50 Iconic and Rare Historical Photographs

We at HistoryColored have decided to curate 50 interesting, rare and iconic photos from history. There are many reasons why a photograph may be featured on this list. Some of the reasons include: it was the first time something was ever captured on camera, it shows a famous figure from history, the image depicts an important historical event, it is a “rare” photo that does not get shared as much as it should, or it is an “iconic” historical photo. It may not fall under any of these categories but can still be featured in this list for a different reason.

These photographs are in no particular order. They have been curated and added to the list over a long period of time, so no decision was taken on how they should be ordered. Be sure to take the time to check out every historical photograph featured on this list!

As well as this list, be sure to check out the other photos featured on HistoryColored!

1. The First Photograph Ever Taken, 1826 or 1827

The first photograph in history, the view from a window at Le Gras in 1826 or 1827.
The oldest surviving photograph to exist. It was taken by pioneer photographer, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The scene depicts a view from a window in Nicéphore Niépce’s estate known as Le Gras in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, Bourgogne, France in 1826 or 1827. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

2. General William Tecumseh Sherman, circa 1865

Side profile photograph of General William Tecumseh Sherman in his Union Army military uniform in c. 1865
Side profile of Union Army Major General, and the Commanding General of the US Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, in his Union Army military uniform in circa 1865. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

3. Dali Atomicus, 1948

Salvador Dali suspended in mid air along with other objects within the iconic photograph Dali Atomicus taken in 1948
The photographic artwork by Philippe Halsman called “Dali Atomicus” showing three cats water, an easel, a chair, and Salvador Dalí all frozen in mid-air, 1948. This was the 28th attempt at taking this photograph. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

4. The Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics, 1927

Key attendees of the 1927 Solvay conference photographed sitting down and in suits. The names are Auguste Piccard, Émile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Édouard Herzen, Théophile de Donder, Erwin Schrödinger, Jules-Émile Verschaffelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Howard Fowler, Léon Brillouin,
Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Lawrence Bragg, Hendrik Anthony Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr,
Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Skłodowska Curie, Hendrik Lorentz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles Eugène Guye, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Owen Willans Richardson
The 1927 Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics at the Institut International de Physique Solvay in Brussels, Belgium. This image features many of the greatest scientists in modern history. Some of those that you may recognize are: Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Auguste Piccard. See the full list of names here. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

5. King George V & Tsar Nicholas II Together, 1913

Nicholas II of Russia photographed alongside similar looking and cousin King George V of the United Kingdom, while wearing military uniform.
First cousins and royals Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (left) & King George V of the United Kingdom (right) photographed together wearing military uniforms in Berlin, Germany, 1913. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

6. The Manhattan Bridge Under Construction, 1909

Photographs of the Manhattan Bridge under construction. You can see the layout of the bridge but there is still a lot to build. March 23 1909.
The construction of the Manhattan Bridge on the East River in New York City. This photograph was taken on March 23, 1909. The bridge finished construction in 1909 and first opened up on the 31st of December 1909. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

7. Soviet Prisoner of War, 1940

An injured Prisoner of War from the Soviet Union with a bandage around his bloody head, with clothing wrapped around his body. He looks cold as he is near the Arctic Circle where temperatures can get to -43 degrees Celsius
An injured Soviet Prisoner of War (POW) dressed in new clothes near the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, during the Winter War on the 6th of January 1940. Credit: Military Museum of Finland // CC BY 4.0

8. Dr. Wernher von Braun with 5 F-1 Engines

Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun standing next to five F-1 rocket engines in 1969.
Dr. Wernher von Braun, an aerospace engineer that was a leading figure in Nazi German rocket technology, and then United States rocket technology, photographed standing in front of five F-1 rocket engines in circa 1969. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domains

Man Finds Out about His Bride’s Betrayal – He Goes to the Altar with a Remote Control in His Hands

Man Finds Out about His Bride’s Betrayal – He Goes to the Altar with a Remote Control in His Hands

Daphne is in the middle of her brother’s wedding. As a bridesmaid, she has an obligation to Denise. But when Liam surprises them all with a video revealing Denise’s ultimate secrets, Daphne has no choice but to choose her brother—even if what he did was humiliating for Denise.

