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.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Gardens of Alcatraz


Alcatraz's well manicured hillsides present tourists with a softer side of what some of its' notorious residents would come to know as "The Rock". For decades after its' closing, Alcatraz's hillside gardens remained colorful, despite their lack of attention.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

100 Year Old Notebook

One hundred plus years after he died while on an expedition, British explorer Robert Scott left behind this notebook that was recently discovered embedded in the Antarctic ice. Following its' discovery by the Antarctic Heritage Trust, it was methodically restored and reassembled to its' current condition. 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

We Remember Keiko

A cairn on the shore of Taknes Bay in Iceland, marks the final resting place of Keiko, the star okra who once was featured in the Free Willy films. He died ten years after being reintroduced into the wild just off the coast of Iceland.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Short Sands Shipwreck

In 1958, this shipwreck, embedded deep into the beach sand in York, Maine, was discovered by locals after a coastal storm had washed away a large layer of the beach's sand. Believed by historians to be a small square rigged vessel known back in its' day as a 'pink', the ribbed outline has been revealed after other similar storms in 1980 and 2007. Marine archaeologists believe this vessel to be from the Revolutionary War era.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge

The only surviving bridge of its' type in the country, the Bollman Truss Bridge was built in 1852 by Baltimore engineer Wendel Bollman. The 160 foot structure, which spans the Little Patexent River in Savage, MD, was closed in 1947 and restored in 1983 as part of Savage Park.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Chain Bridge - 1865

Photographer William Morris Smith took this picture of Chain Bridge over the Potomac River near Georgetown in 1865.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Reconciliation Park

This year will mark the 150th anniversary of the largest mass execution in United States history. At 10 AM on December 26, 1862, 38 Dakota Indians were executed by the government in Mankato, Minnesota, marking the end of the Minnesota Dakota (Sioux) War. Today, a memorial statue stands in Reconciliation Park, the site of the execution.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

James Meredith

Born in 1933, James Meredith, pictured here in 1962, was the first African-American admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi. 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Where It All Began

On July 2, 1962, retailer Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store, pictured above, in Rogers, Arkansas.  The company now operates 10,000 stores in 27 countries, serving 200 million customers  weekly.