32 Vintage Photos From the 1870s
Caught between the struggles of the old world and the spark of modern technology, the 1870s were a fascinating (and, often, intense) time to be alive. On one hand, steam and steel were revamping entire industries; on the other, life still moved to the sound of horse-drawn carriages and hand-cranked melodies. From rail lines cutting through growing cities to small-town folks dancing to fiddle tunes at family gatherings, these 33 vintage photos from the 1870s capture a world suspended between old and new.
1. Horse-Drawn Carriages Line the Streets in New London, Connecticut
2. Young Woman in Victorian-Era Fashion
3. ‘A Young Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt Looking Dapper, 1870′
4. ‘Longshoreman in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Circa 1870’
5. A Young Woman in a Satin Dress Poses for a Snap
6. A Wealthy Girl Goes for a Ride in a Goat-Drawn Carriage, 1872
7. Talk About ‘Stache Goals: ‘My Great Great Grandfather, a US Civil War Veteran, Rocking Some Amazing Facial Hair in the 1870s’
8. An Unknown Woman Wearing a Mourning Dress From the Victorian Era, Circa 1875
9. Early View of New York City’s Elevated Railway, 1870
10. An Affluent Family From Surrey, England Poses for a Snap Before Moving to Australia, Circa 1873
11. ‘Portrait of a Daughter Sitting With Her Father, 1870s’
12. A Group of Native American Apache Warriors Holding Rifles
13. Two Victorian Men Looking Stoic While Holding Hands, 1870
14. A Victorian Lady Shows Off Her Party Trick
15. A Military General Wearing a Suit Adorned With Medals
16. ‘My Great Great Grandparents Playing Their Nightly Chess Game, 1875’
17. A Distinguished Gentleman Poses in a Top Hat and Cane
18. A Group of Sailors Pose for a Snap, 1871
19. Two Kids Having a Play Date in New York City’s Central Park
20. ‘My Great Grandfather in Bavaria, Southern Germany, Circa 1870’
21. A Victorian-Era Child Poses With Her Pet Dog
22. A Veiled Woman Rides a Donkey Led by a Young Man in Egypt, 1870
23. ‘Frances With Son, Walter, in Norwich, England, 1870’
24. A Ventriloquist Poses With the World’s Scariest-Looking Dummy
25. ‘Countess Johanna Erdödy in the 1870s’
26. ‘Portrait of a Man Wearing Samurai Armor in 1870’
27. Two Men Dance Together While a Fiddler Plays, 1874
28. Tallest Woman of the 1870s, Anna Haining Bates (7’11”), Photographed Next to a 3-Foot-Tall Dwarf
29. ‘Jane Farrell, Age 12: Stole Two Boots and Was Sentenced to 10 Days of Hard Labor’
30. ‘New York’s Downing Family, Circa 1870s’
31. ‘A Native American Yuma Flute Player From Arizona’
32. Rare Photo of Doc Holliday, Former Dentist-Turned-Gunslinger
