5 websites to find amazing historic and vintage photographs

1- New York City Municipal Archives

I love old photographs. That may be due to the fact that I am a history teacher but whatever the reason, I am mesmerized by them. Early last year, the New York City Municipal Archives released over 870,000 vintage photographs to the public on their webpage found here. I would encourage you to take some time just to peek at the collection because you are bound to find some amazing pictures. Alan Taylor from The Atlantic published over 100 of these historic photographs on the magazine's website in two separate collections. The first has 53 pictures and can be found here, while the second has 50 and can be seen here. I would strongly encourage everyone to take a look at these tremendous resources from New York City's past.

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2- The Denver Post's Photo Blog

The Denver Post's Photo Blog's combination of high quality historic images and their relevant topics make their site one of my all time favorites. In 2009 they published a collection of 73 pictures about the Berlin Wall to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Wall's collapse. In commemoration for the Statue's 125th anniversary in 2011, they published a collection of pictures from the creation of the Statue of Liberty as well as many rare pictures of the Statue over its 125+ years of existence. The Denver Post photo blog features many more historic photo galleries that are a "must see" for history buffs and fans of old photography.

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3- Retronaut

Retronaut is a website for people who love history. Not only that, it is a website for nostalgic people to relive fond childhood memories. Retronaut is one part history site and one part social media site. Much of the content is uploaded by the sites members and membership is free. At Retronaut, you can browse pictures from past decades and even past centuries. The site is searchable by decade, by topic and by search bar. Whether you love history or just like reminiscing about the past, Retronaut is a site you should check out. Be careful, you may end up spending hours of your day browsing all there is to see. Don't say you weren't warned.

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4- Old Pictures

Old Pictures is a fantastic site that features an extensive collection of historic photographs from the 1850's through the 1940's. They have sorted their pictures into three categories; themed collections, picture collections, and defining moments. The website also contains an extensive library of old maps dating as far back as the 1300's. Their map collection is sorted by date, nation, and state. Social studies teachers need to set aside time to view these great vintage images. Old Pictures compilation of old photographs and maps makes for an excellent resource for teachers  students, and people who cherish the past.

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5- Life Magazine Photo Collection

The final site I would like to share is the Life Magazine historic photo collection hosted by Google. This site offers millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published but are available on this terrific website. You can choose a decade or use the accompanying search bar to find what you are looking for. If you love history or vintage photography, be prepared to spend quite a bit of time at Life Magazine's photo collection.

Denver Post Photo Blog - Great collections of Historic Photographs

I love the Denver Post's Photo Blog. The quality of pictures they share as well as their highly relevant topics make their site one of my all time favorites. In 2009 they published a collection of 73 pictures about the Berlin Wall to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Wall's collapse. A with everything published by the Denver Post's photo blog, the pictures are spectacular. I encourage everyone to take sometime to look through this important part of world history at the Denver Post's Photo Blog.

Next there is the Denver Post's Photo Blog about the Statue of Liberty. This post was published in 2011 for the Statue's 125th anniversary. It features pictures from the creation of the Statue of Liberty as well as many rare pictures of the Statue over its 125+ years of existence.

Finally there is this post from Denver Post photo blog. It is a photo gallery of 77 pictures of American cities before 1950. Many of the pictures are from the 19th century and go as far back as the Civil War era. These pictures are a "must see" for history buffs and fans of old photography.

Berlin Wall, Earth Cams, and TV Theme Songs

I have shared the Denver Post's Photo Blog on multiple occasions. The quality of pictures they share as well as their highly relevant topics make their site one of my all time favorites. In 2009 they published a collection of 73 pictures about the Berlin Wall to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Wall's collapse. As with everything published by the Denver Post's photo blog, the pictures are spectacular. I encourage everyone to take sometime to look through this important part of world history at the Denver Post's Photo Blog.

Earth Cam is a cool site that features live web cams from all over the world. See live shots of Times Square, Florida beaches, the Statue of Liberty, Caribbean Islands, or the Eiffel Tower. You can choose a country from their map and take a look at their wide variety of web cams as well. Earth Cams is an enjoyable way to see the world. Foreign language and history teachers should bookmark this site today.

Listening to music can often lead to feelings of nostalgia. A song can send your mind to an event in your past and flood you with the emotions from the memory. Hearing and old television theme song can do the same thing. TV has been a force in our lives for a long time and hearing the opening song to our favorite show can bring us back to earlier and simpler times. Television Tunes is site that contains a library of theme songs from television shows old and new. Head on over and browse through their extensive collection and I am sure you'll find a few theme songs that will bring a smile to your face.

World War II Posters and the Statue of Liberty

Another day, another history themed post. Today's post is dedicated to sites with historically themes images and by that I mean photographs and posters. Today's trip through time has us travelling from World War II then back to the late 19th century, and ending up in 2012.

First up on our tour is a collection of historic World War II posters from the Cincinnati Digital Library. These World War II propaganda posters are from both the U.S. and other nations. Since they are digital they can be downloaded and printed for use in the classroom. History teachers should race on over to this site ASAP.

Next on today's tour is the Denver Post's Photo Blog about the Statue of Liberty. This post was published in 2011 for the Statue's 125th anniversary. It features pictures from the creation of the Statue of Liberty as well as many rare pictures of the Statue over its 125+ years of existence.

Last on our tour today is a photo collection titled 46 of the Most Amazing Photographs of 2012 from a site called studentbeans.com. Many of the pictures will be unfamiliar to most people but there are a few images that everyone should recognize like Felix Baumgartner's leap. A few of the pictures are not from 2012 but the site claims they were "discovered" in 2012. It really didn't matter because the images in this collection are pretty cool.

Old Photos of Gadget Recipes?

With my Pinterest cravings now satisfied, I am back to sharing my collection of unique websites I have hoarded. This post is comprised of a gadget shoppers dream site, another excellent cooking site, and an amazing collection of old pictures that will appeal to lovers of  history and photography.

First up is This is why I am broke, which is a site where you can purchase some of the coolest and most unique gadgets available. While I can't say I have ever bought anything, I love to browse their extensive collection of amazing products. If you would like to buy something unique for a friend or loved one, This is why I am broke is a site worth checking out.

Next there is this promising looking cooking site called Table Spoon. This site features a large collection of great recipes which are categorized by type of meat, cuisine, courses, diet, method, and occasion. In addition to their recipes they also feature a coupon section to assist your wallet as you shop for the necessary ingredients.

Finally there is this post from Denver Post photo blog. It is a photo gallery of 77 pictures of American cities before 1950. Many of the pictures are from the 19th century and go as far back as the Civil War era. These pictures are a "must see" for history buffs and fans of old photography.