The Photographic Past, Part I

Photographic images possess the unique ability to provide an intimate, tangible glimpse into the past. Though primary sources such as letters, newspaper articles, speeches, and legal documents provide us with invaluable information, photos often provoke emotional responses that are specific to the medium.

Photographs hold incredible story-telling potential. The atmosphere of conquest surrounding the meteoric success of Nazi Germany in the early stages of WWII is eerily perceptible in this picture of Adolf Hitler in Paris, France. Conversely, the ominous despair of the French people-on the cusp of their nation's darkest hour- is obvious in the eyes of this civilian. Even if these pictures do not tell the complete story, they offer a very compelling snapshot at the very least.

And with that I offer to you the first installment of "The Photographic Past," an exploration of some of my favorite photographs throughout history.

The Great Sphinx, partially excavated, sometime between 1857-1899. In other words, when it didn't look like this.

George Harrison, Abbey Road Studios, July 21, 1967. What were you doing at twenty-three years old? George was only writing & recording arguably the greatest album of all time.

Pablo Picasso was cooler than you or I could ever wish to be. Seventy-five years old, and Brigitte Bardot is positively swooning.

Just a little good natured American propaganda- God Bless it. 

Babe Ruth and his brother Gabe... never mind, that's Al De Vormer. 1921. (P.S. Who's best dressed, the Babe or Russell Westbrook?)

A fascinating view of the unfinished US Capitol in 1863-64, at the height of the Civil War.

Yale Rugby star George W. Bush delivers his famed right hook, nicknamed "Foreign Policy." The opposing player was later shot by Dick Cheney. 1966.

Great Moments in Mustaches

The development of aesthetic trends throughout history has proven to be a curious, rather bizarre process. After some careful consideration, one thing becomes increasingly evident: the prominent role of the mustache (and cloaks. Never forget cloaks.).

So, without further ado, this installment of The Hopeless Historian will serve as tribute to some of history’s finest mustaches, the men who sported them, and their greatest achievements—facilitated, of course, by their distinguished nose neighbors.

William Howard Taft

Starting off with a bang, and a big one at that. Checking in at 335 lbs (Sotos, "Taft and Pickwick"), Taft served not only as the 27th President of the United States (1909-13), but also as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1921-30). As if his ascension to the top of the Executive & Legislative Branches wasn’t enough on its own, Taft was also the last president to sport a ‘stache—or any form of facial hair, for that matter (I’m looking at you, Obama).

Joshua Chamberlain

Chamberlain was literally a walrus—and a valiant one, at that. Having enlisted in the Union Army with no prior military training in 1862, Chamberlain achieved acclaim the very next year at the Battle of Gettysburg. He led the 20th Maine Regiment’s critical defense of Little Round Top—preserving the union’s left flank against repeated Confederate assaults with nothing to hide behind but his mustache (Simpson, "Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain").

Owen K. Garriott

Twelve long years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to venture into outer space, Owen K. Garriott became the first human being to wear a mustache in outer space. On July 28, 1973, Garriott and two other astronauts began their 59-day flight (Grinter, "Skylab 3"). Termed Skylab 3, the mission was more than twice as long as the previous record holder, and 59 days longer than any previous mustache-clad mission.

Honorable Mention: Leonid Brezhnev’s Eyebrow

Dishonorable Mention: Michael Jordan’s Hitler ‘Stache

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Grinter, Kay. "Skylab 3." Kennedy Space Center. NASA, n.d. Web. <http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/skylab/skylab-3.htm>.

Simpson, Brooks D. "Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain." American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. <http://www.anb.org/articles/04/04-00218.html?a=1>.

Sotos, John G. "Taft and Pickwick: Sleep Apnea in the White House." CHEST Journal 124.3 (2003):  ChestNet. American College of Chest Physicians. Web. <http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1081865>.

Hopeless History 101: Intro to Blogging

To commemorate the dawning of my senior year at The Ohio State University, I’ve decided to launch a blatant resume-boosting initiative: This blog. A few admirably optimistic individuals have told me that the job prospects for a History major are “hopeless,” so I decided to carve out this little niche for my hopeless musings on various happenings throughout human history.

The assumption that this undertaking will be of any benefit beyond my own entertainment and historical curiosity rests on my hopeless expectation that someone is reading all of this. Regardless of readership, I’ll write about several quirky, hopefully-entertaining bits of history; ranging from politics, to sports, to music, to Teddy Roosevelt.

In the typical catch-all fashion of a twenty-one year old who chose a liberal arts degree with an undefined career path, I may choose to cover a singular, fascinating historical event one day (Christmas Truce of 1914, anyone?) and then explain in my next post why your tenth grade neighbor’s assertion that Lebron James is the greatest basketball player of all time is unequivocally incorrect.

Wilt to Michael: "So my neighbor came up to me the other day..."

Sometimes I’ll simply post a few thought-provoking historical photographs—after all, a picture is worth a thousand words and I am getting paid by the character… Just kidding, I don’t make jack. Maybe someday, but for now I’m just a Hopeless History Major.