50 Iconic and Rare Historical Photographs

We at HistoryColored have decided to curate 50 interesting, rare and iconic photos from history. There are many reasons why a photograph may be featured on this list. Some of the reasons include: it was the first time something was ever captured on camera, it shows a famous figure from history, the image depicts an important historical event, it is a “rare” photo that does not get shared as much as it should, or it is an “iconic” historical photo. It may not fall under any of these categories but can still be featured in this list for a different reason.

These photographs are in no particular order. They have been curated and added to the list over a long period of time, so no decision was taken on how they should be ordered. Be sure to take the time to check out every historical photograph featured on this list!

As well as this list, be sure to check out the other photos featured on HistoryColored!

1. The First Photograph Ever Taken, 1826 or 1827

The first photograph in history, the view from a window at Le Gras in 1826 or 1827.
The oldest surviving photograph to exist. It was taken by pioneer photographer, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The scene depicts a view from a window in Nicéphore Niépce’s estate known as Le Gras in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, Bourgogne, France in 1826 or 1827. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

2. General William Tecumseh Sherman, circa 1865

Side profile photograph of General William Tecumseh Sherman in his Union Army military uniform in c. 1865
Side profile of Union Army Major General, and the Commanding General of the US Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, in his Union Army military uniform in circa 1865. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

3. Dali Atomicus, 1948

Salvador Dali suspended in mid air along with other objects within the iconic photograph Dali Atomicus taken in 1948
The photographic artwork by Philippe Halsman called “Dali Atomicus” showing three cats water, an easel, a chair, and Salvador Dalí all frozen in mid-air, 1948. This was the 28th attempt at taking this photograph. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

4. The Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics, 1927

Key attendees of the 1927 Solvay conference photographed sitting down and in suits. The names are Auguste Piccard, Émile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Édouard Herzen, Théophile de Donder, Erwin Schrödinger, Jules-Émile Verschaffelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Howard Fowler, Léon Brillouin,
Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Lawrence Bragg, Hendrik Anthony Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr,
Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Skłodowska Curie, Hendrik Lorentz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles Eugène Guye, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Owen Willans Richardson
The 1927 Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics at the Institut International de Physique Solvay in Brussels, Belgium. This image features many of the greatest scientists in modern history. Some of those that you may recognize are: Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Auguste Piccard. See the full list of names here. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

5. King George V & Tsar Nicholas II Together, 1913

Nicholas II of Russia photographed alongside similar looking and cousin King George V of the United Kingdom, while wearing military uniform.
First cousins and royals Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (left) & King George V of the United Kingdom (right) photographed together wearing military uniforms in Berlin, Germany, 1913. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

6. The Manhattan Bridge Under Construction, 1909

Photographs of the Manhattan Bridge under construction. You can see the layout of the bridge but there is still a lot to build. March 23 1909.
The construction of the Manhattan Bridge on the East River in New York City. This photograph was taken on March 23, 1909. The bridge finished construction in 1909 and first opened up on the 31st of December 1909. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

7. Soviet Prisoner of War, 1940

An injured Prisoner of War from the Soviet Union with a bandage around his bloody head, with clothing wrapped around his body. He looks cold as he is near the Arctic Circle where temperatures can get to -43 degrees Celsius
An injured Soviet Prisoner of War (POW) dressed in new clothes near the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, during the Winter War on the 6th of January 1940. Credit: Military Museum of Finland // CC BY 4.0

8. Dr. Wernher von Braun with 5 F-1 Engines

Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun standing next to five F-1 rocket engines in 1969.
Dr. Wernher von Braun, an aerospace engineer that was a leading figure in Nazi German rocket technology, and then United States rocket technology, photographed standing in front of five F-1 rocket engines in circa 1969. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domains

After 23 Years of Marriage, Wife Asks Husband on a Date and Learns He Is Ashamed of Her — Story of the Day

A woman decides to ask her husband out on a date to rekindle their flame. He refused, admitting he was ashamed of her, only to learn an important lesson from one of his good friends later.

Jack and Mary had been married for 23 years with four children who needed constant attention from Mary. Their life was a routine, something that no longer excited the couple.

Their daily routine differed from one another. Jack would come home from work, lay on the couch, and watch television until dinner. Meanwhile, Mary worked the entire day, cooking dinner, washing everyone’s clothes, caring for their youngest child, and guiding the other kids with their homework.

When Mary would finally have free time late at night, she’d watch romantic films and imagine herself in them. She’s been dreaming of going on a date, as she and her husband haven’t gone on one in a while.

Mary wanted to go on a date with her husband, as they haven't been on one in a while. | Source: Shutterstock

Mary wanted to go on a date with her husband, as they haven’t been on one in a while. | Source: Shutterstock

However, when Mary looked at herself in the mirror, she was saddened by what she saw. She looked nothing like the women in the movies.

She glanced at her wedding photo in front of the mirror and couldn’t believe her eyes. She now saw a tired, sad old woman instead of the cheerful young girl she once was.

Shaking the thought, she decided to change her reality. The next day, when Jack returned from work, she sat him down at the dinner table.

