Old Pictures
May 6, 2007 4:56 PM Subscribe
Time travel exists. It's called old pictures.
They Had Cameras.
posted by jonmc at 5:11 PM on May 6, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 5:11 PM on May 6, 2007 [2 favorites]
*looks at pictures*
*looks at clock*
Nope. It's still Monday morning. Anyone got a better method?
posted by pompomtom at 5:24 PM on May 6, 2007
*looks at clock*
Nope. It's still Monday morning. Anyone got a better method?
posted by pompomtom at 5:24 PM on May 6, 2007
It's still Monday morning.
Can't trust that day. Handy site, though, thanks for the post, Mblue.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:26 PM on May 6, 2007
Can't trust that day. Handy site, though, thanks for the post, Mblue.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:26 PM on May 6, 2007
That's awesome. I love the Old West photos - never knew pictures that clear could be taken that long ago.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 5:32 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by OverlappingElvis at 5:32 PM on May 6, 2007
For more old pictures, try the US National Archives online search thing. Be sure to click "Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies" so your search results are all things you can look at online.
example example
Similar content, really.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:38 PM on May 6, 2007
example example
Similar content, really.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:38 PM on May 6, 2007
I love the Old West photos - never knew pictures that clear could be taken that long ago.
See Edward S. Curtis. The old photographic methods are gorgeous.
posted by well_balanced at 5:43 PM on May 6, 2007
See Edward S. Curtis. The old photographic methods are gorgeous.
posted by well_balanced at 5:43 PM on May 6, 2007
Oh crap, I fail.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:44 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:44 PM on May 6, 2007
The commentary is a wee bit overwrought, I think:
"Evil is on the move in the world again today, an evil element on par with the brutal regime of Hitler. Again today, men have stood up and put their lives on the line. Men are standing up and shedding blood on foreign soil in the hopes of preventing the shedding of the blood of their friends and family on American soil."
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:48 PM on May 6, 2007
"Evil is on the move in the world again today, an evil element on par with the brutal regime of Hitler. Again today, men have stood up and put their lives on the line. Men are standing up and shedding blood on foreign soil in the hopes of preventing the shedding of the blood of their friends and family on American soil."
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:48 PM on May 6, 2007
Evil is on the move in the world again today...
Oh word.
...an evil element on par with the brutal regime of Hitler.
Well, I don't know about Hitler.
Again today, men have stood up and put their lives on the line.
Perhaps a tad overdone, but....
Men are standing up and shedding blood on foreign soil in the hopes of preventing the shedding of the blood of their friends and family on American soil.
Wait....what? WHAT was the evil that was on par with Hitler? Are you defecating me?
posted by DU at 6:05 PM on May 6, 2007
Oh word.
...an evil element on par with the brutal regime of Hitler.
Well, I don't know about Hitler.
Again today, men have stood up and put their lives on the line.
Perhaps a tad overdone, but....
Men are standing up and shedding blood on foreign soil in the hopes of preventing the shedding of the blood of their friends and family on American soil.
Wait....what? WHAT was the evil that was on par with Hitler? Are you defecating me?
posted by DU at 6:05 PM on May 6, 2007
These are lovely, classic images, but time travel proper requires a bit more effort. Vision has an impact, but if you really want to travel in time, you need to have old sounds, old textures (bakelite? polished wood?), old tastes, and most importantly, old smells. Real or simulated, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the transport.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:10 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by cobaltnine at 6:10 PM on May 6, 2007
Okay, I'm getting stomped. I just like the pictures, I could care less about the captions. Hopefully, the pictures will outlast the captions. I suspect they will.
posted by Mblue at 6:16 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by Mblue at 6:16 PM on May 6, 2007
cobaltnine These are lovely, classic images, but time travel proper requires a bit more effort.
You may require more, I do not. My sight better than my audio.
posted by Mblue at 6:20 PM on May 6, 2007
You may require more, I do not. My sight better than my audio.
posted by Mblue at 6:20 PM on May 6, 2007
Thank You for reminding me how we're all in this together, M-b!
posted by Dizzy at 6:53 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by Dizzy at 6:53 PM on May 6, 2007
Wow [i.e. Child Soldier]
Child Soldiers in the 21st. Century.
posted by ericb at 7:08 PM on May 6, 2007
Child Soldiers in the 21st. Century.
posted by ericb at 7:08 PM on May 6, 2007
Nice photos, sure - but they were all taken by photographers.
