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A Diverse Tapestry of Images

Discover the Bettmann Archive, a captivating collection that spans historic milestones, iconic imagery, and delightful quirks. From the monumental achievements of humanity to candid and humorous snapshots of everyday life, this diverse assortment of photographs invites you to explore the rich tapestry of our shared history.

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This captivating collection features an assortment of moments in time, encompassing historic, iconic, and humorous images. This collection of photographs not only captures significant events but also highlighted the quirky and unexpected aspects of life. Here you can find historic images that document pivotal moments in history, such as the Apollo 11 moon landing and the construction of skyscrapers. Iconic photographs, like Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue, have become symbols of cultural significance. Additionally, the collection includes a variety of funny and quirky images that showcase candid celebrity moments, surreal scenes, and even eccentric inventions, reflecting the lighter side of human experience.

75 Items

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Detail of the Shroud of Turin

Detail of the Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin hangs in the Cathedral of Turin, in Italy. This controversial cloth is venerated by many as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Lunch Atop A Skyscraper

Lunch Atop A Skyscraper
While New York's thousands rush to crowded restaurants and congested lunch counters for their noon day lunch, these intrepid steel workers atop the 70 story RCA building in Rockefeller Center get all

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Onlookers Watching Cook in Window

Onlookers Watching Cook in Window
Pedestrians on Broadway look through a restaurant window to watch a cook prepare a pot of spaghetti. New York City, 1937

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Hindenburg Disaster

Hindenburg Disaster
Smoke and flames rise from the Hindenburg, a German airship which exploded on mooring at a naval air station on May 6, 1937, killing 36 people and ending an era of transatlantic travel by airship

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: General George Custer

General George Custer
Major General George A. Custer (1839-1876), American Army officer. Undated photograph by Mathew Brady

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Window Light Shining on Commuters at Grand Central Station

Window Light Shining on Commuters at Grand Central Station
Photo depicts the interior of the Grand Central Station in New York City

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: First Powered Flight

First Powered Flight
The Wright Brothers successfully test their first aircraft, making the first powered flight in history

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Henry Ford In His First Car

Henry Ford In His First Car
American inventor and industrialist, Henry Ford (1863 - 1947) posing in the driving seat of his first car, the Quadricycle, New York City, 1910

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Suffragettes During March for the Vote

Suffragettes During March for the Vote
AMERICAN SUFFRAGETTE PARADE IN NEW YORK, 1912.PHOTO

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Woman and Pet Poodle Get Hair Permanents

Woman and Pet Poodle Get Hair Permanents
Two Attendants give permanent waves to a woman and her pet poodle

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Earle Combs Singling at Yankee Stadium

Earle Combs Singling at Yankee Stadium
Yankee outfielder Earle Combs singles to start off the bottom of the first inning during the first game of the double header against the Philadelphia Athletics at Yankee Stadium

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Wall Street Investor Tries to Sell Automobile

Wall Street Investor Tries to Sell Automobile
A Wall Street speculator tries to sell his car after losing all of his money in the stock market crash

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Acrobats Eat While Doing Handstands

Acrobats Eat While Doing Handstands
Members of the Los Angeles Athletic Club gymnastic team stand on one hand and eat with the other. L to R: Frank Haubold, Herman Witzig, Al Jochin, and F.J. Villers

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Construction Worker Waves from Empire State Construction

Construction Worker Waves from Empire State Construction
(Original Caption) 9/13/1930-New York City: Carl Russell waves to his co-workers on the structural work of the 88th floor of the new Empire State Building

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Construction Workers Resting on Steel Beam Above Manhattan

Construction Workers Resting on Steel Beam Above Manhattan
Four construction workers take a nap, balanced on a steel girder hung 800 feet over Manhattan, during the construction of the RCA Building

Lunch Atop A Skyscraper
29 Sep 1932, Manhattan, New York City, New York State, USA --- Construction workers eat their lunches atop a steel beam 800 feet above ground

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Jesse Owens In Composite Photo

Jesse Owens In Composite Photo
(Original Caption) 6/18/1935: Jesse Owens is shown in a composite shot of the process of starting a dash or sprint. He is shown from the "Get Set" point (first image)

