June 2012
40 posts
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The Most Iconic Images Of The 90s
Fall of KGB Statue, 1991
In August 1991, hardliners in the Communist Party demanded the removal of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who wanted to sign a treaty that would lead to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. They did this by placing him under house arrest and reinstating censorship. However, they were met by mass civil resistance—particularly in Moscow. Even with the aid...
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Japan's Contemporary Crematorium
With soft lines and an undulating roof, Japan’s Meiso no Mori funeral home and crematorium was built to commemorate the dead in a secular and liberating fashion. Says project architect Leo Yokota regarding his guiding image: “Rather than the heavy, dignified architecture usual with crematoria, we imagined a soft place, as if a gentle snowfall had settled lightly upon the site to form a...
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Basque-ing In The Basque Country
Although Francisco Franco sought to oppress Spain’s northern autonomous region known as the Basque Country throughout his quasi-fascist reign, no matter how successful he was at stultifying their culture and language he could never suppress the region’s bewitching beauty.
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The Most Iconic Images Of The 1980s
Tank Man, 1989
The most iconic image of the Tiananmen Square massacre, this picture depicts the important “unknown rebel” standing in front of the tanks that threatened a peaceful protest in China. Jeff Widener snapped this image.
“Tear down this wall”, 1987
Speaking in front of the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, this image captures President Reagan making his powerful...
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Greece's Historic Agios Stefanos Monastery
Founded by St. Antoninus Cantacuzene circa 1400, Greece’s Agios Stefanos Monastery suffered much damage in the 20th century: it was bombed during World War II and desecrated during the subsequent Civil War. In the latter period, most of the frescoes were defaced by Communist rebels.
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An Arresting Image Of The Atlantic Coast
Taken from the International Space Station, the North American Atlantic Coast is certainly luminous.
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The Most Iconic Images Of The 1970s
Napalm Girl, 1972
Taken by Huynh Cong Ut, this photograph of the devastating impact of a napalm attack is the most iconic image of the Vietnam War. The girl in the center of the photograph is 9-year old Kim Phúc, who is running away from the attack with severe burns.
Kent State protest, 1970
The Kent State protest rocked Ohio after President Nixon announced he was sending troops into...
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Las Vegas's Luxe Lou Ruvo Building
Designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry in 2007, Sin City’s Center for Brain Health is certainly a novel one.
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Ireland's Mystifying Northern Lights
Rather fitting that the Northern Lights over Ireland are a brilliant emerald green.
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A Peek At Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower
Covered by clouds, Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower is the tallest building in China excluding one in Taiwan.
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The Wondrous Wreckage In Zakynthos, Greece
Hidden behind massive cliffs and overshadowed by pristine blue water, it’s hard to find the beached Panagiotis ship.
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The Most Iconic Photos Of The 1960s
Guerrillero Heroico, 1960
“Guerrillero Heroico” or “Heroic Guerrilla Fighter” is one of the most popular and stylized pictures of all time. Taken by Alberto Korda on March 5, the image is of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara at a memorial service for victims of La Coubre explosion. It is often considered as the most famous image in the world and certainly lionized Guevara’s person....
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This Week's Best of PBH
Even though it’s summer, we know you don’t have ample time to idly scroll through pages and pages of quality stuff…so we wanted to bring all the best posts from PBH around the web to you in an easily digestible “best of the week” recap!
5. Cats After Anesthesia
http://youtu.be/beWo2Ic3cb
“Cats being cute” seem to be an internet staple. However, some...
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Dissecting World War II Deaths
The majority of deaths did not fall within the military but rather civilians. Fascinating stuff.
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Lightning Over An Austin Bridge
Lightning strikes can be devastating, but as evidenced by this photograph they can also be beautiful.
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The Milky Way Above A Hawaiian Lava Pool
Mirroring the gilded tones of a Hawaiian lava pool, the Milky Way might be just as striking as the tropical paradise it reflects.
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Paris' Gorgeous Opera Garnier
Now primarily used for ballet, Paris’s Opera Garnier was built from 1861 to 1875 in the regal Second Empire and Beaux Arts style.
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The Ten Most Iconic Photos Of The 1940s
Hitler in Paris, 1940
Taken at the height of World War Two and after Adolf Hitler had taken Paris, this picture depicts Hitler surveying his conquest with his various cronies.
The Last Jew in Vinnitsa, 1941
This powerful image of the death of the last Jew in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, was found in the album of an Einsatzgruppen soldier. The name of the image comes from the label at the back of...
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The Year 2001 From A 1901 Perspective
While not exactly accurate, John Elfreth Watkins Jr.’s predictions about the year 2001 were certainly colorful. If only there were no more mosquitos.
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A Wonderful, Whale-Filled Free Dive
What a treat it would be to swim with sea kings like these.
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The World's Creepiest Abandoned Prisons
Tuchthuis Prison
Built in 1779, the Tuchthuis Prison was once the biggest institution of its kind in Belgium. Throughout its years in operation, the building was utilized as a prison, a hospital and a military school and was occupied by the German Forces during the Second World War. Decorated with graffiti, swastikas and remaining family letters inside the cells, the prison was sealed up in...
