Iconic photos that captured significant moments from the past
1. World’s First Photograph; 1826
For the very first time in recorded human history, a long exposure shot had been photographed.
The feat was achieved by a French inventor named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. He captured it in the spring of 1826. He achieved this feat by utilising a bitumen coated pewter plate to capture an image of the courtyard’s view outside his window.
2. The World’s First War Photograph; 1855
In 1855, an English landscape photographer Roger Fenton was commissioned to cover the infamous Crimean War.
Here he captured a dusty road with trails of wagons and numerous cannonballs. By doing so he got himself etched in the history books by becoming the first individual to ever capture a war photograph.
3. A Victorian Couple That Accidentally Smiled; 1890
Back in the Victorian era, being photographed was considered a serious event due to which individuals always maintained a grim facial expression.
However, this Victorian Era couple could not help but express their affection for each other. By doing so, they went on to become one of the first individuals to break the norm of holding a grim look during a photoshoot.
4. “First Manned Flight” by Wright Brothers; 1903
Since time immemorial, humans have dreamt and aspired to glide through the skies like a bird.
In 1903, this fantasy shared by millions across the globe became a reality when the Wright brothers successfully took to the skies in their newly designed aircraft. Within less than a decade, this technology would become one of the game-changing factors to showcase a nation’s military might.
A lesser fact about this iconic photograph is that this was the first picture captured by amateur photographer; John T. Daniels.
5. Heart-breaking Pictures Of Lost Childhoods; 1908
These heart-breaking pictures were captured by American photographer; Lewis W. Hine.
With the coming of the age of wars, factories began employing children and paid them insanely low wages to substitute for the lack of factory workers. By 1910, a spine-chilling 18 per cent of children aged below 14 worked as full-time factory workers
6. Life In Trenches; “Months of boredom punctuated by moments of extreme terror.” — The Western Front, 1916
The Allied soldiers described life in trenches as a living hell. The trenches were often swamped with rotten corpses of fallen soldiers.
These corpses, in turn, attracted copious diseases causing rats and other pathogens. In short, the soldier’s lives in these trenches were horrendous beyond anything that we can imagine.
7. “The Iconic Kissing Sailor” Photographed By Alfred Eisenstaedt; 1945
On August 15, as news broke out that Japan had surrendered and the second world war had come to an end, jubilant crowds flocked to the streets to celebrate.
It was at that very moment that Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed an elated sailor kissing a nurse. The sailor was later identified as Petty Officer First Class George Mendonsa, and the nurse was Greta Zimmer Friedman.
8. “Drama of Life Before Birth” by Lennart Nilsson, 1965
This was history’s first-ever photograph of a human foetus inside the uterus. The picture had been shot in Stockholm minutes after the baby was aborted.
This picture soon went on to become the face of several anti-abortion movements across the globe. Highlighting the significance of this feat, a Swedish gynaecologist back then commented on the photograph; “This is like the having a first look at the dark side our the moon,”
9. “Pushed Into Obscurity” by Edward S. Curtis, 1904
At the turn of the 20th century, the United States administration pushed forward the idea of the great westward technological advancement.
This ideology brought about a great deal of advancements in numerous aspects to the nation. However, it came at the cost of the lives of several thousand native Indians.
These locals were forced out of their ancestral lands and were ordered to settle as far as possible from developing towns. Over a period of time, most of these tribesmen perished due to a lack of basic amenities and support from the government.
10. “A Pull Of Death” by Stanley Forman, 1975
After a fire escape crumbled under their feet, nineteen-year-old Diana Bryant and her two-year-old niece plummeted dangerously towards the ground.
Fortunately, the toddler made it out alive as her aunt cushioned the young girl’s fall. Diana Bryant died minutes later owing to the life-threatening injuries she sustained from the disastrous fall.
11. “A Vulture’s Meal” by Kevin Carter, 1993
This hair-raising photograph was captured in Sudan by Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist.
