1860s

  • Black-and-white photo of women working at an old-fashioned telephone switchboard, connecting calls by plugging wires into sockets. They are wearing headsets and period clothing.
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    18 Photos of Everyday Life in the 1860s

    The 1860s were a decade of enormous change. Across much of the world, industrialization was accelerating, cities were expanding, and…

    The 1860s were a decade of enormous change. Across much of the world, industrialization was accelerating, cities were expanding, and new technologies were beginning to reshape daily routines. Yet for most people, life remained far more physically demanding than it…

  • A split image: left side shows a bearded man in 19th-century attire with a hat, shawl, and boots; right side shows a historic building with printer signs and people standing at windows and on the sidewalk.

    Blast From the Past: 34 Vintage Snapshots That Offer a Peek Into the 1860s

    From the thick of the Civil War to the slums in Scotland, these vintage photos offer a glimpse into the 1860s.

    From a U.S. perspective, the 1860s were largely defined by the Civil War, the height and demise of Abraham Lincoln, and the abolishment of slavery. Around the globe, poverty was prevalent, Japan rose to prominence, and China’s Qing Dynasty fell,…