As my brother’s wedding approached, excitement buzzed through the air, filling everyone with anticipation. My brother, the groom, was a notorious prankster, and his hints at a major surprise had us all on edge.

I thought he was just creating the drama for effect—Liam was that person.

A smiling man looking at the camera | Source: Pexels

A smiling man looking at the camera | Source: Pexels

Liam and his fiancée, Denise, had been dating for so long that it didn’t come as a surprise when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids.

“Please, Daphne,” she asked, gifting me a box full of goodies. “I need you to be there with me on our big day—you’re not just Liam’s little sister, but mine, too.”

Two gift wrapped boxes | Source: Unsplash

Two gift wrapped boxes | Source: Unsplash

Of course, I accepted. Denise did feel like a sister to me—in fact, she was the one who planned my 21st birthday party instead of the friends that I thought would do it.

So, when it came to wedding planning, I think Denise spent more time talking about their wedding to me than Liam.

Gold 21st foil balloons | Source: Unsplash

Gold 21st foil balloons | Source: Unsplash

“I’m just wasting my time with Liam,” she said. “You can make notes for us. And we can do the wedding cake tasting.”

Liam, on the other hand, seemed like he was doing the bare minimum with the wedding—but the reality is that he was busy putting together a beautiful video for the wedding.

A wedding planner and notebooks | Source: Pexels

A wedding planner and notebooks | Source: Pexels

“I’m going to have it played just before we do our vows,” he said when I went to visit him.

He showed me a folder on his laptop where he was saving all his and Denise’s videos and photos, ready to create the video.

A man using a laptop | Source: Unsplash

A man using a laptop | Source: Unsplash

“Do you think Liam has cold feet?” Denise asked me when we went wedding shopping.

“No,” I replied honestly. “He’s planning something for you, that’s taking all his time at the moment.”

“What?” she asked enthusiastically.

“I’m sworn to secrecy,” I said. “Now, go and try on dresses!”

A row of wedding dresses | Source: Unsplash

A row of wedding dresses | Source: Unsplash

On the morning of the wedding, I got to the hotel suite early. I wanted to see Liam before getting ready with Denise and the other bridesmaids.

“You have no idea what’s coming,” he teased, sipping on a glass of champagne as he got ready.

“Oh boy,” I said. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned.”

Two glasses of champagne |  Source: Unsplash

Two glasses of champagne | Source: Unsplash

The ceremony was perfect—and everything had gone exactly to plan as Denise wanted.

From the flowers to the music to the scented candles that perfumed the venue. It was all perfect.

When the time came for the vows, my brother told the priest to wait.

A couple kneeling before a priest | Source: Unsplash

A couple kneeling before a priest | Source: Unsplash

“I have something to show you all,” he said. “This is Denise and my love story from the beginning to right now.”

He pulled a remote from his pocket with a flourish, while two of his groomsmen wheeled a TV screen to the middle of the altar, just in front of where Liam and Denise were standing.

“Watch this,” he said, stepping back to join his groomsmen. And then he pressed play.

A person holding a remote control | Source: Unsplash

A person holding a remote control | Source: Unsplash

The screen came alive with their love story—their first kiss, snippets from trips together, cozy nights in, dinners cooked together, and so on.

The montage tugged at heartstrings, and all the guests were enthralled.

A close-up of a couple | Source: Unsplash

A close-up of a couple | Source: Unsplash

But the real shock was still to come.

As the video ended, the priest went back to his position, ready to continue the ceremony from where he left off. He called for Denise and Liam to resume their positions, too.

He solemnly asked if anyone objected.

A couple at the altar | Source: Pexels

A couple at the altar | Source: Pexels

Before anyone knew what was happening, Liam dropped Denise’s hand and stepped away, back down the aisle.

“I do,” he declared.

“What?” Denise hissed. “Liam, this isn’t the time for one of your pranks.”

“This isn’t a prank,” he said.

Bride and groom at the altar | Source: Pexels

Bride and groom at the altar | Source: Pexels

He held up the remote control again and pressed another button—the air was thick with tension as music began to fill the room.

This new video was a stark contrast—it showed his bride in their shared home, but Denise wasn’t alone.

Instead, she was wearing lingerie and depicted in a compromising situation with another man.