He was being transported across the famine-hit land along with other journalists with clear instructions to avoid any interaction with the locals. When Carter saw the collapsed child, with a vulture stalking her, he immediately photographed it.
Soon after the image was published, it raked up a major public outrage against Kevin for not helping the girl out and acting as a mere bystander. Just a year after the image was published, guilt-ridden Carter ended his life.
12. “The Napalm Girl” by Nick Ut, 1972
The following image was captured at the height of the Vietnam war. In the picture, 9-year-old naked Phan Thi Kim Phuc can be seen running towards the camera after a deadly napalm attack.
Following the attack, Nick wasted no time in taking all the kids to the hospital. It wouldn’t be until 14 months and undergoing 17 surgeries that young Phan would finally return home. On the other hand, her brother, Phan Thanh Tam (left), lost one of his eyes in the lethal attack.
13. “The Kiss Of Life” by Rocco Morabito, 1968
This dramatic scene was clicked when the photographer was driving back home from work.
A lineman had been shocked by a live wire carrying a humungous 4,160 volts of electricity. His co-worker J.D. Thompson wasted no time and spontaneously raced up the pole. He began performing mouth-to-mouth until his colleague began breathing. Luckily the victim, Randall G. Champion, survived the ordeal and went to live for another three decades.
14. “Discriminating Waters ”by Anonymous, 1958
This is 19-year-old, David Isom. This picture was captured minutes before he broke the color barrier by plunging into a pool meant for white citizens only.
His actions drew a massive outrage from the white citizens. This in turn forced the pool authorities to quickly shut down the facility and sanitize the pool before refilling it with water.
15. “The Inferno’s Embrace” by Malcolm Browne, 1963
While protesting against discriminatory laws passed by the South Vietnamese government, a Buddhist monk Thik Quang Duk self-immolated himself in central Saigon as part of a Buddhist movement.
While recounting the incident, the photographer Brown asserted that the monk remained seated peacefully in the lotus posture and showed no signs of pain or agony as the flames slowly consumed him.
16. ”Behind Closed Doors” by Donna Ferrato, 1982
In 1981, Ferrato was hired by Playboy magazine to photograph the life of Elisabeth and Bengt, a pair of New Jersey swingers, and their purportedly sensual lifestyle.
Little did she perceive that she would go on to photograph domestic abuse for the first time in recorded human history. She, later on, revealed that Bengt was punishing Elisabeth for being too lethargic and disobedient.
17. ”Aid from the Padre” by Hector Rondon, 1962
This dramatic scene was clicked during the short-lived military rebellion against the government in Venezuela.
In the picture, a priest can be seen trying to revive a badly wounded soldier. Rondon went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for capturing this intense moment.
18. “New Shoes” by Gerald Waller, Austria 1946
On December 30, 1946, Life magazine released this photograph of a 6-year-old Austrian orphan named Werfel. This appealing photograph captured the priceless emotion of happiness when he received a brand-new pair of shoes distributed by the American Red Cross.
19. “Flying Cats” by Salvador Dali, Austria 1946
This surreal photography was created by the legendary artist Salvador Dali and Philippe Halsman. The image resulted from the duo’s cumulated effort, which lasted for over six hours and 28 throws (water, three cats, and chairs).
20. “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” by Anonymous, 1932
This death-defying picture of construction workers casually having lunch was shot on the 69th floor(850 feet) of the under-construction RCA building.
The photo quickly became the symbol of New York City’s working-class who risked their lives to support their family. However, it was later exposed that the images were shot as a part of a promotional campaign.
21. “Raw Emotions” by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1963
Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the warmth and enthusiasm as enthralled children keenly watched an outdoor puppet show in Paris.
Saint George from the story “Saint George and the Dragon” was slaying the dragon at the moment when this picture was captured. Following its release, the picture went on to become one of the most sold print photographs of all time.