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Women Holding Giant Masks

Women Holding Giant Masks
Women lined up on a beach hold giant masks in front of their faces which will be featured in the annual Venice Mardi Gras celebration

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Scene from Gone with the Wind

Scene from Gone with the Wind
Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) embraces Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) in a famous scene from the 1939 epic film Gone with the Wind

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Tin Man Balloon in Macy's Parade

Tin Man Balloon in Macy's Parade
(Original Caption) 11/23/1939-New York, New York- A great multitude of New Yorkers turned out today for the great annual free Thanksgiving show staged up by R.H. Macy's department store

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Jitterbugging Couple in Dance Marathon

Jitterbugging Couple in Dance Marathon
A woman swings her jitterbug partner by the legs during a Salvation Army benefit dance marathon in Los Angeles

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: St. Paul's Cathedral During Air Raid

St. Paul's Cathedral During Air Raid
The large dome of St. Paul's Cathedral is wreathed in smoke from buildings burning after a German air raid in World War II

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: American Troops Land at Omaha Beach

American Troops Land at Omaha Beach
Americans from the 1st US Infantry land at Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6 1944. Omaha proved to be the toughest of the Normandy beaches to land at; 2, 400 died in the first wave of the invasion

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Couple Kissing in Train Station

Couple Kissing in Train Station
Mary Rae Bingham kisses her boyfriend, Gordon Kiester, in the sunshine from a window at Michigan Central Station in Detroit, December 1944

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at Yalta

Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at Yalta
Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin together after negotiations at the Yalta Conference of 1945. At the conference

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Howard Hughes in Cockpit of Spruce Goose

Howard Hughes in Cockpit of Spruce Goose
American aircraft designer Howard Hughes prepares for the trial run of his strategic airlift flying boat, the Hughes H-4 Hercules (aka the 'Spruce Goose'), Los Angeles harbor, 2nd November 1947

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Women in a Spaghetti Eating Contest

Women in a Spaghetti Eating Contest
Five Broadway show girls participated in a "Spaghetti Swooshing" contest. They had to eat a plate of spaghetti and sauce without using their hands

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Truman Waving

Truman Waving
President Harry S. Truman gleefully displays a premature early edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune from his train in St. Louis, Missouri, after his defeat of Thomas E

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: New York Blizzard of 1948

New York Blizzard of 1948
A marquee displays titles for the movie Joan of Arc amidst the New York Blizzard of 1948

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: George Brett Arguing with Umpires

George Brett Arguing with Umpires
(Original Caption) 7/24/1983: George Brett argues with the umpires who ruled out his two-run homer after an examination of his bat showed that the pine tar had exceeded the allowable area

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Mother Teresa Prays at Anti-Choice Event

Mother Teresa Prays at Anti-Choice Event
(Original Caption) 6/21/1985 - Washington, DC - Mother Teresa prays as she attends the National Right to Life convention in Washington DC

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: New York Stock Exchange Floor 1948

New York Stock Exchange Floor 1948
(Original Caption) The New York Stock Exchange (interior).Photograph, 1948

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Couple Looking Over the Berlin Wall

Couple Looking Over the Berlin Wall
(Original Caption) Berlin, Germany: A young West Berlin couple talks to relatives in East Berlin apartment house (see upper window open). They have climbed to top of wall to carry on their brief talk

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Salvador Dali Resting His Head on Cane

Salvador Dali Resting His Head on Cane
Salvador Dali (1904-89), Spanish surrealist painter. Photograph, ca. 1950s-1960s

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Marilyn Monroe Wearing Fur Coat

Marilyn Monroe Wearing Fur Coat
(Original Caption) Actress Marilyn Monroe snuggles into her fur coat to escape the icy winds at La Guardia airport here March 18th

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Daredevils Playing Tennis on a Biplane

Daredevils Playing Tennis on a Biplane
(Original Caption) Gladys Roy, who gets her fun out of doing unusual things with airplanes, also likes to play tennis. Ivan Unger (member of the "Flying Black Hats") is her opponent

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Albert Einstein Sticking Out His Tongue

Albert Einstein Sticking Out His Tongue
Albert Einstein sticks out his tongue when asked by photographers to smile on the occasion of his 72nd birthday on March 14, 1951

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Princess Elizabeth Riding a Horse

