Last Updated on September 23, 2025 by Matt Staff
The closing years of the nineteenth century were marked by rapid change. From 1895 to 1899, society balanced between tradition and the modern age, where carriages still rolled through city streets even as early automobiles appeared, and empires held sway while new powers began to rise. Photography, still in its early decades, froze these fleeting moments in time, capturing the energy, struggles, and ambitions of people standing at the edge of a new century.
These photographs not only document major events and innovations but also reveal the everyday lives of workers, families, and dreamers who shaped this era. They show us a world both familiar and distant, where the foundations of the twentieth century were already being laid. Let’s dive into 25 photos that show the end of the 19th century.
1. Posing for a photo at their favorite drinking spot, the Man at the Wheel Saloon, 1895
2. Posing with a massive cactus in Mexico, 1895
3. Mark Twain visiting Nikola Tesla in his lab in New York City
4. Mark Twain, goofing around with his daughter Susy, 1895
5. Cycling down the steps at the Capitol, 1895
6. Snowshoeing with his best friend, 1896
7. An X-ray of Nikola Tesla’s foot, taken using a machine he designed in 1896
8. A group of sailors aboard the U.S.S. New York, 1896
9. In case you were wondering what it looked like to fall off one of these old-fashioned bikes, this is it
10. A newspaper boy and girl handing out papers in New York, 1896
11. Churning butter while reading a book, 1897
Her cat seems to be trying to steal a bit of cream.
12. The Howard University class of 1897
13. Hector Boiardi, also known as Chef Boyardee, in Italy, 1897
14. “Evening near the Pyramids” taken by Ernest Ashton, 1897
15. The Library of Congress, 1897
16. Surfing on Waikiki Beach in 1898
17. In their dorm room in Cortland, New York, 1898
18. Having a drink in a London Pub, 1898
19. Leopold de Rothschild riding his zebra carriage through London, 1898
20. The famous 19th-century tornado that was caught on camera in Oklahoma, 1898
21. New York in 1899
22. Lumberjacks with crew 1225 cutting down a massive tree, 1899
23. Ranch hands in Texas taking a break, 1899
24. In case you were wondering what American high school football teams looked like in 1899
25. Sailors gather as two men have a boxing match on the U.S.S. New York, 1899
Want to see more content from the 1800s?
Check out 20 Vintage Photos That Capture Adulthood in the Late 1800s, or take a look at 18 Myths From The 1800s That People Actually Believed. Finally, if you want to see photos from the gold rush, check out 30 Historical Photos of the American Gold Rush (1850s – 1890s).
