Rare and Unseen Vintage Photos of Naples, Italy circa 1938, Including One of Hitler

Matt Ames found some negatives in a thrift store in Roanoke, Virginia. Many of the negatives appear to be from Naples, Italy circa 1938, as confirmed from checking with outside sources and doing his own investigative work. This would put their capturing just years before WWII broke out, which makes the photograph of Adolf Hitler taking part in a parade a bit more notable than what you would usually find in a thrift store purchase.

“In 2013 I found several rolls of negatives in a thrift store in Roanoke, Virginia. They were standard 35mm, black and white and some of the rolls were clearly nitrate film. The film was still supple so I had the rolls digitized the following day. Much to my surprise the film included photographs of Hitler and King Emmanuel on parade, other Nazi images from Naples, Italy in the Spring of 1938, numerous photos of Naples city life, a Mobil Oil plant there, Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii and photos of Manhattan. I've presented the images at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia; discussing steps to understanding found artifacts. There are over 400 images in the collection, these are just a few. I still don't know who took the photographs.”

(Photographs courtesy of Matt Ames, via PetaPixel)