It’s no surprise advertisers pay attention to consumers’ emotions in order to sell products. Their job is to convince people to purchase, and they’re completely justified in seizing emotional opportunities. Moreover, advertisers targeted women because research showed they were responsible for 80 percent of household purchases. As Roland Marchand shows in Advertising the American Dream, ad execs described their principal audience as “vats of frothy pink irrationality” with a “natural inferiority complex....

This photo collection shows color images of the lifestyle, windmills, canals, cities, and countryside of the late 1890s Netherlands. The pictures are created using the Photochrom process which is a technique that applies colors on black and white images. The Netherlands did not industrialize as rapidly as Belgium after 1830, but it was prosperous enough. Historians argue that certain government policies facilitated the emergence of a national economy in the 19th century....

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, photography was becoming more accessible, allowing people to capture cherished moments from everyday life. Among these moments were portraits of people with their feline companions, a delightful reminder that the bond between humans and cats is not just a modern trend but one with deep historical roots. These photos, now over a century old, reveal not only the affection people had for their pets but also offer a glimpse into the social values, fashion, and photographic customs of the time....

The evolution of swimwear underwent a dramatic transformation in the 20th century as fashion trends rapidly shifted and the restrictive conventions of the Victorian era gave way to new ideals of freedom and functionality. Early in the century, one-piece swimsuits became standard attire for women, mirroring the style worn by men and later inspiring the streamlined designs used in the inaugural years of the Olympic Games. These suits, characterized by their close fit and aerodynamic shape, proved particularly effective in competitive sports....

Advertising has always been a strange blend of creativity, commerce, and compromise. Behind every glossy campaign lies that familiar moment when exhausted ad executives surrender to an idea that’s just “good enough” to sell — and to bill the client. The result? Some truly bewildering celebrity endorsements that make modern audiences cringe. From clowns selling car tires to Woody Allen promoting vodka, these pairings raise more eyebrows than they move products....

In the 1970s, before strict safety regulations and cautious parents redefined playgrounds, neighborhood parks were filled with towering jungle gyms, scorching metal slides, and hazardous contraptions that somehow doubled as childhood entertainment. Despite the risks, kids of that era embraced the challenge. They roamed freely, often traveling several blocks unsupervised, eager to spend the afternoon navigating playgrounds that demanded both agility and resilience. Metal slides in the 1970s offered a thrilling, high-speed descen, at least when conditions were right....

Take a step back in time through these vintage photos capturing Dublin in its old-time glory. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Dublin was in the midst of change. These photos? They freeze those moments, showing us what life was like back then. The first railway in Ireland was built in 1834, when a 7-mile (11.3-km) link connected Dublin with the port of Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire)....

In the midst of the American Civil War, a turbulent period that left an indelible mark on the nation, the practice of soldiers and fighters having their portraits taken in studios emerged as a poignant intersection of history and art. These studio portraits, captured during a pioneering era of photography, serve as enduring testaments to the lives, experiences, and roles of those who took part in this historic conflict....

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first powered airplane 20 feet above a wind-swept beach in North Carolina. The flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. Three more flights were made that day with Orville’s brother Wilbur piloting the record flight lasting 59 seconds over a distance of 852 feet. The Wright brothers documented much of their early progress in photographs made on glass negatives. The Library of Congress holds many of these historic images, some of which are presented below....

Four-year-old Michael Finder escaping communism from a window. October 7, 1961. Four-year-old Michael Finder of East Germany is tossed by his father into a net held by residents and firemen across the border in West Berlin. The father, Willy Finder, then prepares to make the jump himself. Pictures taken from the booklet “A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall”. These photographs were taken around the same time the Berlin Wall was being erected....

Old photos of New York City’s Easter Parade offer a captivating glimpse into the past, showcasing the extravagant celebrations of the city’s elite during the early 20th century. The Easter Parade was an annual event that saw New Yorkers dressed in their finest clothing, taking to the streets to celebrate Easter Sunday. The parade became a prominent socialite affair, attracting the wealthy and fashionable of the city, who would showcase their latest fashions and elaborate hats....

In the 1980s, Italy moved to its own rhythm—unhurried, sun-soaked, and rich with everyday beauty. The country had not yet been swept up in the fast pace of globalization. Instead, its cities and towns carried a lived-in elegance, where life unfolded in piazzas, on café terraces, and along narrow, timeworn streets. This was a decade where routine was savored, not rushed, and photographer Charles H. Traub arrived at just the right moment to capture it....

In the early days of the Space Race, the Soviet Union sought to establish its dominance in space exploration. One of the most significant milestones in this pursuit was the launch of Sputnik 2, which carried aboard the first living creature to orbit the Earth: a dog named Laika. This achievement was hailed as a triumph of Soviet engineering and innovation, but it came at a tragic cost. Laika’s mission was a one-way trip, and she perished in space just hours after launch....

Laughter lines the faces of camp staff as they prepare for a sing-song. These photos were taken between May and December 1944, and they show the officers and guards of Auschwitz relaxing and enjoying themselves — as countless people were being murdered and cremated at the nearby death camp. In some of the photos, SS officers can be seen singing. In others, they are hunting and in another, a man can be seen decorating a Christmas tree in what could only be described as a holiday in hell....

At a time when most children were running from the chaos, a small figure with a camera around his neck was running towards it. Lo Manh Hung, barely 12 years old amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War, was Saigon’s unlikeliest photographer – and possibly the youngest in the whole country. Hung’s story begins not on a battlefield, but in the darkroom of his father, Lo Vinh, a seasoned freelance photographer....

The act of saying goodbye is always an emotional one, especially when it’s to loved ones who are going to war. The vintage photos of soldiers kissing their girlfriends, wives, or even kids before getting deployed or going to war capture the human side of war. The shots depict the immense sacrifices that soldiers and their loved ones had to make during World War II. Many of them knew they might not make it back home alive....

“Petra. Oleanders in bloom with figure.” Tucked away among the canyons and mountainous terrain in southern Jordan, the city of Petra has stood for well over 2,500 years. In that time, Petra has gone from an early settlement to a crucial and wealthy trading hub in the region, and then to a forgotten and abandoned city, hidden from the eyes of the Western world for centuries. The city was rediscovered, so to speak, only in the 19th century, quickly becoming a point of strong interest from archeologists, historians, and other curious folks....

Once a bandit, Francisco “Pancho” Villa transformed into one of the Mexican Revolution’s most celebrated generals, earning a reputation as a champion of the underprivileged. His story is a intriguing blend of rebellion, heroism, and a relentless pursuit of justice for the poor. The Mexican Revolution erupted in 1910, leading to the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz’s dictatorship. However, the aftermath was turbulent. Francisco Madero, a leader of the revolution, replaced Díaz as president but was assassinated in 1913 by Victoriano Huerta, a former ally turned enemy....

A few years before being commissioned by the tsar Nicholas II to photograph the Russian Empire in color , photographer Prokudin-Gorsky set off on an expedition to what is now Uzbekistan to observe a rare solar eclipse. The long trip to Uzbekistan failed in its main goal after cloud cover blocked any sights of the solar eclipse, but the journey was not a waste of time. With his German-made camera that enabled natural color images to be produced, Prokudin-Gorsky explored the backstreets of Samarkand and Bukhara, capturing rare color photographs unlike any that had been taken before....

The First World War, also known as the Great War, was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. It lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved millions of soldiers and civilians from around the world. Despite its importance and the extensive coverage it received at the time, much of the imagery we have of the war is in black and white. However, this article has shed new light on the conflict by showcasing rare color photographs from the era....