Aesthetics of Yesteryear: Old Scans from the Iconic National Geographic (9 photos)

Social media users have discovered a boundless source of inspiration and have begun sharing digitized pages from vintage issues of National Geographic magazine en masse. The audience is particularly fascinated by the archival reportage images created by iconic photographers of the last century without the use of computer graphics or digital filters. A striking example of archival aesthetics is a viral image of a cowboy taming a wild herd of running horses amid a gigantic cloud of dust raised by hooves. Viewers note that the grainy texture of old film, natural muted colors, and incredible compositional dynamics lend such images a special cinematic depth. Such historical shots are instantly becoming atmospheric smartphone wallpapers and aesthetic mood boards, proving the superiority of classic film over the perfect digital gloss.