The invention of photography truly changed the world. Before it became widely available, capturing a person, place, or moment realistically meant spending hours bringing it to life through painting. But once cameras came along and gradually became more advanced, people were able to preserve what was in front of them in a matter of seconds.
Thanks to that, we’ve built up an archive of photographs from around the world since the 19th century, giving us a unique glimpse into the past. The Instagram page Rare Historical Photos is full of brilliant examples, and we’ve gathered some of the most interesting ones for you below. Scroll down to take a look.
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