Photos From History Thread
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Ah, the memories... 
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Chang & Eng Bunker (1811-1874)
Eng is on the left, Chang is on the right.
The original Siamese twins. Born in Siam, hence inspiring the name, they became famous as part of PT Barnum's circus shows. Huge crowds would gather and pay to see them do otherwise menial activities such as bathing. Both brothers were married to a pair of sisters and both successfully fathered numerous children.
They were joined near the sternum and shared a common liver. With today's medical technology, they could have been separated but in their lifetimes the procedure would have most likely been fatal. They died within hours of each other in 1874 and at 62 hold the record for the longest lifespan of any documented conjoined twins.
Eng is on the left, Chang is on the right.
The original Siamese twins. Born in Siam, hence inspiring the name, they became famous as part of PT Barnum's circus shows. Huge crowds would gather and pay to see them do otherwise menial activities such as bathing. Both brothers were married to a pair of sisters and both successfully fathered numerous children.
They were joined near the sternum and shared a common liver. With today's medical technology, they could have been separated but in their lifetimes the procedure would have most likely been fatal. They died within hours of each other in 1874 and at 62 hold the record for the longest lifespan of any documented conjoined twins.
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Chang & Eng Bunker (1811-1874)
Eng is on the left, Chang is on the right.
The original Siamese twins. Born in Siam, hence inspiring the name, they became famous as part of PT Barnum's circus shows. Huge crowds would gather and pay to see them do otherwise menial activities such as bathing. Both brothers were married to a pair of sisters and both successfully fathered numerous children.
They were joined near the sternum and shared a common liver. With today's medical technology, they could have been separated but in their lifetimes the procedure would have most likely been fatal. They died within hours of each other in 1874 and at 62 hold the record for the longest lifespan of any documented conjoined twins.
If you saw that photo for the first time, you wouldn't think they were conjoined.
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Obaysch, London Zoo (1852)
Obaysch was the first hippopotamus seen in Europe since classical Greek times some 2,000 years previously. He was captured on Obaysch island on the Nile, hence the name, and an Ottoman consul agreed with an English official to exchange him for some greyhounds and deerhounds. He arrived at London Zoo in 1850 and attracted 10,000 visitors a day.
He was joined by a female some time later and the two successfully bore a daughter. Obaysch died in 1878 at the relatively young age of 29.
Obaysch was the first hippopotamus seen in Europe since classical Greek times some 2,000 years previously. He was captured on Obaysch island on the Nile, hence the name, and an Ottoman consul agreed with an English official to exchange him for some greyhounds and deerhounds. He arrived at London Zoo in 1850 and attracted 10,000 visitors a day.
He was joined by a female some time later and the two successfully bore a daughter. Obaysch died in 1878 at the relatively young age of 29.
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The Wooden Spoon
The wooden spoon is a metaphor for finishing last place. It originates from a practice at the University of Cambridge of giving a wooden spoon to the lowest ranked Mathematics graduate each year and is used as a metaphor in common parlance and also in an "official" capacity in the Rugby Union Six Nations championship and in Major League Soccer.
Over time they became deliberately larger and comically oversized. The literal wooden spoon was last awarded in 1910; it was given to Cuthbert Holthouse, the lowest ranked third-class Mathematics graduate that year. The handle was shaped like an oar as Holthouse was a member of a rowing club.
The handle has a Greek inscription which says "This wooden object is the last souvenir of the competitive examinations in mathematics. Look upon it, and weep."
The wooden spoon is a metaphor for finishing last place. It originates from a practice at the University of Cambridge of giving a wooden spoon to the lowest ranked Mathematics graduate each year and is used as a metaphor in common parlance and also in an "official" capacity in the Rugby Union Six Nations championship and in Major League Soccer.
Over time they became deliberately larger and comically oversized. The literal wooden spoon was last awarded in 1910; it was given to Cuthbert Holthouse, the lowest ranked third-class Mathematics graduate that year. The handle was shaped like an oar as Holthouse was a member of a rowing club.
The handle has a Greek inscription which says "This wooden object is the last souvenir of the competitive examinations in mathematics. Look upon it, and weep."
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United States Presidential State car (1909)
During the tenure of William Taft (1909-1913), one of the three cars available to the President was this White Steamer, a steam-engine automobile. Taft was very keen on driving it due to being able to blow a big puff of steam to annoy photographers.
Taft was the President who converted the presidential stables into a garage. Although automobiles were used by previous President Teddy Roosevelt's entourage, Roosevelt himself preferred to still use a horse and carriage in order to maintain his rough-rider appearance.
Interestingly, Warren Harding (1921-1923) was the first President who was actually qualified to drive a motor vehicle despite his two antecedents in office having driven too.
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During the tenure of William Taft (1909-1913), one of the three cars available to the President was this White Steamer, a steam-engine automobile. Taft was very keen on driving it due to being able to blow a big puff of steam to annoy photographers.
Taft was the President who converted the presidential stables into a garage. Although automobiles were used by previous President Teddy Roosevelt's entourage, Roosevelt himself preferred to still use a horse and carriage in order to maintain his rough-rider appearance.
Interestingly, Warren Harding (1921-1923) was the first President who was actually qualified to drive a motor vehicle despite his two antecedents in office having driven too.
