Rare Historical Photos Pt. 9 [20 Pics]

Aug 29 2013

Another photo roundup of the popular historical series of posts that we do. You can find the previous post here, and the entire series here.

Hundreds of boats sit abandoned in the port of San Francisco, 1850. Beginning in 1848 thousands of people from all around the globe joined the Californian Gold Rush in a chance to 'strike it big'. Most of these boats were later stripped and recycled to build housing in San Francisco. Photo: Everett Collection/Rex Features

Young Osama Bin Laden in a cave while fighting the invading Soviet forces. Jalalabad region, Afghanistan, 1988. There is controversy about Bin Laden having ties to the American CIA during this time period.

Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, England. 1951. [Make sure to view the full resolution]

Auto Polo, circa 1910.

Building of the Soviet Buran spacecraft, circa 1982.

A British soldier hiding from the rain under an overturned Tiger tank. Italy, 1944.

Chicago 'L' Transit system, 1967. It is one of the oldest-running elevated train systems in the world; its first operational date was June 6, 1892.

Machines such as this US Navy 'Bombe' were used to assist cryptologists in deciphering German Enigma-machine encrypted secret messages during World War II. 1945.

George Bush Jr. has a 'leg up' on his father, President George Bush, as the President attempts to stretch prior to jogging at Fort McNair. The younger Bush, part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, was clowning for photographers. Photo: Corbis.

Niagara river was diverted from Niagara Falls for the first time in 12,000 years to perform maintenance, 1969.

German prisoners of war marching east under the supervision of Soviet soldiers, 1944. Take note of the Soviet woman showing a 'dulya' with her hand to the Germans as they pass by.