In part, because we so often see it in black and white. But the world has, for some thousands of years at least, looked much as it does now. This morning I stumbled across this beautiful collection of color photographs, taken in the U.S. between 1939 and 1943. They belong to the Library of Congress and cover a broad spectrum, including rural, small town and industrial views. Here is the State Fair in Rutland, Vermont; click to enlarge:
Going to town on a Saturday afternoon:
A rural school in Texas:
There are a lot of images; you can study them just about forever.
This collection of images of the Russian Empire was taken by a photographer named Prokudin-Gorskii between 1909 and 1915, before the twin catastrophes of the Great War and Lenin. In some respects they are more exotic, but still the color photos have a familiar look. This is a lake in Finland, taken around 1910:
If you have a little time to kill today, these galleries are fascinating.
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“Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” Winston Churchill
“Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” Inscription on the Liberty Bell
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