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From the files of "Wow, those are decent quality for the 1860s": pictures of Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln's First Inauguration (1861)
Lincoln At Antietam (1862)
Lincoln At Gettysburg (1863)
The only confirmed photograph of Lincoln at Gettysburg, taken about three hours before his speech. He's left-centre in the picture, without a hat on, near the man with the top hat on.
Lincoln's Second Inauguration (1865)
John Wilkes Booth is in this photograph.
Lincoln's First Inauguration (1861)
Lincoln At Antietam (1862)
Lincoln At Gettysburg (1863)
The only confirmed photograph of Lincoln at Gettysburg, taken about three hours before his speech. He's left-centre in the picture, without a hat on, near the man with the top hat on.
Lincoln's Second Inauguration (1865)
John Wilkes Booth is in this photograph.
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1926 United Kingdom General Strike
Principally due to a reduction in coal miners' wages (miners' wages had decreased from £6.00/day in 1919 to £3.90/day in 1926) the general strike of 1926 saw an estimated 1.7 million workers go on strike from 3rd May to 12th May, with the non-miners mostly coming from transport and heavy industries.
The government of Stanley Baldwin had initially stated it would subsidise the reduction in wages but after a Royal Commission recommended that miners' wages were reduced by 13.5% and to stop the government subsidy, the government said it would accept the report's findings if the other parties did.
King George V had sympathy for the miners, famously remarking "Try living on their wages before judging them" and the government was concerned that the press and BBC freely reporting on the strikers was counter-productive to their own ends and attempted several times to censor what was allowed to be published or broadcasted.
The miners striked for several months longer after the nine day general strike but ultimately returned to work due to economic necessity. Many remained unemployed and those that did return to work did so with reduced wages and longer working hours, feeling that they had accomplished very little.
The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 banned sympathy strikes and it remains the only general strike in the history of the United Kingdom.
Miners Lockout, Fife
DC Thompson (Publishing & Comics) Workers, Dundee
Strikers In Crewe
Organisation For The Maintanence Of Supplies
The Baldwin government maintained a militia with the above title (OMS) of special constables and army reservists during the strike; due to so many transport workers striking every remaining bus had its own police escort. There were as few as 86 buses running.
Principally due to a reduction in coal miners' wages (miners' wages had decreased from £6.00/day in 1919 to £3.90/day in 1926) the general strike of 1926 saw an estimated 1.7 million workers go on strike from 3rd May to 12th May, with the non-miners mostly coming from transport and heavy industries.
The government of Stanley Baldwin had initially stated it would subsidise the reduction in wages but after a Royal Commission recommended that miners' wages were reduced by 13.5% and to stop the government subsidy, the government said it would accept the report's findings if the other parties did.
King George V had sympathy for the miners, famously remarking "Try living on their wages before judging them" and the government was concerned that the press and BBC freely reporting on the strikers was counter-productive to their own ends and attempted several times to censor what was allowed to be published or broadcasted.
The miners striked for several months longer after the nine day general strike but ultimately returned to work due to economic necessity. Many remained unemployed and those that did return to work did so with reduced wages and longer working hours, feeling that they had accomplished very little.
The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 banned sympathy strikes and it remains the only general strike in the history of the United Kingdom.
Miners Lockout, Fife
DC Thompson (Publishing & Comics) Workers, Dundee
Strikers In Crewe
Organisation For The Maintanence Of Supplies
The Baldwin government maintained a militia with the above title (OMS) of special constables and army reservists during the strike; due to so many transport workers striking every remaining bus had its own police escort. There were as few as 86 buses running.
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I think this photo now constitutes a 'photo from history'... I thought I'd shared it before but apparently not - it is quite poignant for a couple of reasons, but it certainly brings back a lot of memories, and it was taken in October 2003.
The couple in the front of this picture are Liz and Rob, a couple who were both good friends of my close friend, Stef. In fact, this picture was taken in a nightclub in London that Stef used to run at great expense to himself (he would pay about £300 to put on one night of the club and make some money back by charging for tickets on the door - however he never made much money back on it as quite often he didn't even have someone to collect the money at the door...). The couple in the back of the picture is me and my girlfriend at the time, Julia.
In mid-2005, Liz and her friends decided to take the baton from Stef and arrange their own club night in the same venue, and invtted along the same crowd including Stef, me and Julia. Unfortunately, just days before that night, Liz was killed by a suicide bomber on the London underground in the terrorist attacks on 7th July, 2005...
I wrote a song about her and collaborated with a fellow GTPer @F1GTR who kindly allowed me to use his incredible photography as the artwork for the song.
In mid-2005, Liz and her friends decided to take the baton from Stef and arrange their own club night in the same venue, and invtted along the same crowd including Stef, me and Julia. Unfortunately, just days before that night, Liz was killed by a suicide bomber on the London underground in the terrorist attacks on 7th July, 2005...
I wrote a song about her and collaborated with a fellow GTPer @F1GTR who kindly allowed me to use his incredible photography as the artwork for the song.
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And in 1978... (white building and overhead walkway can be seen in original pic). WIKI: In its heyday it had 118 residents and its own school, post office and grocery store.
That I didn't actually know. I knew the line had been long closed but it's almost spooky to see it abandoned like that.
Just thought the original picture was quite, uh... picturesque.
