17 Fascinating Photos From Our History's Vault

1.

Swedish model Ewa Aulin posing for a magazine in the early 1970s. The beauty of the Swedish women became world wide knowledge in the 1970s. Playboy Magazine was instrumental in this, featuring numerous models in their pictorials for the next few decades. Everything from their models, magazines, fashion, and pornography drastically expanded in the 1970s, after virtually no global activity prior.

2.

Commuters travel on a horse drawn trolley car in London, England in 1882. Before cars took over, major cities in Europe and some in the US used special trolley systems on rails to move about the city. It was easy and efficient and lasted for a few decades before they became obsolete.

3.

A British Tank column waiting for orders in Kuwait in 1991. The armor the Coalition used was so much superior than the Iraqi's that any tank battle during the Gulf War was utterly 1 sided. The Coalition would destroy hundreds of enemy tanks and vehicles, and wouldn't lose a single piece of armor. After the war, the US in particular left thousands of tanks and trucks in Kuwait. It was cheaper to make them unusable, leave them, and build new ones than transport them back to the US.

4.

A small Nickelodeon in Atlantic City, US in 1922. What eventually evolved into the theaters we know today, these establishments would show all different sorts of films. The patrons here are looking into devices that would show stories or just scenic pictures in slideshows only. Other devices would show short films, perhaps a few minutes long at most, or maybe a brief cartoon. Inside would be a movie screen and seating area for maybe 20-40 people where a full length film would be shown. Back during the silent film era, the films lasted 20-30 minutes originally, then by the 1920s were over an hour. Also, the musical score would be sent to the establishments with the film so it could be played live by a pianist or small band. This was how most Nickelodeons operated in the early 1900s before movies had sound and the introduction of large theaters in the 1920s and 1930s changed everything.

5.

Nazis prepare to enter a building defended by Soviet troops during the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia in 1942. The 5+ month battle was the turning point in the war, as around 2 million casualties totaled on both sides. Over 3.5 million troops participated in the battle. The city was vital for the Germans push to the oil fields south, and had they won the battle could of secured those fields and perhaps have an endless supply of oil, which would of drastically changed the war.

6.

Soviet female soldier puts a bandage on a fellow soldier during an assault at the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia in 1942. The Soviets refused to retreat, and defended buildings to the last man. Soviet command was at one point shooting retreating soldiers as well, and throwing huge numbers of men into battle to avoid being overrun, even if they were not properly trained, equipped, or supported. Soviet snipers were huge in delaying the Germans, as they kept killing officers, causing confusion. Eventually the Germans had over 90% of the city under their control when the Soviets counterattacked their flanks outside the city. They surrounded the Germans. Hitler himself would not allow a German breakout, instead planning to constant resupply the men and relieve them. This however proved impossible, and by not allowing the 250,000 men trapped to orchestrate an attempted breakout allowed the Soviets to strengthen their lines, choke the Germans, and destroy them. Around 90,000 Germans surrendered to end the battle, with the rest perishing. Of those men who surrendered, only 5,000 would make it back to Germany as the Soviets were ruthless with German prisoners after they turned on their former allies.

7.

Patricia McCormick during a bullfighting match in Texas in the US in 1956. She was the first professional female bullfighter in the US, and although she was gored a number of times, would go on to great success in the sport and die at the old age of 83. Bullfighting is a brutal sport, often abusing the bull to force them to be as aggressive as they are. They would be stabbed, struck with light arrows and spears, and other measures to make the matches more entertaining. It of course was also very dangerous for the fighter, as numerous bullfighters died over the years. The sport is dying as the abuse of the animals have been far more regulated, at least in the US.

8.

Entrants in a Queen competition to raise funds for an ambulance in Palen Creek, Australia in 1927.

9.

