We might be fans of big and dusty books, but there’s nothing quite like a high-quality photograph to capture the spirit of times past. And a good picture, we feel, can act as a catalyst for the curious, inspiring them to delve deeper and learn more about history.

That’s where the ‘Historical Pictures’ Twitter account, @Besthistorical, comes in. It’s a popular social media page that finds, shares, and describes powerful and interesting historical photos—not just in black–and–white, but in color, too! We’ve collected the best of the best to give a fresh glimpse into the past. Scroll down to see our top pics and upvote the ones that appealed to you the most.

#1

1967-2018 Same Bike, Same Couple

1967-2018 Same Bike, Same Couple

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#2

A Young Boy Playing The Banjo With His Dog, Circa Early 1900s

A Young Boy Playing The Banjo With His Dog, Circa Early 1900s

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#3

The Interior Of The Orient Express , Built In 1883

The Interior Of The Orient Express , Built In 1883

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The @Besthistorical Twitter page is fairly new. It was founded just over a year ago, in May 2022. However, in that single year, the curators of the page have already carved out a snug niche for themselves and their growing community: 102.2k internet users follow the account on the social media network. The page posts lots of quality photos very consistently, so there are often fresh old pics to enjoy.

#4

George Lucas Before Cgi, 1984

George Lucas Before Cgi, 1984

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#5

1947. Girl In Car, New York City, By Fred Stein

1947. Girl In Car, New York City, By Fred Stein

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#6

Woman Cutting Her Birthday Cake In Iran 1973, 5 Years Before The Islamic Revolution

Woman Cutting Her Birthday Cake In Iran 1973, 5 Years Before The Islamic Revolution

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The project appeals to a very wide range of internet users. First of all, you’ve got your history buffs who probably enjoy many of these photos because they’re from a time period that they know plenty about, whether it’s the American Civil War or the Second World War. Next, you’ve got your photography fans—professional and amateur alike—who have an interest in seeing how the artistic medium developed as the decades and centuries rolled by.

#7

The 12 Russian Snipers Responsible For The Deaths Of 775 German Soldiers During World War II, 1945

The 12 Russian Snipers Responsible For The Deaths Of 775 German Soldiers During World War II, 1945

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#8

A View Of Mt. Fuji From The Streets Of Fujinomiya, Japan

A View Of Mt. Fuji From The Streets Of Fujinomiya, Japan

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#9

Aerial View Over Edinburgh , C . 1920 , By Alfred G. Buckham

Aerial View Over Edinburgh , C . 1920 , By Alfred G. Buckham

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It’s not just history and photography lovers who enjoy powerful photographs from the past, though. You can also learn a lot about a particular time period’s fashion and architectural styles by analyzing the pictures. These photographs act as gateways that offer us glimpses into what life was actually like back then. Plenty of internet users also enjoy the photos shared by @Besthistorical for the simple reason that they look neat: they then reshare them and gain meme status as they go viral.

#10

1954. Cats Catching Squirts Of Milk During Milking At A Dairy Farm. Photo By Nat Farbman

1954. Cats Catching Squirts Of Milk During Milking At A Dairy Farm. Photo By Nat Farbman

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#11

Polish Resistance Veterans Of The Warsaw Uprising ( 1944 ) , Pictures Then And Now

Polish Resistance Veterans Of The Warsaw Uprising ( 1944 ) , Pictures Then And Now

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#12

Photos Taken From The Same Location In The Arctic 100 Years Apart

Photos Taken From The Same Location In The Arctic 100 Years Apart

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Many of the photos that the Twitter page shares are, in fact, black-and-white images that have been colorized. You can colorize images either with the help of digital software or this can be done entirely by hand—that’s something that used to happen in the past, before the invention and rise of computers and software.

