Louvain/Leuven - Aftermath Photos of German Reprisal in 1914

Early in the war, the Germans marched through Belgium, violating its neutrality, in an attempt to take France. Although Leuven was in German hands, the occupation was light. However, on August 20, the hastily-mobilized Belgian army tried to capture Leuven. German army units posted outside town were taken by surprised and fled back to Leuven. Germans in the city mistook their comrades for attacking Belgians and killed a few of them.

The Belgians could not sustain the assault and, once the Germans realized there was no serious attack and that they had let themselves be panicked, took their revenge on the people of Leuven. The occupiers went on a rampage between the 25th and 30th of August, setting fire to various buildings, totally destroying the 500-year-old Catholic University library and burning the roof of Saint Peter’s Church. They also destroyed the city theater. Over 200 townspeople were killed, many rounded up as “franc-tiereurs” (snipers, i.e., terrorists) and shot. All but a few were innocent, many unlucky enough to be caught with hunting rifles in their houses.

This was considered the first war crime of WWI. These photos from Carl Guderian were taken by an unknown photographer that show street scenes of Louvain/Leuven after the Germans torched it in 1914.

City Hall and St-Pieterskerk from Naamsestraat, Leuven, August 1914

Big funeral on Naamsestraat, Leuven, August 1914

Block of houses between Naamsestraat and Kortestraat completely destroyed. City Hall is on the left, Leuven, August 1914

City Hall and St-Pieterskerk from Grote Markt side street, Leuven, August 1914

City Hall and St-Pieterskerk from Naamsestraat, Leuven, August 1914

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Poignant Photos of Liverpool in the 1980s

The 1980s were a time of turmoil and upheaval for Liverpool. Unemployment and economic instability led to widespread disquiet, culminating in public shows of resistance such as the 1981 Toxteth Riots. Liverpool also elected its first Labour council in 1983, who promised to stand up for what they saw as unjust cuts under the Thatcher government. 

However, the people of Liverpool were strong in the face of this upheaval, and glimpses of light can be found in dark times. As the official photographer for the Militant, Sinclair’s stunning images show a city that refused to lie down in the face of adversity. 

Dave Sinclair was born in 1959 in Walton, Liverpool. By 1980, he was studying Art at Liverpool Polytechnic, where he developed an interest in the Liverpool urban landscape. Surrounded by derelict factories and docks, Dave started documenting his surroundings, processing and printing in black and white in a darkroom he built himself. He soon realised that photography was what he wanted to do for a living. His photographs have been featured in several exhibitions, including ‘The Dockers’ which was exhibited in London Liverpool and extensively abroad, The ‘School Student Strike’ at the Bluecoat in Liverpool and ‘Thatcher, Liverpool and the 80s’ in Shoreditch.

‘Liverpool in the 1980s’ pays tribute to the constancy of the Liverpudlian spirit. From citywide protests to intimate portraits, this volume is a unique insight into the recent history of one of Britain’s most inspirational cities.

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Shirley Bassey: One of the Most Popular Female Vocalists in Britain

Born 1937 in Cardiff, Welsh singer Shirley Bassey began performing as a teenager in 1953. In 1959, she became the first Welsh person to gain a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. In the following decades, Bassey amassed 27 Top 40 hits in the UK, including 2 number-ones. She became well-known for recording the soundtrack theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979).

Bassey is best known for her career longevity, powerful voice. In 2020, she became the first female artist to chart an album in the Top 40 of the UK Albums Chart in seven consecutive decades with her album I Owe It All To You.

Bassey has also had numerous BBC television specials and she hosted her own variety series Shirley Bassey. In 2011, BBC aired the television movie Shirley, based on Bassey’s life and career.

Bassey received the first award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1st Brit Awards in 1977. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the performing arts in 1999. In 2003, she was ranked among the “100 Great Black Britons”. Her song “Goldfinger” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of a young and beautiful Shirley Bassey in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Unused Polaroids of John Lennon Taken by Andy Warhol for the Album Cover of ‘Imagine’ (1971)

These Polaroids were taken by Andy Warhol during a session at John Lennon’s Tittenhurst Park home in 1971, and were originally intended as the album cover artwork for his second solo album Imagine. Of the four prints, two are close-ups of Lennon wearing his trademark round glasses looking straight to camera, other two are side-on shots. The Yoko photos used for the album were remarkably similar to the ones taken by the celebrated pop artist.

The Making of Imagine documentary even features scenes of John, Andy, Yoko and others sat discussing the images and how they will be used. However, the photos were eventually replaced on the sleeve by a Polaroid photograph of Lennon taken by Yoko Ono, featuring a double exposure over a painting of clouds by Geoffrey Hendricks.

The four Warhol photographs have remained unpublished for almost 50 years, and sold by Omega Auctions of Merseyside in 2019.

Front and back cover art by Yoko Ono for Imagine.

Unused and previously unseen photographic proofs of Imagine front cover artwork by Yoko Ono, July 1971.

This is the front cover for the LP Imagine by John Lennon. The cover art copyright is believed to belong to Yoko Ono.

Corn Goddess, 1907

Nebraska photographer Solomon Butcher photographed this an unnamed young woman in 1907 likely in Kearney, Nebraska. Her dress is made of corn husks and she wears a necklace of popcorn and berries. Several of Butcher’s photographs are displayed on the table to the left.

20 Vintage Photos Show What Life Was Like in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Life for the average person in the 1800s was hard. Many lived a hand-to-mouth existence, working long hours in often harsh conditions. There was no electricity, running water or central heating.

In the early 1900s, the average family had an annual income of $3,000 (in today’s dollars). The family had no indoor plumbing, no phone, and no car.

About half of all American children lived in poverty. Most teens did not attend school; instead, they labored in factories or fields.

In 1900, about 60 percent of the population lived on farms or in rural areas. Today, one in four lives in rural areas; more than half live in suburbs.

Here below is a set of amazing photos from Rescued by Rover that shows what life was like in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Lunch on the Ice

"Mary had a little lamb"

Basket vendor. A pencilled caption on the slide indicates that the location is in Paris

Bob Sleighing

Bolton Woods, Yorkshire

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Vibrant Photos of Life in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1987-1988

The Lowell Folklife Project was conducted in 1987-1988 as a cooperative project of the American Folklife Center and the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, with support from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, to document contemporary ethnic neighborhoods, occupations, and community life related to the history of industrialization in Lowell, Massachusetts.

This year-long study yielded an ethnographic collection covering a wide range of subjects and activities, including neighborhood tours, ethnic restaurants, parades, musical events, and religious services and festivals.

Take a look at life in Lowell through these 36 vibrant pictures below:

Skateboarding in Merrimack St. parking lot. (Douglas DeNatale)

Southeast Asian restaurant. (John Lueders-Booth)

Southeast Asian restaurant. (John Lueders-Booth)

Carnaval celebration, Holy Ghost Society. (Tom Rankin)

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