Walter Yeo
This is Walter Yeo in a photo taken in 1917. He was an English sailor during World War I who received a very bad facial injury and needed serious reconstructive surgery. Yeo was thought to be one of the first individuals in the world to ever receive facial reconstruction by using a skin flap.
At the time, this type of advanced plastic surgery still did not exist, making his case the first in history. Walter Yeo’s surgery was a turning point in medicine, leading to innovation with the first cosmetic plastic surgery conducted in 1962, changing the face of humanity forever.
London, 1940
Although England didn't have camps and Germany didn't invade the land, during the Second World War, England, and especially London, was under constant bombing. This was called "The Blitz," and it left many parts of the city in total destruction. This photo was taken in London in 1940 and features a little girl amongst the ruins.
During The Blitz," many children were evacuated out of major cities and were moved to the countryside, or in worst cases, were shipped to other countries as the government did everything it could to save the younger generation. Australia was one of the places these kids were shipped over to.
Making the Berlin Wall
This is the Berlin Wall when it was built back in 1961. This wall was designated to separate East Germany and West Germany after the division of the country following the outcomes of the Second World War. It was built by the German Democratic Republic to cut off the Western part of the City, both ideologically and physically.
In this rare image, the people on the Eastern side of the city are the ones building the wall, while the ones on the Western side have no clue as to what is about to happen to their beloved capital. It would be a further 30 years before the world changed, and the wall would be torn down.
Spray Tanning
This was taken in 1956 in France when the quickest and most efficient way to get a tan was to get a fake one. Going down to the beach would have been too much of a hassle, so when these tanning machines were introduced, it was a complete game changer. Since then, the machinery has improved, and the opportunities are endless.
This Parisien woman is having her body spared in a darker shade. It was done using an infrared gun, which apparently didn't burn the skin. The fact that people could darken their skin in a matter of minutes was a surprising innovation that still goes on to this day.
The 1920s Beach Authority
Back in the 1920s, there was a specific person appointed at every beach that had the authority to measure every woman’s bathing suit to make sure that it was long enough and not considered indecent. If you really think about it, people back then were very strict with women’s attire at the beach. If it was considered too short, she would be fined a hefty fee.
The inner feminist in us rejects this idea, and this for sure would not be accepted these days. The 20th century delivered the most change, especially in women's rights, than any other century before then, and this photo shows the progress humanity has made.