Princess Elizabeth Riding a Horse
(Original Caption) Princess Elizabeth of England represents the King at colorful trooping ceremony. Princess Elizabeth photographed on her arrival back at the Palace ceremonies

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Man Wearing Suit While Showering

Man Wearing Suit While Showering
This man is actually washing his new Haspel cord suit of Orlon and cotton seersucker while he takes his shower. Before he turns in for sleep, he will hang up the coat and trousers to dry overnight

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Students at Beach Learning Submarine Photography

Students at Beach Learning Submarine Photography
(Original Caption) Next time your camera drops in the water, dive in after it and start snapping. Some wonderful pictures can be made underwater- if your camera is leakproof

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Nuns Swinging on Swing Set

Nuns Swinging on Swing Set
(Original Caption) Swinging into some fun before school begins and they start teaching again are Sisters Liloise and Pelagia, instructors at Immaculate Heart Elementary School in Cleveland

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Marilyn Monroe on Subway Grate

Marilyn Monroe on Subway Grate
Film star Marilyn Monroe poses over a Manhattan subway grate as the wind blows her white dress up. Photographers capture the moment on camera, which takes place on September 16, 1954

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Witches Water Skiing

Witches Water Skiing
(Original Caption) In suitable witches raiment (and lovelier witches it would be hard to find), two sorcerers of Cypress Gardens switch from broomsticks to broomskiis

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Sir Winston Churchill Tipping His Hat

Sir Winston Churchill Tipping His Hat
(Original Caption) Sir Winston Bows Out. London, England: Returning from Buckingham Palace after he handed over his seals of office as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: James Dean in His Porsche Spyder

James Dean in His Porsche Spyder
Actor James Dean gives a thumbs-up sign from his Porsche 550 Spyder, the Little Bastard, while parked on Vine Street in Hollywood

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Alfred Hitchcock Holding Magnifying Glass

Alfred Hitchcock Holding Magnifying Glass
Alfred Hitchcock plays with a magnifying glass on the set of his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which aired from 1955-1965

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Actress Brigitte Bardot Holding up Leg in Bathtub

Actress Brigitte Bardot Holding up Leg in Bathtub
Brigitte Bardot holding up leg in bathtub in the 1957 film Une Parisienne

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Women Modeling Festive Christmas Hairdos

Women Modeling Festive Christmas Hairdos
Two young women display their holiday hairdos, each with 42-inch hair decorated with tinsel and ornaments. Claudette Ackrich's hair is decorated with tinsel

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Rat Pack at Carnegie Hall

Rat Pack at Carnegie Hall
Jan Murray (L) sits alongside Rat Pack members Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra as the group unwinds backstage at Carnegie Hall after entertaining at a benefit performance in honor of

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Brigitte Bardot Relaxing Between Scenes

Brigitte Bardot Relaxing Between Scenes
(Original Caption) A meditative mood holds French "sex kitten" Brigitte Bardot as she relaxes on the set of the French film A Very Private Affair

John F. Kennedy Jr. Exploring His Father's Desk

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Malcolm X Meets Dr. Martin Luther King

Malcolm X Meets Dr. Martin Luther King
The brief, and only, meeting between Malcolm X (1925-1965) and Martin Luther King (1929-1968), in the halls of the US Capitol, attending a Senate hearing on the Civil Rights Act, Washington DC

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: The Beatles Holding Ringo Starr

The Beatles Holding Ringo Starr
The Beatles give drummer Ringo Starr a "Happy Birthday Bump" in honor of his 24th birthday. At the BBC-TV studios in London are: (left to right) Paul McCartney; George Harrison; and John Lennon

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Elvis Presley Smiling with Bride Priscilla

Elvis Presley Smiling with Bride Priscilla
(Original Caption) Las Vegas, Nev..Entertainer, Elvis Presley sits cheek to cheek wit his bride, the former Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, following their wedding May 1, 1967

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Circus Animals on 33rd Street

Circus Animals on 33rd Street
A troupe of elephants and a zebra walk down 33rd Street in Manhattan, hearlding the arrival of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Olympic Atheletes on Podium

Olympic Atheletes on Podium
During the award presentation for the Men's 200-meter event final at the 1968 Summer Olympics, American athletes, gold medalist Tommie Smith (center) and bronze medalist John Carlos (right)

