Requiem For the KKK, 1930s

In the archives for State Senator William Martin — remember him? He suggested North Dakota secede from the US — is this unique image, so unique it bears a mention in the state archives indexes: It’s titled “Bright and Shining Hopes Blasted? by the Kass Kounty Klan.”, and the poem reads: Here lies 44 as […]

Reposts and Aliases, 1884

One thing the internet both rewards and hates at the same time is when someone reposts something, without crediting the source, as their own fresh content, under an alias.  Reddit has an entire culture revolving around it.  Copyright defenders try to point out that just because something’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s free, but […]

Glassless Goggles, 1907

Scientific, automotive, and news publications announced this marvel of modern design  in 1907:  Can you guess what they are? Yes, they’re goggles, but what doesn’t come across in these images is that the “lenses” are actually steel plates. “Looked at from the distance of two or three feet away these plates appear to be solid […]

21st Century Aeroplanists, 1906.

The promise of flying cars and jetpacks in the 21st century has been around a long, long time: here is a comic from the french journal Le Pele-Mele: IN THE YEAR 2006 Aeroplanist to friend: “Just look down and you’ll see how backward they are in this part of the world.  Why, the peasants still […]

Vienna General Hospital, 1900s

Alongside the glass plate of Sanssouci Palace is this ambulatory image: The plate is marked “Hospital Yard, Vienna”.   I’m sure there have been many different hospitals in Vienna over the years, but the architecture clearly identifies this building: the Vienna General Hospital, otherwise known as “Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien”.  The image above would […]