An intimate photo of a couple | Source: Pexels

An intimate photo of a couple | Source: Pexels

The room fell deathly quiet, every eye glued to the screen, then slowly turning to gauge her reaction at my brother’s reveal.

Denise turned around slowly to face her guests, her face ghostly pale, her eyes wide with horror.

“This can’t be happening,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

Then, the same man from the video swore loudly—he was seated at the back of the venue, dressed in a suit.

A man in a suit | Source: Pexels

A man in a suit | Source: Pexels

“This is why I won’t be marrying Denise today,” Liam said, his loud voice breaking the silence, his tone even but heavy with emotion.

“I couldn’t let us all be here, witnessing what was supposed to be love, without the truth being known.”

The ceremony was ground to a halt, and the festive atmosphere evaporated into a thick, awkward tension.

Denise staggered slightly, looking around as if seeking an escape or an ally. She kicked off her shoes and picked them up.

A bride holding her shoes | Source: Pexels

A bride holding her shoes | Source: Pexels

“It’s not what it looks like,” she said. “Liam, please, not here. Let’s talk about it outside.”

I wanted to be able to look at Denise and feel sorry for her—we had been so close for so many years. But the evidence had been in the video. As close as we were, she was just another cheater.

A woman who had hurt my brother.

She pleaded with Liam again, louder this time. Tears fell down her face.

But the damage was done. My brother’s gaze never wavered from the woman he was supposed to marry.

A crying bride | Source: Pexels

A crying bride | Source: Pexels

“How long?” he asked, his voice a low growl.

“Not long,” she managed to say, her composure breaking. “I’m so sorry, you were never supposed to know about it.”

“In our own home, though? Seriously, Denise?” my brother retorted sharply, his hurt palpable to all watching.

“You brought him into our home,” he said.

The crowd murmured, some guests shaking their heads, others unable to look away from the unfolding drama.

A couple lying in bed | Source: Pexels

A couple lying in bed | Source: Pexels

The priest stepped back. I wondered if he was thinking about taking Liam and Denise in for couples’ counseling—something that they had refused when they booked the priest in the first place.

Liam walked out first, abandoning his wedding and all the guests he and Denise had chosen.

Denise ran out behind him, calling out to Liam, but he refused to acknowledge her presence. Her mother ran out behind her.

A bride running | Source: Unsplash

A bride running | Source: Unsplash

Later, I walked around the hotel to find my brother. I found him sitting at the bar, drinking his feelings away while eating a bowl of olives.

“Did you know?” he asked me.

“No, of course not,” I said quickly.

It turned out that when Liam was going through the videos and photos on his laptop, he ended up looking through Denise’s, too.

A hotel bar | Source: Pexels

A hotel bar | Source: Pexels

“I just wanted to see if there was anything else that I could add to the video,” he said sadly.

I ordered myself a drink and got comfortable next to my brother—from the looks of it, we were going to be there for a long time.

“I went through the first folder,” he admitted. “And it was incredible because she had all these photos that I hadn’t seen before. But in the next folder, there was the video of Denise with that man. It wasn’t even a locked folder, Daphne,” he said.

A cocktail on a tray | Source: Unsplash

A cocktail on a tray | Source: Unsplash

We were both silent for a while, and Liam gulped away his drink.

“Do you think I was wrong to expose her?” he asked.

“No,” I said honestly. “But maybe you should have spoken to her privately. There’s no knowing how this could wreck her. Or what she’ll do next.”

I sat back in my seat and helped myself to the bowl of pretzels that the bartender had left out for us.

“I have no intention of checking on her,” Liam said. “I don’t care.”

A bowl of pretzel sticks and nuts | Source: Unsplash

A bowl of pretzel sticks and nuts | Source: Unsplash

I didn’t have any intention of getting Liam to forgive Denise. There was no point in trying to get him to forgive her after what she had done—Liam had always been sure of one thing. Cheating was the absolute deal breaker in a relationship.

“Come,” he said. “Let’s go eat some wedding cake. That can’t go to waste, too.”

I followed my brother out to the dining room that had been set up for the wedding reception.

I knew that as much as I wanted to check on Denise—Liam needed me in his corner.

A white wedding cake with fruit | Source: Unsplash

A white wedding cake with fruit | Source: Unsplash

What would you have done?

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