Fragments of history: interesting and rare retro photographs of Europe (21 photos)

We present to your attention a unique collection of archival photographs that will take you on a fascinating journey through 20th-century Europe. These colorized photographs will bring to life the spirit of that era, allowing you to look at the everyday life, culture, and life of other countries in the past decades. Each frame is a small story that tells what cities looked like, how people dressed, and how they lived during that difficult but exciting time.





Swedish model Lisa Fonssagrives on the Eiffel Tower. Paris, 1939.

Lisa Fonssagrives is considered one of the first supermodels, whose face became recognizable through her work with leading photographers and magazines.

Her style and approach to photography inspired many future models and photographers, laying the foundation for the development of the fashion industry in the post-war period.

Lisa's archival photographs can be seen in museums around the world, and her story has been detailed in books on fashion and photography.



Strawberry picking. Sweden, 1970.





Italian-style pasta. Drying in the Italian sun on racks, 1955.

At that time, industrial drying methods were not yet widespread. Sun drying allowed the texture and taste of spaghetti to be preserved naturally.



A fur coat made of monkey fur by French designer Guy Laroche. Paris, 1970.

Guy Laroche is one of France's most outstanding designers, whose name has become synonymous with elegance, innovation and impeccable style. He was not only the creator of iconic outfits, but also the founder of one of the most successful fashion houses of the 20th century.



Decanting wine in the Bercy warehouses. Paris, 1904.

Wine decanting is the process of pouring the drink from a bottle into a special decanter. The purpose of the process is to separate the wine from the sediment and saturate it with oxygen (aerate).

Some wines need time to "interact with air" - from 20 minutes to two hours. During this process, the wine "breathes", enriching itself with oxygen, which allows its taste and aroma to reach fullness.



Photographer: Branger/Roger Viollet

The Don Luis Bridge in Porto, early 20th century.

This double bridge connecting the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia is an outstanding example of 19th century engineering. Completed in 1886, it was designed by Portuguese engineer Théophile Seyrig, a student and close colleague of Gustave Eiffel. The resemblance to the famous tower is very noticeable. The bridge was named after King Luis I, who ruled Portugal at the time. It is one of the symbols of Porto. Its image can often be found on the labels of local port wine.



Photographer: Charles Chusseau-Flaviens

A large family living in Paris. Photo from the series: "Paris and Parisians in the Photographs of Jean-Philippe Charbonnier", 1952.

Jean-Philippe Charbonnier is one of the most famous French photographers of the mid-20th century. His works captured Paris during the reconstruction period after World War II, showing not only the architectural beauty of the city, but also its inhabitants, their daily life and unique spirit.



Portuguese peasant woman, 1909.



Photographer: Charles Chusseau-Flaviens

Eiffel Tower. Paris, France, 1932.

The phrase "See Paris and die" comes from Ilya Ehrenburg's book "My Paris", published in 1931. Thus, the writer paraphrased the ancient phrase about the eternal city: "See Rome and die". Today, Paris is not the same, although it is among the five most visited cities by tourists.

Since its opening in 1889, the Eiffel Tower has gone through several color changes, but it was originally painted very differently from the one we see today. When the tower was first built, it was painted a reddish-brown color. This color was chosen to protect the metal from corrosion and to help it blend in with the surrounding Parisian environment.



Photographer: George Brassaï

"From the Summer People series." Czechoslovakia, 1980s.



Photographer: František Dostal

Painters sit at a market waiting for work. Bucharest, Romania, 1928



Photographer: Nicolae Ionescu

The SS Mercur aground in the Trondheim fjord. Norway, 1919.



Fish for sale. Portugal, 1950s.



Traffic around the Nørreport stop. Copenhagen, Denmark, 1905.

Nørreport (translated as "Northern Gate") is now one of Copenhagen's busiest transport hubs, with around 300,000 passengers passing through daily, 60,000 of whom are metro passengers.

As we can see, even 120 years ago this place was very crowded and lively.



Dog cart, Netherlands, 1904.

At the beginning of the 20th century, horses were expensive to own in the Netherlands, especially in rural areas. Dogs, on the other hand, required fewer resources and could be an alternative for light work.



Lake Weissensee, Austria, 1930.



Photographer: Rudolf Koppitz

Washing day in Volendam, Netherlands, 1930s.



Sognefjord, Norway, 1900.



Photographer: Nils Olsson Reppen

Scanno, Italy, 1951.

Photograph by the famous Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French photographer. His works have become symbols of the 20th century, and his style is an example of how photography can be both art and documentary evidence.



Photographer: Henri Cartier-Bresson

Opening of the Candy nightclub. In the photo is the owner of the club, Peter Müller, also the publisher of the erotic magazine Candy. Amsterdam, 1970.



Photographer: Ruud Hoff