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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…
Historic B&W photos of Chicago (19th century)

Historic B&W photos of Chicago (19th century)

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In the 19th century, Chicago became the nation’s railroad center, by 1910 over 20 railroads operated passenger service out of 6 different downtown terminals. In 1883, the standardized system of North American time zones was adopted by the general time convention of railway managers in Chicago. This gave the continent its uniform system for telling time.
Vintage Daguerreotype portraits from XIX Century (1844-1860)

Vintage Daguerreotype portraits from XIX Century (1844-1860)

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Mathew B. Brady (1822 – 1896) was one of the first American photographers, who pioneered the daguerreotype technique in America. Brady opened his own studio in New York in 1844, and photographed Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, among other celebrities. Here is a collection of mid 19th century Daguerreotypes produced by Mathew Brady’s studio (1844 – 1860). From the…
Historic B&W photos of Vienna, Austro-Hungary (19th Century)

Historic B&W photos of Vienna, Austro-Hungary (19th Century)

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In 1804, during the Napoleonic Wars, Vienna became the capital of the Austrian Empire and continued to play a major role in European and world politics, including hosting the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Vienna remained the capital of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city was a centre of classical music, for…
Historic B&W photos of Tunis, Tunisia, late 19th Century

Historic B&W photos of Tunis, Tunisia, late 19th Century

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During the later 19th century, Tunis became increasingly populated by Europeans, particularly the French, and immigration dramatically increased the size of the city. This resulted in the first demolition of the old city walls, from 1860, to accommodate growth in the suburbs. The city spilled outside the area of the earlier town and the banks of the lake, and the…