Niagara Falls frozen over, 1911. This is the last year in which visitors were allowed to walk along the top of the frozen falls.
Downtown Los Angeles, 1886 and present day
This 1849 daguerreotype is the earliest datable photograph taken of the Alamo. It is the only known photo of the Alamo taken before the 1850 reconstruction, which added the distinctive curved gable to the top of the church facade. The second photo is a copy of the original daguerreotype, showing detail more clearly. The third photo is from 1858, showing the addition of the curved gable atop the church facade.
On February 27, 1827, the first Mardi Gras took place in New Orleans. The original floats consisted of horse-drawn carriages carrying people in costume. The carriages were often accompanied by both young slaves and free African-American men, who carried torches to light the way for other carriages and bands during night parades. The celebration was loosely put together by citizens of the town. As a result, there was little organization and supervision.
In the 1850s, a rowdy crowd became violent during one celebration. In order to prevent violence from occurring in the future, a secret society called the “Mistick Krewe of Comus” took charge of the annual event, creating the first well-organized and large-scale Mardi Gras parade in 1857. It was the 1857 Mardi Gras which also introduced the first floats which didn’t consist of horse-drawn carriages.
In 1872, another organization, named Rex, began taking part in the celebration. They quickly became recognized as a major player in the parade, displaying some of the most elaborate floats of the time. Each year, one member of Rex was chosen to be the Monarch of that organization. With “Rex” meaning “King” in Latin, it meant the organization’s Monarch each year was “King of the Carnival”. That individual received the key to the city by the Mayor of New Orleans, a tradition which still takes place today.
Below are 19th and early 20th century Mardi Gras photos. Click here to see some of the many early Mardi Gras float designs. Click here to see some of the many 1873 Mardi Gras costume designs. (Note: These costumes are a product of their time and therefore some may not be politically correct by today’s standards).
Kitty Tatch, Katherine Hazelston, and Sadie Young were waitresses at Yosemite National Park hotels during the 1890s and early 20th century. The three loved posing for the park’s photographers more than 3,000 feet up on Overhanging Rock at Glacier Point. They would dance on the rock, getting as close to the edge as possible. The photographers would turn the pictures they took of the dancing ladies into best-selling postcards. Kitty Tatch would autograph the postcards she appeared on.
It is unknown which of the three women appear in the two photos below. The postcard pictures Sadie Young.
Comparison views of New York from 1874 and the present day
Comparison photos of Madison Square, New York, taken at the same location (1900 and present day)