So this comm approves of gaslighting, I see
this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2026
81 points (98.8% liked)
HistoryPhotos
1047 readers
402 users here now
HistoryPhotos is for photographs (or, if it can be found, film) of the past, recent or distant! Give us a little snapshot of history!
Rules
- Be respectful and inclusive.
- No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
- Foster a continuous learning environment.
- No genocide or atrocity denialism.
- Photos MUST be at LEAST 10 years old, and ideally over 20. We appreciate that we are living through events which will become history, but this is ultimately not a comm for news or current affairs, but events which have occurred some time in the past.
Related Communities:
- !militaryporn@lemmy.world
- !forgottenweapons@lemmy.world
- !historymusic@quokk.au
- !historygallery@quokk.au
- !historymemes@piefed.social
- !historyruins@piefed.social
- !historyart@piefed.social
- !historyartifacts@piefed.social
- !historyphotos@piefed.social
founded 7 months ago
MODERATORS
Only when in the public interest!
How confident are you of the date? That looks like a lot of cars, and more modern models, for 1898
This is at least in the late tens early twenties looking at the cars.
Not very. I typically just do a reverse image search to make sure that if I'm wrong about the date, I'm not the only person who's wrong. XD
Processing this image in my mind was an interesting journey.
At first, it looked like an adolescent, until I zoomed in a bit. Then I wondered if it was the photo or reality that the subject appeared disfigured, as if his face was burned. Then I zoomed in some more and thought maybe he's just old. Like...40s.
What exactly is he doing?
Streetlamps back then weren't electric, but typically gas (or sometimes oil) - they need to be lit with an open flame before they can start operating. The wick in this case is on a long pole so he doesn't have to climb up the ladder for every lamp on his route.
Do you know where the gas cane from? Stored in the lamp or is there even a pipe to the lantern. Such an explosive risk either way, kind of crazy to think about nowadays.
Piped in (underground ) from a central gasworks. I'm not sure if they were on the same municipal gas system as the gaslight in homes, but it seems likely.
Actually, in this picture it looks to me more like morning and he's extinguishing the lamp, turning off the gas. But I could be wrong.