Photography in the 1800s wasn’t easy—no quick snapshots, no instant previews, no fancy autofocus. It was bulky cameras, fragile glass plates, long exposures, chemical fumes, and a whole lot of guts. But those early pioneers? They delivered pure magic. These 35 rare 19th-century photos aren’t just pretty visuals; they’re time machines. Each one cracks open a window straight into a world that shaped the one we live in now.
This was the era when photography was literally learning how to walk, yet somehow these early creators captured history with jaw-dropping accuracy and emotion. You’ll see portraits of giants like Abraham Lincoln and Sitting Bull, photos that defined bravery, leadership, and the human spirit. You’ll spot natural wonders documented for the very first time, back when the world felt bigger, wilder, and untouched. And you’ll catch glimpses of everyday people—workers, families, explorers—frozen forever in moments they never knew would matter.
Some images dive into life’s deepest themes: struggle, hope, resilience, and identity. Others show artistic breakthroughs that pushed photography from a technical experiment into a storytelling superpower. Every frame proves that old saying: the camera never lies. And honestly, these photos hit harder because of it.
These 35 rare images don’t just show history—they make history feel alive, real, and shockingly close. They remind us that long before smartphones and social media, photographers were out there chasing light, truth, and humanity with everything they had.
#1. Photograph Of French Actress Sarah Bernhardt
Photo by: Nadar
#2. Portrait Of A Young Woman, Ethiopia, 1885-1888
Photo by: Jacques Chirac
#3. Sleeping, Homeless Children, 1890s
Photo by: Jacob Riis
#4. James Mye, Mashpee Wampanoag, 1860
Photo by: wikimedia
#5. Emil Racovitza As A Diver At The Banyuls-Sur-Mer Oceanographic Observatory. The Upside-Down Sign The Man Is Holding Says "Underwater Photography.", 1899
Photo by: Louis Boutan
#6. Charging Thunder, A Sioux Indian From Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, 1900
Photo by: Gertrude Kasebier
#7. Fading Away, "Farewell To The Dying", Considered The First Photograph To Deal With The Theme Of Passing, 1858
Photo by: Henry Peach Robinson
#8. Close No. 193 High Street, Scotland, 1868
Photo by: Thomas Annan
#9. Photo Of Lower Yellowstone Falls, Taken During The Hayden Expedition To Yellowstone, 1871
Photo by: William Henry Jackson
#10. Street Musicians, 1898-99
Photo by: Eugene Atget
#11. Boulevard Du Temple, Paris, 3rd Arrondissement, Daguerreotype. Made In 1838 By Inventor Louis Daguerre, This Is Believed To Be The Earliest Photograph Showing A Living Person, Circa 1838
Photo by: Louis Daguerre
#12. Sitting Bull And Buffalo Bill, 1895
Photo by: William Notman and Son
#13. Frederick Douglass Portrait, Circa 1860s
Photo by: Picture History
#14. Brig Upon The Water, 1856
Photo by: Gustave Le Gray
#15. Ancient Ruins In The Canon De Chelle, 1873
Photo by: Timothy O’Sullivan
#16. The Maharani Of Nepal And Her Followers, 1885-1894
Photo by: global nepali museum
#17. Robert Howlett, Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before The Launching Chains Of The Great Eastern, 1875
Photo by: Robert Howlett
#18. Woman Seen From The Back, Circa 1862
Photo by:
#19. Abraham Lincoln, Candidate For U.S. President, Three-Quarter Length Portrait, Before Delivering His Cooper Union Address In New York City, 1860
Photo by: Mathew Benjamin Brady
#20. "Call, I Follow, I Follow, Let Me Die", Model Is Mary Ann Hillier, Circa 1867
Photo by: Julia Margaret Cameron
#21. John Mayall, Sergeant Dawson And His Daughter, 1855
Photo by: John Jabez Edwin Mayall
#22. Eruption Of The Geyser Old Faithful In Yellowstone Valley, 1870 Or 1871
Photo by: William Henry Jackson
#23. Bandits Roost, 59 And A Half Mulberry Street, 1888
Photo by: Jacob Riis
#24. Fox Talbot, The Haystack, 1844
Photo by: William Henry Fox Talbot
#25. Blacksmith Forging A Horshoe, C. 1859-1860
Photo by: Summer A. Smith
#26. Pierrot Laughing, 1855
Photo by: Adrien Alban Tournachon
#27. Schneider, 1863
s
Photo by: Andre-Adolphe-Eugene Disder
#28. Great Chicago Fire, Men Stand Amid The Rubble At Lasalle Street And Washington, 1871
Photo by: Rare historical photos
#29. A Native Hut, Circa 1890
Photo by: Jacob F. Coonley
#30. East And West Shaking Hands At The Laying Of Last Rail Union Pacific Railroad, 1869
Photo by: Andrew J. Russell
#31. Boston, As The Eagle And The Wild Goose See It, 1860
Photo by: James Wallace Black
#32. The Market Nassau, Circa 1890
Photo by: Jacob F. Coonley
#33. Portrait Of Sir John Herschel, 1867
Photo by: Julia Margaret Cameron
#34. Cathedral Rock, 1861
Photo by: Carleton Watkins
#35. Kitchen Of The 8th Hussar Unit, Russia, 1855
Photo by: Roger Fenton
