30+ Ethereal Photos That Prove People’s Faces Were Pretty Special 100 Years Ago

The faces of people in old photographs of the late 19th-early 20th centuries are very different from modern ones. One of the reasons for this is the length of the camera exposure. More than 100 years ago, photographic film didn’t have high light sensitivity, and shutter speed lasted from a few seconds to several minutes. In addition, people were rarely photographed, so each photoshoot was a memorable event for them that they took very seriously. And this fact also affected the expression on their faces.
But we at Bright Side are sure that the main reason is that a person’s appearance is greatly influenced by the reality that they live in. And you’ll probably agree that our world has changed a lot in 100 years. Just have look at the photographs of people from the past century and even the century before. And as a bonus, we added some evidence that people have always loved posing with their pets.
Romanians
Ainu (indigenous people of Japan)
Hawaiians
Nivkh people
Gypsies
On the left is a Spanish gypsy, on the right is a Tscherkessen gypsy.
Britons
Finns
Americans
Pomors
Ethiopians
Koreans
Swedes
Catalans
Irish
Filipinos
Berbers
Circassians
French
Japanese
Bonus: And over 100 years ago, people loved taking pictures with their pets.
Whose face did you find especially vivid and unusual?
Comments
Related Reads
10 Acts of Quiet Kindness That Prove Compassion Still Saves Marriages in 2026

10 Stories That Prove Empathy Opens Doors That Words Never Could

10 People Whose Quiet Kindness Caught Pain No One Else Was Looking For

13 Moments That Teach Us a Sibling’s Compassion Can Heal the Heaviest Hearts

10 Acts of Kindness That Teach Us Why Quiet Compassion Still Heals Heavy Hearts

10 Workplace Moments That Teach Us Compassion and Wisdom Build the Strongest Teams

10 Moments of Kindness That Reveal What Happens When People Choose Forgiveness and Compassion (USA Edition 2026)

10 Stories That Turned Simple Acts of Kindness Into Moments of Pure Happiness

13 Moments of Solitude That Teach Us Strong Human Connection Still Heals Loneliness and Social Isolation in 2026

13 Quiet Acts of Kindness and Generosity People Did Without Ever Wanting Credit

15 Times Quiet Employees Conquered Toxic Coworkers Without Raising Their Voice

10 Moments That Teach Us Workplace Kindness Still Changes Lives in 2026, Even When No One Saw It Coming




















