Smooth Waters

Can you imagine Rio in the 20s, three and a half centuries old already, still freshly electrified and shining?

Botafogo Bay and Rio de Janeiro - 1920 - Carlos Bippus - National Geographic Found

Smuggler Caves!

"In the 18th century it was popular with smugglers given its sheltered location and the secluded caves that can be seen in this photograph." I just found out I want to live in a crooked house atop some smuggler caves.

Prussia Cove, Cornwall - 1927 - @ The National Maritime Museum

Dancing Pig

Oh god, they're all so delighted with the horrible thing.

P.S.C. April 7, 1924 - @ simpleinsomnia

A Fine Party

I'm sort of endlessly fascinated with party pictures this like. I want to know their stories. Who was what to whom? Also, I just realized that the ceiling is all written on. 

Washington State - 1929 - @ University of Washington Library

Murder Scene and Death Auto

At what point did the practical and the beautiful diverge?

Los Angeles, CA - 1928 - Lieut. Edwin L. Berger, posing - @ Skyscraper Page

"A Favorite Pastime"

After looking at way too many photos of the time, this pretty much sums up what I think life must have been like for students at the Florida State College for Women.

Tallahassee, Florida - Camp Flastacowo - 1924 - @ FSU Heritage

Sonora and Her Diving Horse

This doesn't look healthy for either of them, honestly.

Calgary, Alberta

1925, photographer WJ Oliver

from The Glenbow Museum

The Beauty of Flight

The call of the sky will not be denied.

St. Augustine, FL

1927

from Florida Memory

don't mind if I do

He may be a hairy gent, but he's light on his feet.

Yosemite National Park

1920

from NPS

boom

Know what that is? A mountain of confiscated moonshine. Think of all the labor that went into making all that liquor. Think of the dry times without it. But most of all, think of the blaze when they lit it up.

(Actually, check the comments for updated info.) 

1924

from la boite verte

Даёшь ясли!

No one ever looks at, say, a modern car ad and thinks, "Man, I really want to study graphic design."

Russian Poster

1920s

from Duke University

Freedomites

Nudity as protest. Simple, cheap, and it attracts plenty of attention. Plus, you get to take your pants off.

Doukhobors in Grand Fork, BC

1923

from Canadian Mysteries

Jack Ranch

What the whosie now? I couldn't have less idea what is going on than I do right now. I've had dreams like this one for sure.

Cholame, California

1928

from the Bilerico Project

discovery of fossils

Well now what the hell am I supposed to do with them?

Dinosaur National Park

1923

from The Smithsonian

Couples

The longer I look at this, the less I understand it. Mother/Daughter picnic? What's up with that fence?

Herfordshire, England

1920s

from Room 26 Cabinet of Curiosities

Blustery

This seems like either a dangerous outing or a missed opportunity for a sail.

Niobrara State Park, Nebraska

1928

from 4delos

On a Pacific Beach

A little late for rubbernecking.

Washington State

1923

from University of Washington Digital Collection

Pet Show

Okay, cat on the right, cat on the left - what does the boy in the middle have?

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

1925

from University of Tennessee Libraries

Musical Trio

I'm willing to bet that within hours of the first tennis racket being invented, someone used it as a fake guitar/mandolin/lute/whatever. You know you did it. I sure did.

Dublin, Ireland

1920s

from Jacolette

King Neptune and Company

Does going to sea make you do crazy things, or does wanting to do crazy things make you go to sea?

USS Soestdijk, on the Equator

1918/1919

from Naval History and Heritage