Historical Photos of Coal Mines Kids Taken by Lewis Hine in the United States From the Early 20th Century

Lewis Hine was a teacher and photographer who, in the early 20th century, used his camera as a tool for social reform. Working for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) between 1908 and 1924, Hine traveled across the United States to document the harsh conditions of child labor. One of his most powerful series of photographs focused on “breaker boys” in coal mines, particularly in Pennsylvania.

In the early 1900s, thousands of children, some as young as eight or nine, worked in the coal industry. While the law often prohibited young children from working underground, they were frequently employed in the “breakers.” Their task was to sit on wooden boards over a conveyor belt or chute filled with rushing coal. As the coal moved past, the boys had to pick out pieces of slate, rock, and other impurities by hand.

The boys worked ten to twelve hours a day in cramped, hunched-over positions. The dust was so thick they could barely see, and many developed chronic coughs or “black lung” early in life. The work was incredibly dangerous. Boys often lost fingers to the fast-moving machinery, and some were even crushed to death if they fell into the chutes. Their hands were often covered in “red coal,” cuts and abrasions from the sharp slate.

Hine often had to use deception to gain access to these sites. He would disguise himself as a fire inspector, a postcard vendor, or a machinery salesman to get past foremen who didn’t want the public to see the children. Once inside, he would quickly take photos and scribble notes on pieces of paper hidden in his pockets. He recorded the children’s ages (often lied about by parents or employers), their heights, and how long they had been working.

Hine called his work “photo-interpretation.” He believed that if the American public could see the faces of the children whose childhoods were being traded for cheap coal and textiles, they would demand change. His photographs became the visual evidence needed to sway public opinion and were instrumental in the eventual passage of the Keating-Owen Act of 1916 and, later, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which effectively ended child labor in the United States.

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Auguste Toulmouche: The Painter of Parisian Elegance

Auguste Toulmouche (1829–1890) was a prominent French painter of the Academic Realist school, best known for his exquisite genre paintings of upper-middle-class Parisian women.

A student of the famous Charles Gleyre, Toulmouche became a sensation during the Second French Empire, earning the patronage of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. His work is characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, particularly in the rendering of opulent fabrics like silk, satin, and lace, which earned his subjects the nickname “Toulmouche’s delicious dolls” from critics like Émile Zola.

While his paintings often depicted quiet, domestic moments, such as a woman reading a letter or admiring herself in a mirror, they captured the sophisticated psychological state of the 19th-century bourgeoisie.

Dolce far niente

Mother and Daughter Reading

A Bedtime Prayer

A Classical Courtship

A Fine Scent

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John Lennon Shaved His Hair to Go to Watergate Hearings in Washington D.C., June 1973

John Lennon had a completely shaved head when he attended the Watergate hearings in Washington D.C. on June 27, 1973. He was present as an observer, amidst a crowd of officials and spectators.

However, the shaving of his head was likely not specifically for the hearings, but rather part of a personal decision and possibly related to his ongoing immigration issues and a previous peace campaign. He had shaved his head earlier in June 1973, and was photographed with the new look at various events around that time, including the hearings. At the hearing, he told reporters: “I have my brown curls chopped off every two years, and I had a haircut again only two weeks ago.”

At the time, the Nixon administration was actively trying to deport Lennon, citing a 1968 cannabis conviction in the UK. Appearing with a clean-cut, short-haired look was a stark departure from the “long-haired hippie” image Nixon’s administration used to characterize him as a “dangerous alien.”

It was later revealed that John Lennon was a target of FBI surveillance because of his anti-war activism. When asked about being on a “political enemies” list at the hearing, Lennon dryly remarked, “We’re somewhere in the middle... Nobody has asked us to take sides.”

This was the second time Lennon had shaved his head in the early 1970s; the first was in January 1970 with Yoko Ono as a “peace campaign” statement.

