Some old photos don't give up their secrets right away. At first glance, these 30 pictures look like ordinary moments, but a closer look reveals a famous face, a clever trick or something nobody expected.
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, 1888
At first glance, this looks like the Eiffel Tower on a hazy morning. Look at the top, though, and the iron frame simply stops, with scaffolding where the upper section should be. Louis-Emile Durandelle took this picture in November 1888, about four months before the tower was finished for the 1889 World's Fair.
Lincoln at Gettysburg, 1863
This looks like nothing more than a big crowd in their best hats. Near the middle, though, a bareheaded Abraham Lincoln sits with his head bowed, shortly before giving the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. The original negative was kept at the National Archives for decades until researcher Josephine Cobb spotted him in 1952.
A Victorian Child Portrait, 1870s
The little girl seems to be resting on a cozy chair. That chair is actually her mother, hidden under a dark curtain so she could hold the child still during the long exposure. Photographers called these 'hidden mother' portraits, and they were a common trick in the 1800s.
Measuring Bathing Suits, Washington, D.C., 1922
It looks like a regular summer day at the beach until you notice the man kneeling with a tape measure. Bill Norton, a beach policeman, was checking that swimsuits stayed no more than six inches above the knee, a rule set for the Washington bathing beach in 1922. The women don't seem too worried.
Walter Rothschild's Carriage, London, 1895
Seen quickly, this is a gentleman out for a carriage ride. Then you notice the stripes. Walter Rothschild, a banking heir who loved zoology, trained zebras to pull his carriage and famously drove them to Buckingham Palace to prove they could be tamed.
Douglas Aircraft Plant, Santa Monica, Circa 1942
From up high, this looks like a tidy neighborhood with houses, trees and lawns. All of it sits on top of the Douglas Aircraft factory, built from chicken wire, burlap and fake trees to fool enemy planes during World War II. Some pilots reportedly had trouble finding the nearby airfield because of it.
Lincoln's Funeral Procession, New York, 1865
Crowds fill Broadway as Abraham Lincoln's funeral procession moves past Union Square on April 25, 1865. Look at the second-floor window of the corner mansion on the left, and you'll see two small figures watching. Historians believe they were 6-year-old Theodore Roosevelt and his brother Elliott, at their grandfather's house.
Painted-On Stockings, 1940s
These look like a sharp pair of seamed stockings at first. They're actually bare legs, and the seam is being drawn down the back by hand. When nylon went to the war effort during World War II, women turned to leg makeup and eyebrow pencils to fake the look.
The Statue of Liberty's Arm, New York, 1876-1882
Carriages lined up beside Madison Square Park make this look like an ordinary day in Manhattan. Behind the trees, however, rises a giant copper arm holding a torch. The Statue of Liberty's arm stood here for about six years to raise money for the rest of the statue, and visitors paid 50 cents to climb up to the balcony.
The Louvre, Paris, 1911
It's just a museum wall with a few old paintings, until you spot the empty hooks in the middle. This is where the Mona Lisa hung before a Louvre worker named Vincenzo Peruggia walked out with it in August 1911. The painting was missing for over two years before turning up in Florence.
Delivering Milk, London, 1940
A milkman carries his bottles down the street like it's any other morning. The street, though, is covered in bricks and rubble, with a firefighter working in the haze behind him. Photographer Fred Morley staged the picture in October 1940, during the Blitz, with a co-worker posing as the milkman.
General Grant at City Point
This looks like a standard Civil War portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant on horseback in front of an army camp. It's actually three photos combined. According to the Library of Congress, Grant's head came from one portrait, the horse and body from another general, and the background from a photo of prisoners captured in 1864.
The Cottingley Fairies, England, 1920
A girl among the bushes looks off to the side, with a tiny winged figure leaping in front of her face. Cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths fooled many people with their fairy photos, including Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1983, they admitted the fairies were paper cutouts.
The Hollywoodland Sign, 1920s
The famous hillside letters look right at home above Los Angeles, until you read to the end. The sign went up in 1923 to advertise a housing development called Hollywoodland. The last four letters weren't taken down until 1949.
