91–100 of 109 posts
If you like blurry old candid photos of people about town, you might be interested in the work of Miroslav Tichý, who from the '60s to the '80s made his own cameras, that were so rubbish they didn't look real, so people didn't behave as if they were being photographed [1]: https://fstoppers.com/natural-light/photographer-snaps-nearl... http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/articles/2013/febru... https://en.wikiped…
It's actually nice to see people smiling in these old photos. Something that was absent in posed photos of those days.
I was thinking the same. I wonder if he knew them or they are strangers. I grew up in a village and if you saw someone, even if you didn't know them (although you knew most people), you'd say hello, but it's strange to imagine that happening in a city today.
Sometimes I fantasize about just greeting everybody I come across to add some friendliness to the world, until I realize that most people, in an urban setting, would probably be utterly bewildered and confused by such a behavior.
It's sad how urban living seems to have conditioned us to treat every other human as a total stranger from whom we should keep the furthest possible distance, physically and emotionally.
I just figured out why I think these photos are so interesting. I thought about these photos all day and couldn’t stop wondering why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an old photo of people that weren’t posing. I feel like these photos are a magical window into life back then. It’s so amazing and eerie at the same time. Look at them tip their hats to greet the man. Look at these people walking down the street, petti…
I just figured out why I think these photos are so interesting. I thought about these photos all day and couldn’t stop wondering why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an old photo of people that weren’t posing. I feel like these photos are a magical window into life back then. It’s so amazing and eerie at the same time. Look at them tip their hats to greet the man. Look at these people walking down the street, petti…
Look at how clean those streets are! Is there someone from Oslo who can comment on these streets now? Are they still as clean (because they're in the political district?) or did we make our cities more dirty since then?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, and the clothes. Okay, I know by many statistical measures we're wealthier now. But those clothes would cost a fortune now. Do they have fewer outfits? Are we only seeing the elite?
My grandfather was a tailor, and ended up employing a 100 people or so. Tailor made clothing was the norm, rather than the exception for anybody of moderate means and just about everybody that could afford it had a sewing machine or knew how to use one. Sewing machines were common wedding gifts, and were the equivalent in money of a small car today. Fabrics were of far better quality than the ones we have today and r…
I just figured out why I think these photos are so interesting. I thought about these photos all day and couldn’t stop wondering why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an old photo of people that weren’t posing. I feel like these photos are a magical window into life back then. It’s so amazing and eerie at the same time. Look at them tip their hats to greet the man. Look at these people walking down the street, petti…
Look at how clean those streets are! Is there someone from Oslo who can comment on these streets now? Are they still as clean (because they're in the political district?) or did we make our cities more dirty since then?
A lot of the photos were taken around the parliament buildings, the royal palace, and the national theatre, which may explain why the streets are so clean and the standard of attire is so high.
I just figured out why I think these photos are so interesting. I thought about these photos all day and couldn’t stop wondering why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an old photo of people that weren’t posing. I feel like these photos are a magical window into life back then. It’s so amazing and eerie at the same time. Look at them tip their hats to greet the man. Look at these people walking down the street, petti…
Look at how clean those streets are! Is there someone from Oslo who can comment on these streets now? Are they still as clean (because they're in the political district?) or did we make our cities more dirty since then?
Notable buildings in the shots are Stortinget (Parlament), the University of Oslo and in one of the shots, the Royal Castle
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It was because photos required long exposure and it's easier to hold your face in a neutral position. People smiled then as they do now: https://imgur.com/gallery/EYOym
Wait, this is wildly off topic, but can we talk about the snow woman in the sixth picture? What is happening there? Is that a person covered in snow? A really shockingly well crafted sculpture done by two women with shovels? I am so baffled.
https://archive.org/details/StrandMagazine13
Scanned PDF has almost 300 MB, but its text description says:
The accompanying picture shows what can be done with snow, by those who care to exercise their powers of modelling, and produce something more natural in appearance than the familiar old " Snow Man," built up after the figure of a Lowther Arcade Noah. During a lull in the severe frosts of last winter, two ladies (amateurs, who had never had a lesson in modelling), with the assistance of only a shovel and pair of scissors, erected and modelled the " Snow Lady" in a garden near Pangbourne. No foundation of any kind was used, and no sticks or wires were concealed under the figure for the purpose of supporting head, body, or arms. An enlargement of the original photograph was shown at the Photographic Exhibition during last autumn, and gave rise to many remarks, sage and otherwise. A large number of those who looked at it pronounced it as " No doubt very cleverly got up — but all humbug ! " " Real snow ? Not a bit of it ! Quite impossible ! "
I found it via TinEye at
It's actually nice to see people smiling in these old photos. Something that was absent in posed photos of those days.
And elegant. I’ve always assumed people were overdressed for the picture, and here I notice they actually wore the hat everyday. They dress better than for today’s weddings.
If you look at pictures taken in public places as late as the 1950s then almost everyone is wearing a hat.