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Simone Signoret: The Soul of French Cinema

Simone Signoret (1921–1985) was one of the most revered and intellectually formidable actresses in the history of world cinema. Unlike many of her contemporaries who prioritized Hollywood glamour, she was celebrated for her earthy realism, profound emotional depth, and refusal to hide the natural aging process.

Signoret became the first French person to win an Academy Award for her heart-wrenching performance in the 1959 British film Room at the Top. Throughout her career, she portrayed complex, resilient women, often burdened by life’s hardships but possessing an unbreakable dignity.

Beyond her artistic achievements, Signoret was a prominent social activist and intellectual, forming one half of France’s most famous power couple with her husband, Yves Montand. With her smoky voice and penetrating gaze, she remains an enduring icon of “la maturité,” proving that a woman’s true beauty lies in her experiences, her intelligence, and her unwavering authenticity.

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Emerson Fittipaldi Posing With $1 Million Cash Prize After Winning Indy 500 in 1989

Emerson Fittipaldi rewrote history at the 1989 Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver to earn over one million dollars in prize money – $1,001,604 to be exact. Instead of a simple announcement or a check, the organizers piled stacks of US bills directly onto his Marlboro-liveried Penske PC-18 car to visually represent the unprecedented sum. This marketing move highlighted the growing prestige and financial rewards of the race.

The win itself was dramatic. Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One champion, was battling with Al Unser Jr. for the lead in the final laps. On lap 199, the two drivers made wheel contact while navigating slower traffic, causing Unser Jr. to spin out and crash into the wall. Fittipaldi completed the final lap under caution to secure his first Indy 500 victory.

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30 Rare and Beautiful Outdoor Portraits From the Victorian Era

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Victorian outdoor portraits emerged as a popular alternative to the stiff, controlled environment of the photography studio. While indoor sessions relied on heavy velvet curtains and painted backdrops, shooting outdoors allowed for a more “naturalistic” aesthetic, integrating the era’s romantic obsession with gardens, woodlands, and grand estates.

However, these portraits were far from casual; due to the long exposure times required by early photographic plates, subjects still had to remain perfectly still for several seconds, often leaning against trees or stone benches for support. These images frequently featured families in their “Sunday best,” posed amidst lush foliage or architectural ruins to signify status and a connection to the pastoral ideal.

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Fabulous Photos of a Young Faye Dunaway Taken by Jerry Schatzberg

In 1956, Jerry Schatzberg opened his own studio as an independent photographer. By 1958, he was hired to shoot for leading fashion magazines including Vogue, Esquire, Life, Glamour, or McCall’s. His photographic style is somewhat similar to that of Andre Kertesz or Henri Cartier-Bresson in its quest to capture the natural – an approach wholly unprecedented at the time, disregarding the strict codes of fashion photography aesthetics.

For ten years, Schatzberg is a highly sought-after photographer and forms friendships with famous models. One such model is Anne St. Marie, who was experiencing a painful depression, rejected in favor of younger girls, though she herself is barely 30. Jerry Schatzberg decided to tell this touching story. In 1969, he chose actress Faye Dunaway, then 29 years old, with a career in full-swing, to portray the fallen model. The result will be the critically acclaimed Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970), whose reissue at the 2011 Lumière festival was a revelation.

However, Schatzberg had been photographing Dunaway since 1967, when he captured her against a stark black background in a mythical photo-shoot. Many years later, one of the images of the series would be chosen for the official 2011 Cannes Film Festival poster. Dunaway and Schatzberg’s close connection would continue, giving rise to many other shots, always based on mutual trust, an element apparent in all of Schatzberg’s photos.

Celebrities and lesser known subjects would let their anxiety fall by the wayside in front of his lens and allow their emotions to shine through. The photographs of Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Catherine Deneuve, Roman Polanski, Charlotte Rampling, and Faye Dunaway, along with many others, express these moments of truth, captured by Jerry Schatzberg.

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