And I don't see any photographer's name on the site. The main page features a photograph by Diane Albrus, yet if you search on her name for other photos taken by her, the search brings no results (not even the photo on the main page)
Even if the photos are 'historic' this simple courtesy must be respected. And, in some cases, the heirs of the artist still hold copyright to the images that are displayed on the site - so this goes beyond copyright.
At the bottom of the main page I see this: Site Copyright 2006-2007 www.old-picture.com. Do not use material without permission. For Questions or comments about this collection, contact curator@old-picture.com.
It appears to me that the material already has been used without permission, and the copyright has no feet to stand on.
posted by seawallrunner at 7:10 PM on May 6, 2007
And I don't see any photographer's name on the site. The main page features a photograph by Diane Albrus, yet if you search on her name for other photos taken by her, the search brings no results (not even the photo on the main page)
Even if the photos are 'historic' this simple courtesy must be respected. And, in some cases, the heirs of the artist still hold copyright to the images that are displayed on the site - so this goes beyond copyright.
At the bottom of the main page I see this: Site Copyright 2006-2007 www.old-picture.com. Do not use material without permission. For Questions or comments about this collection, contact curator@old-picture.com.
It appears to me that the material already has been used without permission, and the copyright has no feet to stand on.
posted by seawallrunner at 7:10 PM on May 6, 2007
the copyright of the old-picture site, that is
posted by seawallrunner at 7:11 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by seawallrunner at 7:11 PM on May 6, 2007
thanks. i'll have fun photoshopping myself into these.
posted by god particle at 7:11 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by god particle at 7:11 PM on May 6, 2007
ericb: Thanks for that link to the Smithsonian article. Most interesting!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:12 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:12 PM on May 6, 2007
The main page features a photograph by Diane Albrus
Did you mean Diane Arbus? If so, most of her work predates the photographs on the website to which the OP links. The main page there has a photograph by Dorthea Lange and another by Edward Curtis -- each decades before Arbus's career as a photographer.
posted by ericb at 7:16 PM on May 6, 2007
Did you mean Diane Arbus? If so, most of her work predates the photographs on the website to which the OP links. The main page there has a photograph by Dorthea Lange and another by Edward Curtis -- each decades before Arbus's career as a photographer.
posted by ericb at 7:16 PM on May 6, 2007
you are right, I made a mistake re the photographer. I was returning here to set this right when I saw you had already made the correction. Still, it bothers me that the photographs do not have any mention of their original authors, and I am not convinced that the copyright is owned by the site.
posted by seawallrunner at 7:21 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by seawallrunner at 7:21 PM on May 6, 2007
Great site. Here are three pictures meaningful to me.
This is the old Hong Kong Club Building circa 1900.
This is the same building circa 1980, right before it was demolished.
This is the building they replaced it with, which I pass by every day on my way to work.
I wish people valued old buildings more...
posted by banishedimmortal at 7:24 PM on May 6, 2007
This is the old Hong Kong Club Building circa 1900.
This is the same building circa 1980, right before it was demolished.
This is the building they replaced it with, which I pass by every day on my way to work.
I wish people valued old buildings more...
posted by banishedimmortal at 7:24 PM on May 6, 2007
This link was worth it just for the story of Robert Smalls.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:20 PM on May 6, 2007
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:20 PM on May 6, 2007
Still, it bothers me that the photographs do not have any mention of their original authors, and I am not convinced that the copyright is owned by the site.
I agree that credit should be given when it is known and it should be known for a good many of these. This is not up to professional standards for presenting historical material. Nevertheless, they are entitled to place a copyright on the website that covers captions, design, and so forth.
posted by dhartung at 9:35 PM on May 6, 2007
I agree that credit should be given when it is known and it should be known for a good many of these. This is not up to professional standards for presenting historical material. Nevertheless, they are entitled to place a copyright on the website that covers captions, design, and so forth.
posted by dhartung at 9:35 PM on May 6, 2007
Love the pictures. Hate the commentary. All those pictures are good enough to stand by themselves, with perhaps a little factual description to point our way. Telling people what to think of the photos does not endear the site creator to me. I'd like the freedom to think what I like about them.
posted by altolinguistic at 7:49 AM on May 7, 2007
posted by altolinguistic at 7:49 AM on May 7, 2007
Does half of this thread consisting of people correcting themselves? Crazy.
posted by voltairemodern at 10:39 AM on May 7, 2007
posted by voltairemodern at 10:39 AM on May 7, 2007
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posted by Simon! at 5:07 PM on May 6, 2007 [7 favorites]