Browse Items (1664 total)

James Ricalton photographed sites, survivors, and daily life in October 1900 in Peking after the rebellion for Underwood & Underwood. Troops posted in Peking found distractions at the YMCA with games, coffee, lunch, and books. The Y provided similar…

In June 1900, anti-western riots in Peking and the 54-day siege of foreign embassies by Chinese militants made headlines. In this image of the foreigners' quarter, Ketteler Street has been renamed for the murdered German Minister Clemens von…

Architectural portraits of medieval buildings often popularize restorations. When Victor Hugo made the cathedral famous in his novel, Notre-Dame de Paris (1831), he described a building that had been badly damaged during the French Revolution. It was…

After her marriage in 1933 to Harold S. Vanderbilt (“Mike” to friends and family), Gertie sailed as one of the few women allowed on board racing J-class yachts in the 1930s. Aboard Rainbow in 1937, the couple successfully defended the America’s Cup…

An avid sailor, Gertrude and a friend pose in costume, possibly at a Vanderbilt party in Newport or Palm Beach. After her marriage in 1933 to Harold S. Vanderbilt (“Mike” to friends and family), Gertie sailed as one of the few women allowed on board…

Seen with her long hair down and wearing a loose wrapper, this woman, possibly Alva Vanderbilt, stares directly at the viewer/photographer. Is this room a boudoir? Her clothing and pose suggest that this is a private, relaxed moment, as does the…

After the Civil War, William A. Henderson practiced law in Knoxville and served as a judge prior to joining the Southern Railway in 1894 as assistant counsel. Living in Washington, D.C., and in Knoxville, he worked for the 1896-97 Tennessee…

Did the Kodak camera make it possible to record emotion? Photographers could capture emotions easily with shorter exposure times with Kodak film cameras introduced in 1888. The subsequent craze for smiling images taken outdoors can be summed up in…

By 1880, middle class women enjoyed active new summer sports like archery and tennis. While some players wore fine wool clothes called tuxedo suits, others dressed more casually like Mary Henderson, Robert Clark and their friends. One fan described…

Reverend John W. Tarboux worked in Brazil as a Methodist missionary and high school principal for 37 years. His wife Susan was James Kirkland’s sister. Their son Willie, aged one, wears polka dots. His older sister wears a fancy bonnet. Juiz de Fora,…