in the 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Moscow, Russia in the 19th Century

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In the 1830s, general Alexander Bashilov planned the first regular grid of city streets north from Petrovsky Palace. Khodynka field south of the highway was used for military training. Smolensky Rail station (forerunner of present-day Belorussky Rail Terminal) was inaugurated in 1870. Sokolniki Park, in the 18th century the home of the tsar’s falconers well outside of Moscow, became contiguous…