In the mid-19th century, the world was on the cusp of monumental change. There were no airplanes, no telephones, and no world wars, but photography was beginning to document life in remarkable detail. These 18 vintage photos from 1875 offer a fascinating glimpse into a time when the world was transitioning from the old to the new. These images, though grainy and monochrome, provide an intimate look at life nearly a century and a half ago. Here are 18 striking photos that offer a rare view of 1875.
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1. A cowboy making a man "dance" by shooting at his feet, Nebraska, 1875.
2. The old city of Genoa in Italy, 1875
3. Public urinals, Paris, France, 1875.
4. Spice bazaar, British India, 1875.
5. One of the earliest known photos of Stonehenge, 1875
6. Jewish people, next to the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, 1875.
7. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer seated in his study at Fort Lincoln, 1875.
8. Crown princess Victoria with her son Wilhelm, 1875.
9. Edward, the Prince of Wales. Front left, in India, 1875.
10. Women and children of the De La Guerra family on the courtyard veranda of their home, Santa Barbara CA, circa 1875.
11. A Chinese family posing for a photograph in 1875.
12. George Willcoxen and family standing in front of their sod house in Ford County, Kansas. Circa 1875.
13. Snowy Montreal sleighs in 1875.
14. Steam locomotive In front of the Los Angeles Independence Rail Road Terminal at Fifth Street and San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, circa 1875.
15. Newly engaged couple, 1875.
16. Playing backgammon in a coffeehouse. Istanbul, 1875.
17. Siamese troops and their elephants in 1875. They were sent to fight Chinese bandits attacking the vassal kingdom of Luang Phrabang.
18. Horse-drawn tram. The Main Square in Kraków, Poland, 1875.
