this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
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HistoryPhotos

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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

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Foster a continuous learning environment.
  4. No genocide or atrocity denialism.
  5. 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.

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This is very recent, however this does feel like a picture future generations should see.

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Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.

-- John Abernathy

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[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 152 points 1 day ago (7 children)

On one hand, I'm hesitant to keep up something this recent as 'history'.

On the other hand, Jesus fucking Christ, I hate living through history.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 66 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I understand if you want to take it down. I'm not sure on the technical requirements of a historic photograph. This did strike me as one however.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 36 points 1 day ago (9 children)

I think I'll leave it up for now for visibility's sake, but I'll probably remove it because it doesn't fit the 'archive' of things. I feel like at least a few years should pass before something is history.

[–] notabot@piefed.social 55 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can I cast a vote for keeping it? History is happening right now, and it needs to be seen. Were it a more mundane event, I might share your opinion that it needs to wait before it is history, but this is part of a wave of events that is changing life now, and for the future.

The community sidebar says:

HistoryPhotos is for photographs (or, if it can be found, film) of the past, recent or distant! Give us a little snapshot of history!

I would say that this is definitely a snapshot of recent history, and it will reverberate for years to come.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'll sit on the thought for a bit. Please remember, though, that this comm is not meant to be for news, no matter how important.

[–] logi@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

But on the third hand, that photo though. I'd not be surprised to see it at this year's World Press Photo exhibition. What it lacks in history it makes up for in the photo part.

[–] arin@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We're making history here in US, and it's very similar to historical Germany

[–] tanisnikana@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago

I think the line between history and current events is blurry, but I think that line exists around midnight of the previous night. These are tumultuous times with lots of history being made.

I think this photograph should stay.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 12 points 1 day ago

Ok, I'll look for a better home for it.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 day ago

!remindme 50 years

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 8 points 1 day ago

I've post this in a few different communities. So feel free to delete if it is deemed to be in conflict with the spirit of the community.

[–] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

at least a few years should pass before something is history

the thing is that images like this, while definitely being historical, will probably become illegal at some point. imo it's important to spread these thing as far and wide as possible, even if it's "new"

we are living through america's transition into fascism, and very likely its complete collapse. the sub "rules," i think, should be the least of your concerns at this point

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

we are living through america’s transition into fascism, and very likely its complete collapse. the sub “rules,” i think, should be the least of your concerns at this point

Fuck man, I'm stressed about the state of my rotting fucking country 22/7, let me have my two hours of enjoying history per day.

[–] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i'm sorry dude. your posts are always great, please never stop

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

Ha, I'd like to stop someday. Ideally, I'd only post occasionally instead of all the time, but the comms need to have a bit of self-sustaining activity before I'm willing to stop.

HistoryPhotos here is getting close, I hope!

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Which can be done in another community.

On the other hand, this looks so much like the historical pictures and events we've seen that it blends right in.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

slaps you

.......what? The slap? That was 5 seconds ago. It's already in the past. It's history.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Yeah it might be historic but it isn’t history. Leave it a few teas though and it may as well be both.

[–] turdburglar@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

well of all the threadiverse posts of this image, this one has the most discussion.

pls leave it.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think this has a good chance of being an iconic photo of a historic time. I wouldn't say it's as immediately significant as a picture of the astronauts on the moon, or as unique, bit this is one of the best pictures I've seen to show the new depths of fascism in America. Freedom of speech? Freedom of the press? As they tackle and arrest a person whose most dangerous weapon is a camera. This kind of thing has certainly happened before, and more often recently, but you bet America and the world will be talking about situations like this using images like this when we next (hopefully) get past this horrible phase and talk about how things got so bad and when it happened.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think it's a great and powerful pic, I just think "This will be historical in the future" is not really what the comm is meant for.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 4 points 1 day ago

I just came across your final decision from an hour ago, and its a pretty fair stance. Glad it's staying up, can respect not wanting to curate what current events might just be historic.

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Jesus fucking Christ, I hate living through history.

Right there with you, remember when there was a time that years would go by without huge events. Ever since 2001 we have been on this rollercoaster of once in a lifetime events.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

God damn. I WANTED to make a 9/11 joke, but as I started trying to think of it, it just became too distasteful. So instead, please enjoy steamboat willie instead!

[–] zeca@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Is ot cause you started to pay attention in 2001? I feel like this rollercoaster started around 2015, whichis when i started paying attention.

[–] Herr_S_aus_H@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

We didn't start the fire.

[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I feel like it was already going when I was born. The Cold War was a pretty big deal at the time. Every day felt like the entire world was going to end at any moment.

[–] 0k_@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

We didn't start the fire. It was always burning, since the world's been turning.

[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago (3 children)

What got your attention in 2015?

[–] zeca@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

The impeachment process of Dilma in Brasil, and the terrible economic and educational reforms that her successor passed in 2016.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Probably Russian propaganda electing a Manchurian candidate.

[–] turdburglar@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

“grab em by the pussy” is no big deal, maybe?

[–] Herr_S_aus_H@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I always think of this chinese proverb that is most certainly not a real proverb, wish for your enemy to live in exciting times.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 7 points 1 day ago

May we live in less interesting times.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

Although recent, it is definitely historical in nature and worthy of being archived.