Postmortem portraits, ghost photographs, and images of disfigured soldiers are just a few examples of photography from the past that might seem unsettling to modern viewers. The grainy and black-and-white aesthetic combined with the open acknowledgment of death and fascination with the supernatural world has produced many photos that now give off an eerie and disturbing feel. 

For those who find this intriguing, we have a whole list of pictures from the past that are truly unsettling. Collected by the Old School Creepy subreddit, these images invite you to embark on a darker journey through history.

While you're scrolling through, don't forget to check out a conversation with moderators of this subreddit, nicknamed Seryan_Klythe and TheOddityCollector, who kindly agreed to chat with us more about old and unsettling photos.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

Martin Laurello, The Only Man Who Could Rotate His Head A Full 180 Degrees, 1930s

A man receives a drink at a bar, vintage photo with an unsettling atmosphere.

Quick_Presentation11 Report

Final score:
1point
Add photo comments
POST
RELATED:
    #2

    A Boy On Krampus Shoulders During A Parade, Mitterndorf, Austria, 6th Of Dec 1949

    Child smiling on shoulders of a person in unsettling costume with snow falling from the past.

    silvercatbob Report

    Final score:
    1point
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #3

    Photographed In 1880, Myrtle Corbin Was Born A 'Dipygus', Having Two Separately Functioning Pelvises And Four Legs. She Married And Had Five Children

    A historical photo showing a sitting woman with an unusual anatomy, wearing striped socks and boots, evokes unsettling past.

    silvercatbob Report

    Final score:
    1point
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #4

    Ventriloquist’s Family Portrait, 1950s

    Man with unsettling vintage puppets and a woman posing for a black and white photograph.

    mistermajik2000 Report

    Final score:
    1point
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #5

    With Father Christmas, 1920

    A child and a bearded man with a donkey in a historical photo, creating an unsettling scene from the past.

    theanti_influencer75 Report

    Final score:
    1point
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #6

    Behind The Scenes Of The Shining (1980)

    Children in 1970s attire, two girls and a boy, laughing and interacting outside a brick building.

    silvercatbob Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #7

    Apache Ghost Dance Ceremony, Taken By Edward Curtis Circa 1906

    People with head coverings and large cross structures, standing in a barren landscape, evoking an unsettling past.

    Star_Ship_55 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #8

    My Mother In Law And Her Twin Sometime In The 60’s

    Twin girls in vintage white dresses and veils, standing side by side on a lawn.

    Click me!

    Vinbob123 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #9

    Stills From The Very Druggish Children’s Show “H.r. Puffnstuff” From 1969

    Colorful costumes and characters create an unsettling scene from the past in this vibrant theatrical setting.

    SignorAlberto2022 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #10

    A Circus Performer In Germany C.1930, By Kurt Triest

    Vintage photo of a woman with a haunting expression, wearing ornate clothing, embodying unsettling elements from the past.

    Star_Ship_55 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #11

    Children Going To A 12-Hour Night Shift In The United States, 1908

    Children in old-fashioned attire standing outside a brick building door, creating an unsettling historical scene.

    silvercatbob Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #12

    Parrot Costume

    A historical photo of a bird costume with unsettling details in a vintage setting.

    byrobot Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #13

    Written On The Back: "Excuse Our Backs, Our Faces Are Dirty" (C.1899)

    Two women stand with hands linked, facing away, in an unsettling vintage photo.

    Star_Ship_55 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #14

    A Colorized Photo Of Grigori Rasputin With The Last Empress Of Russia And Her Five Children In 1908

    Historical family portrait in white clothing, evoking an unsettling atmosphere with serious expressions and an ornate interior.

    kooneecheewah Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #15

    The "Double Exposure Girl"... A Haunting Photo Of A Girl Shot In Double Exposure [date Unknown]

    Unsettling vintage photo of a girl in a long dress with a shadowy background.

    WyldGyrl86 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #16

    Dogon Stilt Dancers In Bandiagara, Mali, 70s, By James Morris

    Two figures in traditional attire on stilts, creating an unsettling effect from the past.

    Naive-Pen8171 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #17

    Edna Tichenor As 'Arachnida, The Human Spider' In Tod Browning's 1927 Silent Film The Show

    Unsettling photo of a woman's head in a spider web with an ornate collar, evoking eerie vintage imagery.

    Star_Ship_55 Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #18

    9-Year-Old Child Bride Eunice Winstead Johns And Her Husband, 22-Year-Old Charlie Johns, Sneedville, Tennessee, United States. 1937

    Couple posing with a large unsettling doll, evoking a sense of unease and nostalgia from the past.

    TheOddityCollector Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    #19

    At 4:31 Am, An Unauthorized Photo Taken Of Stalin Inside Of The Kremlin Shows The Very Moment He Was Informed That Germany Had Began Their Invasion Of The Soviet Union

    Black and white photo of a man sitting, wearing a suit, in a room with others, conveying an unsettling historical atmosphere.


    silvercatbob Report

    Final score:
    0points
    Add photo comments
    POST

    Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

    Follow Bored Panda on Google News!