“Jack, I was thinking… maybe we can go on a date? There’s a nice place that opened downtown. Maybe we can go check it out,” she suggested.

Jack scoffed and was surprised that Mary even initiated it. “Date? Why would we go on a date? Is today a special day or something?” he asked.

Mary always looked tired, as she looked after the entire household every single day. | Source: Pexels

Mary always looked tired, as she looked after the entire household every single day. | Source: Pexels

Mary shook her head. “Well, we don’t have to wait for a special day to go out on a date… we can make any day special,” she smiled kindly.

Instead of feeling touched by Mary’s gesture, Jack started to feel irritated. “Look at you!” he told Mary. “You look terrible. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Mary felt hurt by her husband’s harsh words, especially since she looked that way because she had just finished cleaning their house. “I just finished doing all the housework; that’s why I look like this,” she justified.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You look like this every day. You used to take care of yourself, fix your hair, dress up well, but now you look like an old maid. I don’t know when you started to let go of yourself,” Jack told her.

Mary’s eyes filled with tears. “Even when you cry, you look terrible. Do you want the truth? I’m ashamed of you. I can’t take you out like this,” Jack said before walking out the front door.

Mary couldn't help but cry after hearing such hurtful words from her husband. | Source: Pexels

Mary couldn’t help but cry after hearing such hurtful words from her husband. | Source: Pexels

Jack went to his friend Samuel’s house and invited him to a bar for a beer. But Samuel turned him down immediately. “Sorry, mate. I’m going on a date with my wife. There’s this new place downtown I wanna take her to.”

Jack was offended that his friend refused a trip to the bar for a date with his wife. Then he saw Samuel’s wife heading down the stairs. She looked beautiful in her dress and had a big smile as she held flowers in her arms.

“Sam, I just found this bouquet on the table in our room. Did you put them there?” she beamed, kissing Samuel on the cheek.

“Yep, surprise! Also, here…” he said, taking a paper bag from behind the front door. His wife opened it and inside was a beautiful evening dress.

“Oh, Sam. This is beautiful! You are the best husband! Let me change quickly. I will wear this dress on our date,” she said excitedly, rushing back upstairs.

Samuel surprised his wife with flowers before their date. | Source: Pexels

Samuel surprised his wife with flowers before their date. | Source: Pexels

Jack was stunned at what he had just witnessed. “Sam, your wife is beautiful, and you two look so in love! My wife always looks miserable. She barely ever smiles nowadays,” he said.

“When was the last time you asked Mary out on a date?” Samuel asked his friend.

“I can’t remember… two years ago, maybe?” he replied.

“You last asked her out on a date two years ago, and now you’re complaining to me that she doesn’t smile?!” Samuel said, hitting his friend playfully on the arm.

Shaking his head, Samuel decided to give Jack a valuable piece of advice. “You know, mate. I make every single day special for my wife. She’s the light of our home. She deserves all the love and appreciation from me. She’s always been beautiful, but every day, she puts in extra effort to look even more beautiful – because she feels loved.”

Samuel makes every day special for him and his wife. | Source: Pexels

Samuel makes every day special for him and his wife. | Source: Pexels

Jack stood there, quietly absorbing what Samuel was saying. He realized he had a responsibility he hadn’t been fulfilling toward his wife.

“When I take my wife on a date, it’s not because it’s a special day. It’s because I choose to make every day special. Try it, mate. It might work wonders on your marriage,” Samuel suggested.

Jack nodded, realizing that what Samuel said was what Mary was trying to tell him earlier. “Thanks, Sam. Well, enjoy your date tonight. I’ll go back home now.”

When Jack returned home, he had a gift for Mary. “I’m sorry for hurting you with my words earlier today. I was being disrespectful, and you didn’t deserve that,” he said, handing her the gift box. “Would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow? I booked us a table at that cool place downtown…”

Jack surprised Mary with a gift before asking her out on a date. | Source: Pexels

Jack surprised Mary with a gift before asking her out on a date. | Source: Pexels

Mary looked at Jack, surprised. She was thrilled and smiled the same cheerful smile she used to show him every day when they were younger. She opened the gift box and saw a beautiful silver necklace.

“This is so beautiful, Jack. Thank you. I would love to go on a date with you tomorrow,” she replied.

The following day, Jack saw Mary transform right in front of his eyes. She looked breathtaking, and he was reminded that he had the most beautiful woman by his side. He was happy, and so was she.

Since then, both Mary and Jack have made it a point to work on their relationship. They rekindled the flame between them, and it did wonders not only for themselves but also for their family life.

What can we learn from this story?

  • You don’t need a special day to celebrate. You can make every day special. Jack initially believed dates should only be celebrated on special occasions. His good friend Samuel made him realize that every day could be memorable, and it was up to him to make it that way.
  • Show your loved ones your love, support, and appreciation every day. We often overlook the little things our loved ones do for us every day. It’s important to pay attention to them and show your appreciation so that love continues to bloom at home.

Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day.

If you liked this story, you might like this one about a wealthy inventor who abandoned his wife for a younger woman, only for her to save him from a thief later on.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. 

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