#13

Father Faints When He Meets His Triplet Babies For The First Time In 1946. This Was Before Ultrasound Was Invented

Father Faints When He Meets His Triplet Babies For The First Time In 1946. This Was Before Ultrasound Was Invented

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#14

A Motor Home In 1922

A Motor Home In 1922

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#15

A Group Of People Pose For A Photo Whilst Wearing Face Masks During The Second Wave Of The Spanish Flu In California, 1918

A Group Of People Pose For A Photo Whilst Wearing Face Masks During The Second Wave Of The Spanish Flu In California, 1918

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Meanwhile, the spread of AI also means that the process can be done quicker than ever before. Though there are fans of photography who love taking their time and embrace doing things more slowly. One of the pros of colorizing old photos from the past is that they come even more alive, as the colors add more depth.

#16

Colorised Photograph Of The Art Deco Style "Mercury" Train, Originally Taken In Chicago, 1936

Colorised Photograph Of The Art Deco Style "Mercury" Train, Originally Taken In Chicago, 1936

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#17

Chichén Itzá When It Was Discovered In 1892 vs. Present Day

Chichén Itzá When It Was Discovered In 1892 vs. Present Day

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#18

Father , Son , Grandfather And Great Grandfather , New Guinea , 1970 , By Irving Penn

Father , Son , Grandfather And Great Grandfather , New Guinea , 1970 , By Irving Penn

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Another upside of adding (at least some) colors to a traditional black-and-white photo is that this can make it far easier for the audience to connect with the time period. If they’re seeing the sights and people in color, as though they were there themselves, the past is going to resonate so much more powerfully. Imagine if you could add some sounds and even smells to that experience—you’d probably create a new generation of interactive photographers and history lovers.

#19

The Before And After Of The Excavation Of The Ancient Greek Stadium Of Magnesia Ad Maeandrum , Located In Modern Day Aydin , Turkey

The Before And After Of The Excavation Of The Ancient Greek Stadium Of Magnesia Ad Maeandrum , Located In Modern Day Aydin , Turkey

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#20

Mount Fuji Seen From Adove

Mount Fuji Seen From Adove

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#21

A Boy Crossing A London Street With A Toy Double Decker, 1960s

A Boy Crossing A London Street With A Toy Double Decker, 1960s

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However, no amount of digital manipulation is going to turn a boring photo into an interesting one. If a pic is iconic, dynamic, and depicts an interesting event or people brimming with character, Photoshop can help amplify those effects. But if there’s nothing to polish, it’s best to save your colorizing skills for a series of pics that are truly worth the effort.

#22

A California Teacher Teaches The Physics Of Surfing, 1970

A California Teacher Teaches The Physics Of Surfing, 1970

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#23

News Paper Article From 1963

News Paper Article From 1963

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#24

Best Friends Since Ww2

Best Friends Since Ww2

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A huge upside of living in the present is that photography has become far more accessible: anyone who can afford even the cheapest flip phone or smartphone essentially has a camera in their pocket. In a sense, technological developments have democratized photography as an art form and a way to capture information: it used to be very expensive to practice the craft in the past.

#25

Injured Dog In An Animal Ambulance Used During Wwii

Injured Dog In An Animal Ambulance Used During Wwii

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#26

Man Sits At The Same Spot His Grandfather Did In 1944 During Ww2 In Florence , Italy

Man Sits At The Same Spot His Grandfather Did In 1944 During Ww2 In Florence , Italy

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#27

1944. Us Marine First Sergeant Neil Shober Shares A Banana With A Goat As He Keeps Cover In His Bunker During The Battle Of Saipan

1944. Us Marine First Sergeant Neil Shober Shares A Banana With A Goat As He Keeps Cover In His Bunker During The Battle Of Saipan

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On the one hand, it’s fantastic that so many more people are taking pictures—it’s easy to get into photography as a hobby or professionally. On the other hand, with so much content being shared on social media, it becomes necessary to find ways to stand out from the crowd. For instance, by making sure that your photos are always of higher quality than your competition, or by focusing on more niche subjects. It also helps if you know how to promote yourself online, post new content regularly, and have a unique style that isn’t simply a copy of a copy of a copy…

