Mr. T. Doyle of Yoletown Roller Mills, Wexford with a penny farthing bicycle. It is not clear whether this bike was Mr. Doyle's, or a rather exotic photographic studio prop. Date: Circa 1880

I am part of a local photo group called The fStops (@the_fStops). This is a photography and camera “club” primarily made up of employees of Iowa Public Television (IPTV). We usually meet once a month to share examples of our work, or the work of those we admire. There is also a focus on tips, tricks, gear (cameras, software, etc.) and services. Our members have different skill levels, experience and gear…from beginner…to professional. Each month we have a photo “assignment” to do and then we share it with the group at the next meeting. Last month it was “black & white/monochrome/grayscale.” I have a whole Photo Set in my Flickr account of this type of photo, and you can check it out here: PHOTOS

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I am a fan of black and white photos from history that show you a snapshot of the world that once was and will never be again. Photos that make you wonder what it was like to be alive at the time the photo was taken. I follow several hundred Flickr accounts, but a handful of these show old black & white photos from history and here is the list I want to share with you (in no particular order):

Brooklyn Museum
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyn_museum/

State Historical Society of Iowa
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shsi-library/

Special Collections Department, ISU Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/isuspecialcollections/

The Library of Congress
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/

Public.Resource.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicresourceorg/

Powerhouse Museum Collection
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/

National Library of Ireland on The Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/

TWAM – Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
http://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/

PhotosNormandie
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosnormandie/

State Library of New South Wales collection
http://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/

Bibliothèque de Toulouse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibliothequedetoulouse/

Australian War Memorial collection
http://www.flickr.com/photos/australian-war-memorial/

George Eastman House
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george_eastman_house/

Smithsonian Institution
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/

Do you have a favorite Flickr account that has old black and white photos? Tell me about it! I’d love to check it out.

Danny Engesser

I am not a blogger, but I do have a blog. After taking a two-year hiatus from this blog, and only posting once, I decided to give it another go. While Twitter has served me very well, there are times when 140 characters just are not enough. I have no agenda with this blog. It is just a place for me to post random thoughts or things I think are cool. I promise that I won’t post on a regular basis or ramble on about politics or sports…or ponies or Gaga… OK, maybe Gaga…but probably not. I don’t think there is too much more to say right now, but if I’ve figured out WordPress, you should be reading this soon.  I’ve been going back and forth on whether I like WordPress or not, but I would like to know what your favorite blogging platform is and why, so leave a comment for me and join the conversation. OK. – End of line.