Oliver Hardy

Oliver Hardy, in 1914, the year he made his first movie. Born Norvell Hardy, he took his stage name from his father, who had died less than a year after Norvell's birth. At the time of this photo, he was billed as O.N.Hardy and, because of his height and his heavy build, was usually cast as heavies and villains.

Original B&W photo.

Stan Laurel

Arthur Stanley Jefferson. better known to the world as Stan Laurel, in character for a solo film role without his famous comedy partner Oliver Hardy. I'm not sure of the date of this one, but I think it's around 1927, which would mean it was around the time the two men first met.

Original B&W photo.

Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard

French chemist, printer and photographer, and inventor of the albumen print process in photography, Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard in a self-portrait in 1869.

Original albumen print.

Crown Prince Wilhelm

Crown Prince Wilhelm in September of 1867, at the age of eight. He would later be crowned Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Original albumen photograph.

Duke and Duchess of York Wedding

The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and his queen, Elizabeth) on their wedding day, 26th April 1923.

 Black & White.

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Original glass negative from the studio of Alexander Bassano.

Vladimir Lenin

 

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin, around 1887, the year his elder brother was hanged for taking part in an attempt to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. The execution is thought by some to have been a turning point for young Vladimir, though he was already quite radical anyway.

Original B&W photo.

Desiree Lubowska

  Russian dancer Desiree Lubowska, in 1924. The photo may have been taken to promote, or to commemorate, her performance in Igor Stravinsky's ballet, "The Rite of Spring", at Carnegie Hall.

 

Original B&W photo.