The "Vignettes From The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Surfing the web when I came across the Parade Magazine site that had, as one of their featured stories, "Unedited photos captured from the past."  Interesting photos that after seeing all of them thought I would share some of my favorites with you.  I have chosen only those photos that are old enough to no longer have copyright protection.  The photographs are interesting and probably never seen before, but should be.  A great way to explore our past, visit with icons of pop culture and gain insight into old practises and important historical events.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Norma Jeane, aka Marilyn Monroe, in 1943.  She is 17-years-old in this photograph.  She was highly insecure even though she was a sex and beauty icon.  She was a life-long stutterer.

The last male Northern White Rhino on earth.  His name is Sudan and his forlorn look is due to the fact that he probably knows he is the last of his species.

19th century shoe making.  Once upon a time shoes were made by hand and one at a time.  A shoemaker was a valued member of the community.  How many shoemakers are left in your town?  

This poor little girl was a sideshow act in a circus when she was 13-years-old.  She was known as the "Four-Legged Girl from Texas".  She was born a dipygus which means her body axis split while it was developing and she grew two separate pelvises positioned side by side.  She had four legs.  How sad to think this nice young girl had to be a side show in a circus.  She might have been your child had she been born at another time in history.

1900 Soldiers.  From left to right they come from: Britain, USA, Australia, India, Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Japan.  

A real entrepreneur!  A young man selling lemonade in Berlin, Germany.  He had made a portable dispenser.  Not something you would picture taking place in the 1930s, but kids were innovative in every era.

I love this photograph of Albert Einstein holding an Albert Einstein puppet in 1931.  I'd love to have a puppet of myself!

Just a beautiful sepia photograph of a young girl in Italy taken by photographer Domenico Riccardo Peretti Griva in 1920.  He was a leading photographer in the pictorial movement.

1935 train workshop.  Steam locomotives were first developed in Great Britain during the early 19th century.

The 1916 U.S.S. Franklin which was used as a training ship.  It shares its name with a fictional starship in the film Star Trek Beyond (2016).

This guy is a professional "rat catcher."  They scoured the sewers of Europe in search of vermin and received money for each rat killed.  Today we have pest control companies, but this is a bit neater.

This was an early dating site.  These bachelors of the 1800s are looking for a very special lady to make their own.  Photo was taken in Montana.  How might they do it today in Montana?

These women were not to messed with in 1889.  They may be pioneer women or the precursor to Annie Oakley.

Any idea who these four gentlemen may be?  They are John, Paul, George and Ringo on holiday in 1963 while still in England.

A beautiful garden portraiture of a Parisian woman enjoying a special moment.  May be because of the several cannabis plants growing in the background.  This photograph was taken in 1910.

A Polynesian girl surfing in Hawaii.  Photo taken in 1967.

Roller skating in Berlin in 1910.  Roller skates made their debut in a Berlin ballet performance in 1818.  They were patented the following year by a Frenchman named M. Petitbled.  It wasn't until over 50 years later that roller skating became popular.

You have to recognize his guy as Alfred Hitchcock.  Here he is serving tea to Grace Kelly on the set of "Dial M for Murder" in 1954.  The next year she met Prince Rainier of Monaco and became his bride.  Can you imagine leaving Alfred for him!