History Thru The Lens

Welcome to my blog site!

My interests in history and photography come together in this photoblog. Featured in this blog are historical pictures such as the above photo of the RMS Olympic and her sister ship the RMS Titanic, which would prove to be the last one of them together side by side. Hopefully all who visit will enjoy it and recommend the site to their friends.

NOTE:
You may click any picture in this blog to view it on its' own screen.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Wrigley Field

The Federal League's Weeghman Park, home of the Chicago Wales,  is pictured on opening day in 1914. It would eventually be renamed Wrigley Field, and along with Fenway Park, remains to this day as one of the oldest existing baseball stadiums.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Arlington Memorial Bridge


The Arlington Memorial Bridge is pictured in 1931 during its' construction over the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial can be seen at the photo's edge on the left just beyond the bridge. In November 1963, the funeral procession for President John F. Kennedy crossed Memorial Bridge in route to Arlington National Cemetery, which is located just beyond the bridge in Arlington, Virginia.

Revealing Beauty


Florence Evelyn Nesbit, an American artists' model and chorus girl, is pictured in 1900 at the age of 16. Despite her striking beauty, this photographer's pose was probably considered excessively revealing in its' day.  

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The White House

The oldest known picture of the White House taken by John Plumbe in 1846 shows the south front. The official resident of US Presidents, it was built between 1792 and 1800.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

After The War

At the end of the war, in an internment camp in the Marianas, a US Marine offers a Japanese child a candy bar.
Having just learned that the war was over, Japanese holdouts are pictured surrendering in June, 1951. After the war, they were stranded on Anatahan, a small island on the northern part of the Marianas.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Tombstone, 1882

Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona is pictured in 1882. Just off to the left is the OK Corral, sight of the famous gunfight that took place on October 26, 1881.

The Beatles

Ed Sullivan is pictured chatting with the Beatles shortly after their arrival on their first US visit. On February 9, 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show, the 'Fab Four' and their music were introduced to American television audiences.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Frozen Niagara Falls

In what is truly a rare photo, people are pictured wandering onto the frozen surface of Niagara Falls on March 29, 1848. An ice jam upstream stopped the flow over the falls for several hours. This was the only known incident of such magnitude in the falls' recorded history.

Early Photography

Titled 'St. Andrews, Baiting the Lines, Fishgate', this photograph is indicative of the developmental years of photography. The carbon print was taken in 1846, and is from the 'Calotype Views of St. Andrews' collection.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Ohio House

In 1876, the United States Centennial Exhibition was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Of all the exhibition buildings erected by individual states, only one remains fully intact and operational today.

The Ohio State Exhibition building in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park as it appeared in 1876.

The Ohio House served as a visitor center during the 1976 Bicentennial, and is now a cafe and eatery.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Shirley Temple

An autographed picture of American child star Shirley Temple shows her with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in July, 1938.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Orson Welles


On October 30, 1938, narrator Orson Welles held his radio audience mentally captive with his adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. The one hour broadcast was mostly a series of news bulletins, which led many listeners to believe that an actual Martian invasion was occurring.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Kent State Shootings

Mary Ann Vecchio kneels beside the body of Jeffrey Miller, one of four students killed on the campus of Kent State University on May 4, 1970 when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on anti-war protesting students. This Pulitzer Prize winning photo was taken by John Paul Filo, and is perhaps the most recognizable image from the tragedy.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Jackie O


Jackie Onasis is pictured on the Greek Island of Scorpios in 1975. The widow of the late President John F. Kennedy shocked the world on October 20, 1968 when she married Greek tycoon Aristotle Onasis on his private island of Scorpios.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Genbaku Dome

The A-Bomb Dome

The Genbaku Dome was designed in 1915 and was once known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall.  Because the Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 exploded almost directly above it, the walls of the structure remained mostly intact.  Today it stands symbolically as part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Eiffel Tower


The Eiffel Tower is pictured in June 1945, shortly after the end of World War II.

The Eiffel Tower is a 19th Century iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. Built as an entry way to the World's Fair between 1887 and 1889, the 1063 foot tower stood as the world's tallest structure until 1931, equaling the height of an 81 story building. The Eiffel Tower remains today the tallest building in Paris, and one of its' most popular tourist attractions.