US President Howard Taft (left) meeting Mexican President Poririo Diaz (right) in Juarez, Mexico in 1909. Despite being neighbors for nearly 100 years since Mexico declared themselves independent from Spanish rule, this was the first time the 2 leaders of each country met. Taft was very cautious and brought with him around 5,000 troops. Even so, the event was not without incident, as an assassin was disarmed just a few feet from Taft before he could make an attempt. Another interesting note, Diaz would jail his opposition before his election, and it caused a 10 year war in Mexico that gave rise to the legend of Pancho Villa.

10.

Four Models pose for a picture in Chicago, US in 1920. This fashion style was known as the Flapper Girl style, and was common among young women in the US during the 1920s. This kind of look was common at underground bars and clubs even as prohibition would outlaw such institutions. You also saw such looks in certain silent films as well.

11.

Indian troops man a Lewis Gun to target an approaching Ottoman Empire air attack on the Mesopotamian Front during WWI in 1918. Most people associate WWI to the Western front in France and Belgium, and perhaps the Eastern front between the Baltic and Black Seas. However, the Mesopotamian Front, or Middle Eastern Theatre of WWI, was also a major front, which had mostly British, Indian, and Australian troops against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. It existed throughout the entire war, comprised of 5 massive campaigns, involving nearly 7 million troops, and had over 1.5 million casualties on all sides.

12.

A young lady works as a waitress for a drive in restaurant somewhere in the US in the 1950s. These servers with this style of waiting on people, which was by bringing the patrons foods directly to their cars, were known as carhops. Sometimes, as pictured, they wore roller skates to move quicker. It started in the 1940s and some novelty restaurants still have them today, but they most died out in the 1980s. They were really big in the 1950s and 1960s, and the outfits went from full body uniforms in the early days to short shorts and mini skirts by the 1950s, adding sexual intrigue to a rather common job.

13.

Men also worked as carhops, as these 2 did pictured sometime in the US in the late 1940s. As you can see, they would take an order, and bring it straight to the car, adding a tray that attached itself out the window. The patrons would then just eat in their cars. Just like the previous young lady, the men also wore ridiculous outfits, to add sexuality and intrigue to basic serving.

14.

Tamil Tiger rebels patrol the eastern town of Batticaloa in Sri Lanka 1989. This was during the Sri Lankan Civil War which lasted over a brutal 25 years (1983-2009). Most of the rebel groups were young men such as the ones pictured. The rebels were ruthless with their guerilla tactics. During the 1980s in particular, they would attack unsuspecting towns and villages, and massacre everyone, usually numbering in a few hundred. From government officials to average citizens who lived under government rule, they would kill everyone, including women and children. What's worse is they did it in extreme ways. Hanging, using machetes, or straight executions. After the rebels lost, evidence presented for potential war crimes against combatants surfaced. These included pictures of babies shot, young children hung, and all sorts of innocence hacked to bits surfaced. Over 100,000 civilians were killed during the war. To put the massacres and brutality in perspective, only around 50,000 soldiers died during the war.

15.

Mostly children stand near a fence that marks the end of a shantytown in South Africa in 1950.

16.

Chinese railroad workers pose for a picture somewhere outside Vancouver, Canada in 1874. As West Coast cities were established, the Chinese were coming to North America in large numbers looking for work and better lives. Just like mining companies and other manual labor companies, the railroad companies often employed them for cheap labor with no questions asked. The Canadian Pacific Railway employed these men. When the work was completed, they were discarded. They were often not allowed to settle down in the areas they worked, and many people in Canada and the US were quite racist towards the Chinese in the 1800s, even creating laws that discriminated them specifically.

17.

Winners in different Boy Scouts competitions proudly show their winning projects off in California, US in 1924. This was in an area that did not segregate the boy scouts, but many other states all over the US did as well as with everything else. Some states did not segregate most things, including schools and organizations, but most of the US, including many northern states did in fact segregate everything at this time. It would take 20+ years just for the military to desegregate, and another 45+ years for buses, specific jobs, schools and everything else to desegregate across the US as well.