History is full of moments that beg to be investigated. Each of these photos contains more than just an image, they’re filled with stories of those that we’ve forgotten. While we prefer to look at nostalgic moments that put a rosy hue on the past, it’s just as important to dig into these eerie images that tell stories that we may not want to know. As you dig through these snapshots prepare to be transported back in time to dark moments in history that have been forgotten, likely for a reason. Are you prepared? Remember, the only way out is through.
In the 19th century, so-called “pit ponies” took over for children who worked the mines. It’s great that children were being phased out of mine work, it’s also incredibly cruel to subject animals to this kind of work. Mining horses were brought into the profession in 1838, following a mining accident where 26 children were killed during a flood. By 1913, about 70,000 horses were at work in English coal mines where they pulled carts through underground tunnels. This kind of cruelty continued until the 1960s when pit ponies were finally phased out.
Gibson Girls weren’t your typical models. They weren’t photographed, rather they were illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson, an artist who worked from the late 19th century well into the mid 20th century. His concept of the “Gibson Girl” wasn’t just a pretty girl, she was slender and voluptuous with a big pile of curls on her head who had an effortless way about her. Essentially, Gibson wanted to create an illustration of the perfect American girl.
Elizabeth Arnold holds a special place in the annals of English history as one of, if not the only female Blacksmith well into the 20th century. Arnold could be found just outside of Kent, usually swinging a 10lb sledgehammer up until her 70th birthday. Working in a 400 year old forge, Arnold was seriously old school. When we lost her we lost an entire way of life.
The Harlem Hellfighters were a 100% African-American infantry unit who performed more tours of World War 1 than any other unit in the US military. In spite of their bravery these men faced severe racism in the field and when they returned home. Many of these men were from New York City. they were only able to join the war effort after petitioning the government to let them serve. As Hellfighter member Arthur P. Davis explained, “To be somebody you had to belong to the 15th Infantry.”
We tend to think of selfies as a fairly modern thing, but for as long as we’ve had cameras people have been taking photos of themselves. Heck, even before the invention of the camera painters made self-portraits. While we can easily take selfies today with a variety of tools, taking a selfie in the 1940s took a lot of patience and knowledge of focus and depth of field.