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: View of the Earth Rising

View of the Earth Rising
(Original Caption) Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas: Apollo 8 This view of the rising Earth greeted the Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the moon after the lunar orbit insertion

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon
Apollo II astronaut Buzz Aldrin beside a solar wind experiment during his July 20, 1969 moon walk

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Astronaut Unfurling a United States Flag on the Moon

Astronaut Unfurling a United States Flag on the Moon
(Original Caption) Space Center, Houston: An Apollo 12 astronaut unfurls a plastic United States flag on the moon upon landing November 19th

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Apollo 12 Astronauts on the Moon

Apollo 12 Astronauts on the Moon
Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean's face mask reflects the Apollo 12 astronaut Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad, as Conrad snaps his companion's photo while taking soil samples from the surface of

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Queen Elizabeth II with Corgi

Queen Elizabeth II with Corgi
(Original Caption) Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles radiantly during a picture-taking session in the salon at Sandringham House. Her pet dog looks up at her

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Leonard Bernstein Conducting Boston Symphony

Leonard Bernstein Conducting Boston Symphony
Conductor Leonard Bernstein at the climax of Mahler's Resurrection symphony performed by the Boston Symphony in Lenox, Massachusetts, 8th July 1970

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Pulitzer Prize Winning Vietnam Photo

Pulitzer Prize Winning Vietnam Photo
LZ LONELY -- 1971: A tattered American flag flies above firebase LZ Lonely, and is typical of fortified positions used to support ground forces with artillery

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Marlon Brando in The Godfather

Marlon Brando in The Godfather
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor. Behind him is Robert Duvall, playing Tom Hagen, the Don's lawyer

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: President Nixon and Officials Involved in Watergate Scandal

President Nixon and Officials Involved in Watergate Scandal
(Original Caption) President Richard Nixon, claiming he was misled by his staff, has assumes "full responsibility" for the Watergate bugging

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Queen Elizabeth In Sunglasses Laughing

Queen Elizabeth In Sunglasses Laughing
(Original Caption) 5/21/1973-Virginia Water, England-Pomp and circumstance are all right, but there's nothing like a good laugh

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Multiple Exposure of Nadia Comaneci on Beam

Multiple Exposure of Nadia Comaneci on Beam
Montreal: Multiple exposure show's Romania's Nadia Comaneci on the balance beam in Olympic women gymnastics 7/22, as she went on to win her second gold medal of the night, and her third of the games

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Diana Ross

Diana Ross
Singer Diana Ross dancing at Studio 54 in New York while in town for an engagement, 17th August 1979

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: John McEnroe Falls at Wimbeldon

John McEnroe Falls at Wimbeldon
(Original Caption) 7/5/80 Wimbeldon: The Men's Singles final. John McEnroe (USA) falls to the ground in a heavy fall and his racket goes flying, during his battle with Bjorn Borg of Sweden

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Sebastian Coe Crosses Finish Line

Sebastian Coe Crosses Finish Line
(Original Caption) 8/1/1980-Moscow: Sebastian Coe of Great Britain wins the Olmpic 1, 500 meters gold medal in 3 minutes and 38.40 seconds here 8/1

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Prince Charles And Lady Diana Spencer

Prince Charles And Lady Diana Spencer
London, England: Britain's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer pose for photographers outside Buckingham Palace February 24th after the official announcement of their engagement

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: Window Washer Hanging Outside Window

Window Washer Hanging Outside Window
British window washer Jim Cook cleans a pane of glass on the Empire State Building. Cook was brought to New York as a winner of Smirnoff's Great Dreams contest. New York, April 15, 1981

A Diverse Tapestry of Images: President Reagan Laughing at Queen's Remarks

President Reagan Laughing at Queen's Remarks
President Reagan laughs following a joke by Queen Elizabeth II, who commented on the lousy California weather she has experienced since her arrival to the States

Marilyn Monroe on Subway Grate
Actress Marilyn Monroe tries to hold down her dress as wind from a subway grate blows it upward during filming of The Seven Year Itch motion picture in Manhattan

These images create a rich tapestry of visual storytelling, inviting viewers to explore the multifaceted nature of our shared history and the humour that often accompanies it.

A Diverse Tapestry of Images

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