"Hot day at Coney Island." Circa 1910. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. What we have here is an ocean of people and a puddle of ocean.

December 1935. "Sidewalk scene in Selma, Alabama." 8x10 inch nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

"New Orleans Negro street," December 1935. View full size. Photograph by Walker Evans. X's at bottom are crop marks.

Bombardier nose section of a B-17F Navy bomber at the Douglas Aircraft plant in Long Beach, Calif. October 1942. The B-17F "Flying Fortress" is a later model of the B-17. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

J.D. Estes at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. August 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.

November 8, 1907. "Bridge of Sighs," connecting the 1902 Tombs prison at left with the 1894 Manhattan Criminal Courts building at right. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

Wrecked Pennsylvania R.R. car on tracks south of Brunswick Street. Jersey City, N.J. November 6, 1909. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection.

"Two cats, dressed as humans, holding rope, which doll appears to be skipping." Circa 1914 photograph by Harry Whittier Frees. View full size. More on the strangely unsettling photos of Harry Frees here and here. He often used his own cats, Rags and Fluff, with costumes sewn by his mother.

June 18, 1911. "Cornell varsity crew squad at Poughkeepsie." Bain News Service glass negative. View full size.

Preston DeCosta, 15 years old. Messenger #3 for Bellevue Messenger Service in San Antonio, Texas. October 1913. I ran across him while he was carrying notes back and forth between a prostitute in jail and a pimp in the Red Light. He had read all the notes and knew all about them. He was a fine grained adolescent boy. Has been delivering messages and drugs in the Red Light for 6 months and knows the ropes thoroughly. "A lot of these girls are my regular customers. I carry 'em messages and get 'em drinks, drugs, etc. Also go to the bank with money for 'em. If a fellow treats 'em right, they'll call him by number and give him all their work. I got a box full of photos I took of these girls - some of 'em I took in their room." Works until 11 P.M. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.

Wreck of District of Columbia fire chief's car. January 5, 1921. View larger. National Photo Company.

Train wreck near Middletown, Ohio. July 4, 1910 [erroneously reported at the time to have involved the 20th Century Limited -- see Comments]. View full size. Glass negative from the George Grantham Bain Collection.

Syracuse second varsity crew squad, June 11, 1914. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection.

February 1910. New York. "Columbia rowing team in mock shells training in crew house with coach Jim Rice." 5x7 inch glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size.

Garage mechanic near Newark, N.J., with Office of Defense Transportation badge. December 1943. Kodachrome transparency by Marjory Collins. View full size.