Fascinating Black and White Photos of Hops Picking in Kent

For its abundance of orchards and hop gardens, Kent is sometimes known as the “Garden of England”. Hops are the flowers of the hop plant Humulus lupulus, used primarily as a bittering, flavoring, and stability agent in beer, to which, in addition to bitterness, they impart floral, fruity, or citrus flavors and aromas. They are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine. The hops plants have separate female and male plants, and only female plants are used for commercial production.

Hop pickers move furniture into their summer quarters at Buston Manor near Maidstone, Kent, 1949.

“Tradition has it that the first English hop garden was created near Canterbury in 1520, as Kent was the earliest centre for hop culture due to its suitable soil, established enclosed field system and good supply of wood for the poles and charcoal for drying.  Furthermore, Kent farmers could afford the high initial capital outlay as they were among the most prosperous of the time.

One of the simplest and most economic methods of training hops was developed in Kent by Henry Butcher in about 1875.  A great deal of manpower was always required in all hop-growing regions of England to pick the hops in September, as the value of the crop depended on it being picked quickly and at the right moment.  Kentish records of the mid 17th century mention some ‘strangers who came a hopping’ indicating that there was not enough local labour. The majority of Kent’s manpower came from London and at the industry’s peak, more than 80,000 people poured into Kent every autumn…” — The British Hop Association.

Take a look at these families of hop pickers spending their time in Kent through 19 fascinating black and white pictures below:

Hopfield, circa 1900.

Hop picking, circa 1900.

Hoppers tally off after picking, circa 1906.

A family of hop pickers stand beside their packed cart, 1907.

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Amélie Diéterle: A Muse of the Belle Époque

Born 1871 in Strasbourg, French actress and opera singer Amélie Diéterle went to Paris in 1889 where she was chosen from 40 competitors to enter the Concerts Colonne. Her little voice flutée and her nose “trumpet” make her very popular and very appreciated. She became the protégé of art collector Paul Gallimard, who was also the owner of the Variety Theater. She also inspired poets Léon Dierx and Stéphane Mallarmé.

Auguste Renoir made three portraits of her, a lithograph in gray on wove paper in 1899, exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago Museum and a pastel in 1903, exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston. The two paintings depict Amélie Diéterle wearing a white hat. The third portrait, made around 1910, is a pastel, currently at the Antoine-Lecuyer Museum in Saint-Quentin.

Alfred Philippe Roll made a painting of Diéterle in June 1913, showing her half-naked sitting in a garden chair with. This painting is donated by Mrs. Henriette Roll at the Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris, at the Petit Palais. It has achieved great notoriety as is still reflected today the many postcards of the 1900s that represent it.

Diéterle lived for a long time in the city of Croissy-sur-Seine. She withdraws progressively from the scene between 1920 and 1923. In 1940, she took refuge in Vallauris and died in Cannes after a long illness in 1941 at the age of 70.

Here are some fascinating vintage portraits of a young Amélie Diéterle, one of the popular actresses of the Belle Époque until the beginning of the Années Folles.

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30 Found Photos of England During Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910, and is sometimes expanded to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victorian era. Her son and successor, Edward VII, was already the leader of a fashionable elite that set a style influenced by the art and fashions of continental Europe.

Samuel Hynes described the Edwardian era as a “leisurely time when women wore picture hats and did not vote, when the rich were not ashamed to live conspicuously, and the sun really never set on the British flag.”

The Liberals returned to power in 1906 and made significant reforms. Below the upper class, the era was marked by significant shifts in politics among sections of society that had largely been excluded from power, such as laborers, servants, and the industrial working class. Women started to play more of a role in politics.

These amazing photos were found by Photos of the Past that show what life of England looked like during Edwardian era.

Cine camera and actors in armor

A day at the seaside

Bathing huts at the seaside

Berkshire. All Saints Church, Bisham

Birmingham Council House

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Extraordinary Vintage Portraits of American Women at the Turn of the 20th Century

This collection of photographs, shot by photographer James Arthur at the studio of Arthur & Philbric in Detroit, Michigan.

James Arthur was born on May 27, 1855 in Montreal. His parents were both immigrants from Scotland who were financially well off. Arthur attended prestigious private schools where it is implied that he developed the artistic eye that would influence his photographic work that followed. Following his father’s death, Arthur began working as a photographer with the well known J. and J. W. Notman studio.

He came to Detroit in 1881 and went to work with photographer J. E. Watson. In 1883 he became senior partner in the firm of Arthur & Philbric and they remained in business together for eight years. He then became sole proprietor of a firm called Arthur Studios.

Research also yielded information about Philbric. Most notable is that Philbric was a woman. Her name was Helen M. Philbric and her name appears in Michigan business directories as Arthur’s partner between 1884 and 1893.

On January 12, 1912, James Arthur died a successful and prominent photographer in his Detroit home. Ten years after his death, in a book detailing the early history of Detroit, Arthur was described as one the foremost photographers in the United States.

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Fascinating Vintage Pictures of Christmas Past

Not only does the holiday season always bring joy but somehow it also makes us all a little bit more nostalgic than the rest of the year. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that a look backward may help add another heartwarming glow to all the festivities.

