100-Year-Old Photos Capture Authentic Daily Life in Italy.
Authentic Historical Insight:A rare visual record of Italy’s transition from the mid-19th century through the aftermath of World War I.
Technological Heritage:Showcases the evolution of early photography through high-quality stereographs and colorized photochroms.
Humanitarian Focus:Highlights the significant role of the American Red Cross and the civilian experience during times of conflict.
These evocative snapshots of Italy were taken by American photographers and come from the Library of Congress archives between 1860 and 1920.
The images (mainly stereographs and photochroms), were taken in various locations and regions of Italy and portray moments of daily life, the royal family, soldiers and sailors, the front lines of the First World War, refugees and orphans of the war, the missions of the American Red Cross in the country, etc.
The photographs are a sort of time machine that allows us to take a look at a distant fragment of time. The hectic details of the photographs create an atmosphere that shows a bustling daily life that transcends the film.
Italian peasant girl. Black, James Wallace, 1825-1896, photographer. Date: 1861Italian peasant (rear view). [date unknown, between 1860 and 1930]Naples. [date unknown, between 1860 and 1930]Naples. [date unknown, between 1860 and 1930]Peasants of Italy. 1890-1900. John FillisGrand colonnade, Naples. John Fillis. 1894Street scene, Genoa. 1896. Keystone View CompanyModern Italy among ancient ruins, Rome, Italy. 1897. Underwood & UnderwoodNaples. Date unknownItalian peasants of Rome. [date unknown, between 1860 and 1930] Keystone View CompanyRomanesque costumes, Rome. Date unknown [between 1860 and 1930], Keystone View Company, publisherMaking rope in Italy. Naples. [date unknown, between 1860 and 1930] Keystone View CompanyThe wharf, Naples. Photochrom prints–Color–1890-1900. Detroit Publishing CompanyMacaroni seller, Naples. [Photochrom, between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900]. Detroit Publishing Co.Vendramin Palace, Venice. [between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900]. Detroit Publishing CompanLeaning tower of Pisa. John Fillis, 1897Washday in Italy, Graves, C. H. 1900.Italian peasants near Como. Date unknown [between 1860 and 1910]. Keystone View CompanyGathering wild cactus fruit, date unknown, [between 1860 and 1930]Frigidarium, stabian baths, Pompeii. Date unknown [between 1860 and 1930], Keystone View CompanyThe porta marina, Pompeii. Date unknown [between 1860 and 1930], Keystone View CompanyCastle of St. Angelo, Rome. [date unknown, between 1890 and 1930]St. Paul’s Gate, Rome. Photograph shows the Pyramid of Cestius at the left of St. Paul’s Gate, which was built about 18-12 B.C. as a tomb for Gaius Cestius. [between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900]. Photochrom.Tombs on the Appian way, Rome. Underwood & Underwood, 1900Italian Royal Family. 1900. Bain News ServiceTriumphal Arch, Milan, 1900, American Stereoscopic CompanyThe public wash, Genoa. Laundry hanging across street, from building to building. 1902. H.C. White Co.Temple of Neptune, Paestum. H.C. White Co. 1903The basket makers, Naples. 1904St. Peter’s church, Rome. 1904.Front of provision store with tables of bread, Naples. c1904. C.H. GravesMaking titles. Naples. 1904. Graves, C. H.Beggar, Naples. Universal Photo Art Co. 1904Italian cruiser Ettore Fieramosca, 1905The coliseum, Rome, 1906Long corridor, Campo Santo, Genoa. 1908.Chestnut venders in Naples, [between 1908 and 1919]Old bridge, Pavia. 1908. Stereo-Travel Co.Princess Mafalda [between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915], Bain News ServiceAt Amalfi [between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915] Bain News ServiceItalian battleship Caio Duilio. [between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915] Bain News ServiceItalian Outpost in Tripoli. Photograph shows Italian troops in Tripoli, Libya during the Turco-Italian War (Italo-Turkish War) which took place between September 1911 and October 1912. Bain News ServiceTripoli – Italian artillery. Italian troops in Tripoli, Libya during the Turco-Italian War (September 1911 and October 1912). Bain News ServiceItalian Cavalry. [between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915] Bain News ServiceItalian Motor Cycle Squad. [between 1914 and ca. 1915] Bain News ServiceItalian officers during World War I. [between ca. 1914 and ca. 1915]. Bain News Service photograph collectionItalians charging Austrian infantry. c1915 Sept. 25. Underwood & UnderwoodItalian & captured Austrian shells [between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920], Bain News ServiceWaiting for food, Pordenone. 1917 American National Red Cross34 orphan girls. [1917 or 1918] American National Red Cross CollectionTen orphans girls. [1917 or 1918] American National Red Cross CollectionReturning home, Salgaredo. [1917 or 1918]. World War, 1914-1918–Refugees. American National Red CrossReturning home, Sacile. [1917 or 1918] American National Red CrossAmbulance, American, Rome. May 1918. American Red CrossItalian refugee boys, Monteporzio. 10 June 1918. American Red CrossItaly — 1st line trenches. 1918 July 7 (date created or published later by Bain).[between 1917 and 1919] American Red CrossRed Cross, Italy. [between 1917 and 1919]. American Red CrossExercise for crippled Italian 1918 Sept. 13 (date created or published later by Bain)Sardinia. 1919. American National Red Cross1919. American National Red CrossJapanese aviators welcome Italians. [1920 Nov.] Bain News Service
Italy Through the Lens: Historical FAQ
Where do these vintage Italian photographs come from?
These rare images are sourced from the Library of Congress archives, specifically featuring works captured by American photographers between 1860 and 1920.
What subjects are depicted in this 100-year-old collection?
The collection captures a wide range of subjects, including the Italian Royal Family, WWI front lines, American Red Cross missions, and authentic glimpses of daily street life.
What photography techniques were used for these historical images?
The archive primarily consists of stereographs and photochroms, techniques that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for creating depth and color.
How does this collection represent World War I in Italy?
The photos provide a poignant look at the Great War, documenting everything from active-duty soldiers and sailors to the plight of war refugees and orphans.
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