#28

A Boy Stares At A TV Screen For The First Time In 1948

A Boy Stares At A TV Screen For The First Time In 1948

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#29

Downtown Los Angeles Photographed In 1901, And Again In 2001, Exactly 100 Years Later

Downtown Los Angeles Photographed In 1901, And Again In 2001, Exactly 100 Years Later

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#30

Delivering Ice During World War I From An Ice Wagon, 1918

Delivering Ice During World War I From An Ice Wagon, 1918

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Which of these fantastic historical photos impressed you the most? Did you find yourself curious to learn more about the past after you saw these images? How do you think photography is going to change in the near future? We would love to hear your opinions, so feel free to scroll down to the comment section and tell us what you thought. 

#31

An Ironworker Poses For The Camera During Construction Of The Columbia Tower , Seattle , 1984

An Ironworker Poses For The Camera During Construction Of The Columbia Tower , Seattle , 1984

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#32

A Young Woman Who Survived The Atomic Bombing Of Nagasaki , August 1945

A Young Woman Who Survived The Atomic Bombing Of Nagasaki , August 1945

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#33

French Mans Reactions To Tasting Coca Cola For The First Time, 1950

French Mans Reactions To Tasting Coca Cola For The First Time, 1950

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#34

Detroit , Michigan In 1882 And 2017

Detroit , Michigan In 1882 And 2017

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#35

"No Dog Biscuits To-Day" A Sad Dog With Its Owner In London, 1939

"No Dog Biscuits To-Day" A Sad Dog With Its Owner In London, 1939

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#36

Brookfield Farmhouse , Weston Road , England . In 1900 And 2021

Brookfield Farmhouse , Weston Road , England . In 1900 And 2021

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#37

Eiffeltower Under Construction For The 1889 World Fair In Paris, France

Eiffeltower Under Construction For The 1889 World Fair In Paris, France

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#38

A Man Recording A Cassette Tape At A Music Festival In Poland, 1980s

A Man Recording A Cassette Tape At A Music Festival In Poland, 1980s

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#39

Anti Electricity Propaganda From 1900s

Anti Electricity Propaganda From 1900s

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#40

1934. Acrobats Perform A Balancing Act On A Ledge Of The Empire State Building

1934. Acrobats Perform A Balancing Act On A Ledge Of The Empire State Building

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#41

1943 , UK . The Weekly Food Ration For Two People

1943 , UK . The Weekly Food Ration For Two People

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#42

Please Don't Kiss Me!" - Mom Asks Not To Kiss Her Baby To Avoid Catching The Flu In The 1930s

Please Don't Kiss Me!" - Mom Asks Not To Kiss Her Baby To Avoid Catching The Flu In The 1930s

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#43

1914. Painters On The Brooklyn Bridge Suspender Cables, New York City. Photo By Eugene De Salignac

1914. Painters On The Brooklyn Bridge Suspender Cables, New York City. Photo By Eugene De Salignac

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#44

Coca-Cola Bottle, 1906

Coca-Cola Bottle, 1906

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#45

A Soldier Tests His Gas Mask While Peeling Onions. Camp Kearny, San Diego, USA, 1918. (World War One)

A Soldier Tests His Gas Mask While Peeling Onions. Camp Kearny, San Diego, USA, 1918. (World War One)

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#46

Miners On An Aerial Tram Used To Descend Into The Kimberley Diamond Mines In South Africa, Ca 1885

Miners On An Aerial Tram Used To Descend Into The Kimberley Diamond Mines In South Africa, Ca 1885

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#47

Manhattan In 1851 And Today

Manhattan In 1851 And Today

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#48

A Man Feeds Pete The Squirrel Outside The White House In 1922

A Man Feeds Pete The Squirrel Outside The White House In 1922

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#49

Helmet With A Built - In Communication Device So That The Motorcycle Rider Can Talk With The Passenger In The Backseat , 1960s

Helmet With A Built - In Communication Device So That The Motorcycle Rider Can Talk With The Passenger In The Backseat , 1960s

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#50

Stonehenge : 1877 And 2019

Stonehenge : 1877 And 2019

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