From the aftermath of a holiday sale at Macy’s to people in Santa costumes handing out presents, travel back in time and take a look at celebrations and preparations from years past through these fascinating vintage pictures:

A young Santa Claus with Christmas toys on a sled drawn by white turkeys, circa 1909.

Christmas tree market, Berlin, 1899.

Children looking at Christmas toys in a shop window, New York, 1900s.

Christmas mail, ca. 1910.

Santa Claus in an airplane, 1921.

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Amazing Posters Designed by Eugène Ogé in the Early 20th Century

Born 1861 in Paris, French poster artist and illustrator Eugène Ogé began as an apprentice to Charles Verneau, a printer who specialized in posters, and became a lithographer. During this period he made the acquaintance of several notable poster artists, including Adolphe Léon Willette, Jean-Louis Forain and Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. In his spare time, he studied painting at the Académie Julian and developed an admiration for Jules Chéret; an innovator in poster design.

Posters designed by Eugène Ogé in the 1900s and 1910s

In the 1890s, Ogé opened his own workshop and began designing posters, initially under contract to Verneau, then with Pierre Vercasson. He gradually developed his own style, moving away from the opulent women favored by Chéret. By 1900, he worked almost exclusively with caricatures and established himself with his famous poster for the “Billards Brunswick”, featuring three bald men. After 1902, he collaborated with La Lanterne, a daily journal with anti-clerical sentiments.

In the years leading up to World War I, Ogé caricatured many prominent people, including Queen Victoria and Paul Kruger, for “Dr. Trabant’s Supreme Pills”, and the heads of state meeting at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, to advertise the menthe-pastille made by Giffard. Among the other companies he worked for, one may mention Maggi, Gellé frères, Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville and Réglisse Zan.

During the war, Ogé made very few posters; focusing instead on rubber models and patterns for advertising balloons. He died in 1936 at the age of 74. Here below is a set of amazing posters designed by Eugène Ogé in the 1900s and 1910s.

Biscuit du Cygne, Nouveauté Recommandée, circa 1900

Absinthe de Pontarlier, Cousin Jeune, Paris, circa 1900

Advertisement for Amidon Remy, circa 1900

Advertising for Maizena corn flour, circa 1900

Advertising for Vin Bravais, circa 1900

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Beautiful Vintage Photos of Children Playing in the Snow

Every winter, as the temperatures drop, so does the amount of time people prefer to spend outside. This is true for children, as playtime can become limited to the indoors. 

It may be tempting to parents and adults to hide inside until the weather warms up, however, getting outdoors during this time of the year is especially essential to children, both for the fun and health benefits and also because it seems to be an unquestionable fact that children everywhere want to play in the snow. The wonder and excitement in their eyes only prove it further.

Take a look at children joyously having fun in the snow through these 19 beautiful black and white photographs below:

Central Park, New York City, ca. 1900.

1920s.

1944. 

Paris, 1945. (Robert Doisneau)

Spitalfields Market, London, 1946. (Monty Fresco)

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35 Incredible Photos of the 1907 Kingston Earthquake

The 1907 Kingston earthquake which shook the capital of the island of Jamaica with a magnitude of 6.2 on the moment magnitude scale on Monday January 14, at about 3:30 p.m. local time (20:36 UTC), is described by the United States Geological Survey as one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history.

Every building in Kingston was damaged by the earthquake and subsequent fires, which lasted for three hours before any efforts could be made to check them, culminating in the death of about 1,000 people, and causing approximately $30 million in material damage ($833.25 million in 2020).

Shortly after, a tsunami was reported on the north coast of Jamaica, with a maximum wave height of about 2 m (6–8 ft).

Here below is a set of incredible photos that shows street scenes of Kingston after the earthquake in 1907.

Earthquake devastation, Kingston, Jamaica, 1907

1907 Earthquake Damage, Kingston, Jamaica

Cleaning up the damage, Kingston, 1907

Colonial Bank after the Earthquake, Kingston, Jamaica, 1907

Corner of King and Harbour Streets taken 8 days after the disaster, Kingston, Jamaica, 1907

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Early Advertisement Posters From the Gramophone Company in 1908

Septimus Edwin Scott (1879–1965), who signed his name Sep E. Scott, was a British painter, illustrator and comics artist. He exhibited in the Royal Academy and was a member of the Royal Watercolour Society. He turned his hand to illustrating books and later produced pictures for comic-strips.

Scott became most widely known through railway company posters and was commissioned by the Gramophone Company [HMV] to produce a series of illustrations for advertisement campaigns. These were produced in various sizes - calendar up to posters.

These advertisement posters are part of his work that Sep E. Scott designed for the Gramophone Company in 1908.

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Fascinating Photos of Life in Japan in 1908

After finishing rebuilding his studio, which was destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906, Arnold Genthe went on a 6-month visit to Japan in 1908. There he took hundreds of photographs of the country during the Meiji era, which extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.

The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations.

Take a look at life in Japan in 1908 through these 40 intriguing photographs below:

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