Vintage Photos of Silicon Valley before It Became a Giant Technology Heartland

Silicon Valley is generally considered the center of the tech universe today. But before Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and a host of other major tech companies set up shop there, the Santa Clara Valley was the center of a different industry altogether. Here's a collection of 22 vintage photos from History San José that show how much the region has changed since its beginnings.

Before it was Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Valley was a land of orchards and farmland. This photo, taken from the top of Mount Hamilton in 1914, shows the wide expanse of the valley.

Known by many as the "Valley of Heart's Delight," early 20th-century farms in the Santa Clara Valley supplied one-third of the world's prunes, in addition to huge quantities of tomatoes, grains, onions, carrots, cherries, and walnuts.

A group of men posed with a trenching machine made by the Knapp Plow Company. The manufacturers were an important part of the region's development into an agricultural hub, as the plows they created made it possible to farm the valley's hillsides.

By 1939, the region was home to 18 canneries, 13 dried-fruit packing houses, and 12 fresh-fruit and vegetable shipping firms, including companies owned by the Leonard family and the ancestors of what would eventually become Del Monte.

As the region's railway network improved over time, the Santa Clara Valley became the world's largest center for canned goods and fruit processing.

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Photo Taken in San Francisco at Same Time and Place as a Frame From the Film 'Vertigo' in 1957

The story began over at the vintage photography blog Shorpy, where a member named Ron Yungul submitted a vintage photograph that was captured by his late father on the hills of San Francisco, California in August, 1957.

By amazing coincidence, the photograph was taken at the same place at around the same time when Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film Vertigo was shot here in 1957. The photograph shows almost exact the same scene from the movie with the same cars lined up along the curb.

Street scene of San Francisco in August, 1957. (via Shorpy)

Screenshot from the movie. (via Petapixel)

Human Expressions, ca. 1860s

Photographs from the 1862 book Mécanisme de la Physionomie Humaine by Guillaume Duchenne. Through electric stimulation, determined which muscles were responsible for different facial expressions. Charles Darwin would later republish some of these photographs in his own work on the subject, which compared facial expressions in humans to those in animals.

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Pictures of Black Market in Japan in 1946

A black market or underground economy is the market in which goods or services are traded illegally. The key distinction of a black market trade is that the transaction itself is illegal. The goods or services may or may not themselves be illegal to own, or to trade through other, legal channels.

The black markets were among the first economic entities to spring up after the defeat of Japan. People who were desperate for food and basic necessities turned to the black market with its inflated prices as the official lines of supply and stores had either been destroyed or had nothing to sell. Four days after the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945, the Ozu gang placed an ad in newspapers asking for factory owners, who up to that point only sold to the military, to come to gang headquarters and discuss distribution of their products. In Shinjuku, Tokyo, the Ozu gang then created a large market near the station and by September 1945 had an enormous sign with 117 hundred-watt bulbs advertising its location; it was so bright that it could be seen from several miles away. Profits were huge, and the vendors – who were known as "peanuts" – earned as much as 50 yen a day (by comparison, teachers were paid a monthly salary of 300 yen). Other gangs followed suit and all over Japan open-air markets sprang up. About 30% of those working in the markets were "third-country people".

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Interesting Vintage Photos of Los Angeles Railway Streetcars

We are looking east on Oregon Avenue in 1906, which was the original name of Santa Monica Boulevard in this part of Los Angeles, California. The line going off the left of the frame could be the Westgate Line that ran down the middle of Burton Way through Brentwood Park. The exact location of this photo is somewhere near present-day Santa Monica Boulevard and Purdue Avenue. Pacific Railroad Society Collection

The final A Line car at 7th and Hill Streets, 4AM on June 30, 1946. Roy Finley Photo, Pacific Railroad Society Collection

An unidentified Pacific Electric interurban rumbles through the sleepy town of Playa Del Rey as a classic PE wig-wag tolls on the same street as the Del Rey Market and Del Rey Drugs. The PE station is visible just up ahead to the right, in this view looking north toward Venice. The date is December 24, 1939 and the image is by the incomparable Ralph Melching. Ralph Melching Photo, Pacific Railroad Society Collection

Ralph Melching's December 24, 1939, image at trackside of the small waterfront community of Playa Del Rey, with the Pacific Electric station to the left and housing development on the iconic bluff/hillside in the background. Ralph Melching Photo, Pacific Railroad Society Collection

This amazing Roy Finley photo captures the railfan riders of the final Los Angeles Railway A Line car (no. 90) on June 30th, 1946, at 4AM at the intersection of 7th and Hill streets in downtown Los Angeles. Roy Finley Photo, Chard Walker Collection, Pacific Railroad Society Collection

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Portraits of Lovejoy Dancers From the 1920s and 30s

Before joining the Marcy Brothers act Beatrice was a member of the Lovejoy Dancers. This set has been put together as a tribute to Beatrice’s beauty and talent.

