Among the millions of old photographs out there in the world, there are that select few which contain a glimpse of an entire mode of life that has been lost to history. The experiences of the silent witnesses to history which they depict will never be repeated ever again on this Earth.
In this article, we’ve selected some of the best historical photographs we could find. In some cases, what they show is truly extraordinary.
The only existing photograph of a witness to the Battle of Borodino — fought during the Napoleonic Wars on 7th September 1812. Taken a century later, this former soldier was by then 117.
A lipstick test, 1950. In the twentieth century, bald men were invited to large factories which produced lipstick in order to act as ’live dummies’ for new products.