Vintage Photos From The 1800s Offer A Stunning New Perspective Of A Different Time

Ever come across a person who worked as a bushwhacker? Or a laundress who also told fortunes? How about an electric car from the 1890s? Well, these are some of the subjects of this extraordinary collection of photos from the 19th century. It’s difficult to believe that we inhabit the same world depicted in these images, yet we’re only four or five generations removed from the people and scenes pictured. Read on to be amazed and entertained...

60. Easter egg roll

Here we see the 1898 edition of the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. Although this event was well over a century ago, it’s far from the first time the White House lawns were opened for Easter egg rolling. That was way back in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president.

59. Gold miners

These gold miners are at work hunting for the precious metal in the Auburn Ravine in California. The year is 1852, not long after the Californian gold rush had exploded in 1848. By late 1849, the population of the California Territory had increased a hundredfold to something like 100,000. As you can see, the prospect of riches attracted people from all over. Many Chinese left their homeland, with 20,000 arriving in California in 1852 alone.

58. Getting dressed

This woman looks to be kitted out in the most bizarre gear. But it’s actually part of the everyday ordeal women of the upper classes had to go through just to get dressed. Going casual just wasn’t a thing. The cage-like structure was called a crinoline, and it supported the voluminous petticoat skirts in favor during the Victorian era.

57. First ever electric car?

Think electric cars are a recent invention? Think again! The year is 1897, and this electric taxi is being driven through the streets of London. The brainchild of inventor Walter Bersey, there were a dozen of these things plying for trade in the British capital. And don’t forget, this was at a time when nearly all London taxis were horse-drawn. Sadly, the cabs were plagued by technical problems and were retired after just a couple of years.