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1960's Vogue Covers

Here's a collection of wonderful Vogue magazine covers in the 1960s.

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Pictures of South Australian Women Working in a Munitions Factory During World War II

By April 1941, it became apparent that Australia's workforce was diminishing. As more Australian men enlisted for the military, there was a drain on the labour force. Non-essential industrial production was cut down and the labour forces employed in these industries were redirected by the Directorate of Manpower to military factories.

Shortages of items not related to war, such as food products and clothing, forced the government to introduce rationing. The Directorate of Manpower needed to find another source of labour and turned to women.

The number of women employed in industry between 1939 and 1943 exploded from 1000 to 145 000. The total number of women employed in various jobs in the Australian workforce numbered over 800 000.

Women found employment in traditionally male jobs but were often only being paid a fraction of a man's wage. Attempts to remedy the situation ended in defeat as women were repeatedly opposed by the male-dominated unions and the government, afraid that women would expect equal treatment after the War.

The huge increase in the employment of women in World War II was a significant social change, but it was not matched by a change in government attitude towards women. Wages were not changed and it was made clear that women were expected to return to their traditional roles when the War ended.

These amazing photographs captured scene of women working in a munitions factory in South Australia during World War II

A woman working at a machine making parts for ribs of Beaufort bombers in a munitions factory in South Australia.

A young woman cutting driving bands for anti-aircraft shells in a munitions factory in South Australia.

Two young women oxy welding parts of ammunition boxes.

Women working in a munitions factory assembling Gaine anti-aircraft shell fuse components.

A young woman assembling an oil tank for a Beaufort bomber in a munitions factory in South Australia.

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Pictures of Lou Reed, Mick Jagger and David Bowie Hanging Out Together at Café Royale, London, 1973

Here are some interesting black and white photos of Lou Reed, Mick Jagger and David Bowie taken by photographer Mick Rock at the Cafe Royale after Ziggy Stardust's last "live" performance at Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1973. All kinds of characters showed up, including Ringo Starr, Jeff Beck, Bianca Jagger and Lulu..., but David spent much of his time chatting and laughing with Lou Reed and Mick Jagger.

"I've just remembered that I never told you about the party I had at the Café Royal after my last concert, so I'll make this week's letter about that... Oh, what a night it turned out to be! Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Jeff Beck, Lulu, Spike Milligan, Dana Gillespie, Ryan O'Neal, Elliott Gould, Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand... all there at my last concert party at the luxurious Café Royal - everyone looking so lovely in their sparkling evening clothes and colourful make-up... dancing, sipping champagne and tasting delicious salmon and big fresh strawberries and cream. The disc jockey played lots of really good soul and rock 'n' roll records, and the dance floor was absolutely packed all night." - David Bowie recalled.

The gathering was also a great opportunity for Bowie to celebrate his fame and new friendships with fellow musical heavyweights such as Mick Jagger. But according to biographer Jerry Hopkins (1985) Bowie had reason to be anxious about Mick Jagger's attendance. Reportedly Jagger had threatened Bowie because he believed that Bowie had put the "make" on his wife Bianca earlier that week. Hopkins even reports that Bowie had wanted to cancel the show because of Jagger's threats. However, all was made up at the party and Bowie danced with Jagger and briefly kissed both Jagger and Lou Reed when asked to by Mick Rock who was photographing the event.

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The Outtakes of David Bowie's Iconic “Heroes” Album Cover Shoot in 1977

Masayoshi Sukita found his perfect muse in David Bowie. The photographer has worked with the pop icon for 40 years, taking pictures of Bowie throughout his artistic eras—and personas. In 1977, Sukita took what would become an iconic image of Bowie: the cover of his “Heroes” album.

The album is considered one of his best by critics, notably for the contributions of guitarist Robert Fripp who flew in from the U.S to record his parts in one day. It was named NME Album of the Year.

The cover photo by Masayoshi Sukita was inspired by the painting Roquairol by German artist Erich Heckel, in which the subject strikes a similar pose. As was that of ‘The Idiot’ – one of Bowie’s collaborations with Iggy Pop that was released the same year.

These outtakes from the photo session that yielded the “Heroes” cover, were shot inside Sukita's studio in Tokyo in April, 1977.

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47 Beautiful Color Photographs That Capture Street Scenes of New York City From Between the 1940s and 1960s

Amateur photographer Charles W. Cushman traveled extensively in the US and abroad from 1938 to 1969, capturing beautiful snapshots of everyday life. His archive has been donated to and maintained by Cushman’s alma mater, Indiana University.

These images give a glimpse into what everyday life in Chinatown, the Financial District, and Midtown was like in the mid-20th century.

Stores near corner of Broome St. and Baruch Place, Lower East Side.

Wall Street New York.

Skyscrapers Looking toward financial District from an East River pier.

Downtown skyscrapers from East River pier.

Approaching Liberty St. ferry.

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