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A Harrowing Photo Of The Buchenwald Concentration...
Taken in 1945 as a Congressional committee was sent to Germany to investigate Nazi atrocities, this photo shows Kentucky Senator Alben W. Barkley witnessing firsthand the evils of Nazism via Weimar, Germany’s Buchenwald concentration camp.
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Albert Einstein's Desk Upon His Death
Up until his dying day, it seems as if the revolutionary theoretical physicist was always hard at work.
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Fairytale Locations In Iceland
Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier
The stunning outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull stems from the larger glacier called Vatnajökull, which ends in a small lagoon known as Jökulsárlón. Over time, the glacier has begun breaking down and as a result leaves icebergs floating around the lagoon in its wake.
Thórsmörk
Named after the Norse god, Thor, Thórsmörk is a mountain ridge situated in the...
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The Botanical Apartments Of Phuket, Thailand
Well this is one way to cure the blues. Combining urban with nature, “botanical therapy” is a new trend in Thailand’s urban community zones.
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Andre The Giant In Cannes, 1967
Measuring a staggering 7 feet tall, André Roussimoff or Andre the Giant holds a young lady while basking at a beach in Cannes, France in 1967.
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More Of History's Most Prolific Women
Queen Elizabeth 1
Elizabeth I was born in England on September 7, 1533 to King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. At a young age, her mother was beheaded and Elizabeth was subsequently cast off as an illegitimate child with the third claim to the throne. After a sordid family drama of ascending and descending the throne, Elizabeth was granted the much coveted roost in 1558....
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Japan's Astounding Ashikaga Park
Located 50 miles north of Tokyo, Ashikaga’s Flower Park contains the country’s largest and oldest Wisteria.
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The Bends Of The Blue Dragon River
Located in Portugal and known as the Odeleite River to locals, the river’s forbidding twists make it easy to understand why it’s often given another name: the Blue Dragon.
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History's Most Prolific Women
Marie Antoinette
The wife of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette is probably best known for her falsely attributed line of “Let them eat cake.” Crowned the Queen of France in 1774 after her husband ascended the thrown, the French people came to dislike her because of her perceived promiscuity, her affluent lifestyle (which went hand-in-hand with accusations that she was responsible her for the...
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A Bird's Eye View Of San Francisco
While the city often presents itself as a haven for eccentrics and nonconformists, from far above San Francisco’s straightforward grid system structure suggests something a bit less avant garde.
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The Best Of The PBH Network In 2012
5. The Greatest Tennis Entertainer In The World
Hailing all the way from Iran, professional tennis player Mansour Bahrami certainly knows how to swing—and cause—a racket on the court.
4. Bertrand Russell On The Paradox Of Fools And Wise Men
While the famed British philosopher and logician muses on the prevalence of doubts among the wise, it is doubtless that Bertrand...
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Ancient History's Biggest Mysteries
Nazca Lines
Located 200 miles south of Lima, Peru, the Nazca lines are one of the most mysterious and intriguing historical sites known to man. Discovered in the 1930s, the site is given its name because of the lines and figures etched on a plain that measures an impressive 37 miles long. Said lines run parallel and intersect each other to create figures including a monkey, spider and...
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Los Angeles: The City Of All Cities
What L.A. may lack in soul it gains in size. As evidenced above, the SoCal city can fit Boston, Manhattan and San Francisco among others within its borders.
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The Astounding Views From L.A.'s Griffith...
While looking up is what the popular Griffith Observatory is most widely known for, one can’t neglect to mention what beauty awaits just below it: the observatory overlooks Hollywood, downtown L.A. as well as the Pacific Ocean.
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The Luminous World Of Light Painting
With roots tracing back to 1914, light painting is a photographic technique that involves creating exposures via moving a hand-held light source inside or outside the frame. Featured in art photographer Man Ray’s 1935 “Space Writing” series, the novel art form’s first known users were Frank Gilberth and his wife.
While the light can be used to illuminate parts of an existing subject, it can...
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Lightning At The Bay Bridge
Even sunny California is susceptible to stormy—yet beautiful—nights. Case in point: this astonishing photograph over California’s stunning Bay Bridge.
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The World's Smallest Living Structures
Little House
Boasting a mere 312 square feet, this famous miniature miracle is located in Toronto, Canada. Wanting to utilize space in between two bigger houses, contractor Arthur Weeden built the commonly coined “Little House” in 1912 and thus lived in it for the next 20 years. The house is seven feet wide and 47 feet deep, and despite its size it doesn’t skimp on the essentials; Little...
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John Quincy Adams: The First Photograph Of A...
Taken in 1843, this rather stern depiction of John Quincy Adams is the earliest confirmed photograph of an American President. We sure have come a long way.
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A Peek At The Peaks Of Mars' Danielson Crater
The geographic features of other planets are often captivating and enigmatic, and Mars’ Danielson crater is no exception to the rule. According to NASA, its wave-like layering is the result of periodic changes in climate related to changes in tilt of the planet.