A Striped Cow, England, 1939
A farm worker with a bucket and brush seems to be grooming a cow. Look again, and she's painting wide white stripes along its side. In September 1939, during wartime blackouts, an English farmer had his cows striped so drivers could see them if they wandered onto dark roads.
Boys Nation Visit, White House, 1963
It's a typical photo of teenage delegates meeting the president in the Rose Garden. The 16-year-old shaking John F. Kennedy's hand, though, is Bill Clinton, who was visiting with the American Legion's Boys Nation program on July 24, 1963. Almost 30 years later, he took office as president himself.
Lincoln's First Inauguration, 1861
A huge crowd gathers at the U.S. Capitol for Abraham Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861. Look up at the dome, and you'll see it's unfinished, with a crane sitting on top. The new cast-iron dome wasn't completed until 1866.
Cawston Ostrich Farm, California, Circa 1919
Two women and a man pose with what looks like a simple cart. The animal hitched to it is an ostrich. Visitors to the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena could ride in carts pulled by the giant birds, one of the farm's most popular attractions.
An Inflatable Tank, World War II
This Sherman tank looks ready for battle, complete with branches for camouflage. It's actually made of rubber and air. Armies used inflatable tanks like this one to trick enemy spotters into overestimating how many vehicles were nearby.
Lincoln's Famous Engraving, 1860s
The portrait on the right is one of the best-known images of Abraham Lincoln. Compare it with the engraving on the left, an 1852 print of politician John C. Calhoun, and you'll see the same pose, desk, globe and checkered floor. After Lincoln's death, a printmaker simply placed his head on Calhoun's body.
The Ice Bridge at Niagara Falls, 1912
Groups of people stand on a snowy hill, looking like visitors at a winter park. They're actually standing on thick ice that built up below Niagara Falls. For decades, this ice bridge drew sightseers every winter, until walking on it was banned after 1912.
A Letter Carrier, Circa 1900
A uniformed mail carrier stands for a portrait with his bag over his shoulder. Inside that bag is a little boy. The photo was taken as a joke, but after parcel post began in 1913, a few children really were sent through the mail before the practice was banned.
The Statue of Liberty's Head, Paris, 1878
Benches, paths and trees make this look like a quiet park in Paris. Then there's the giant copper head of Lady Liberty sitting in the middle of it. The head went on display at the 1878 World's Fair, years before the full statue was finished and shipped to New York.
Holland House Library, London, 1940
Three men browse the shelves as if it's an ordinary afternoon at the library. Behind them, the roof has collapsed and burnt beams lie in a pile on the floor. Holland House was badly damaged in a 1940 air raid, and this photo was taken in October of that year.
Josephine Baker in Paris, 1931
Entertainer Josephine Baker strolls along with a group of friends in what looks like a regular day out. Glance down, and there's a cheetah walking on a leash beside her. Her pet cheetah, Chiquita, was a regular companion in Paris and was known for wearing a jeweled collar.
Mary Todd Lincoln, Circa 1872
At first, this is a simple portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln in a dark bonnet. Behind her is a faint figure with his hands on her shoulders, meant to be her late husband, Abraham Lincoln. Photographer William Mumler made a living from these 'spirit photographs,' which were later shown to be double exposures.
The Washington Monument, Circa 1860
This looks like a plain stone tower on an empty field. It's the Washington Monument, which stopped at about 152 feet in 1854 when the money ran out. Work didn't resume until 1879, and you can still see a slight color change in the marble where work began again.
Elephantine Colossus, Coney Island
Behind a wooden fence stands what looks like an odd building. It's shaped like a giant elephant, complete with a trunk and a lookout on its back. The Elephantine Colossus held hotel rooms and shops at Coney Island until a fire destroyed it in 1896.
Norma Jeane at the Radioplane Factory, 1944
An Army photographer was taking pictures of women helping the war effort when he photographed this factory worker holding a propeller. Her name was Norma Jeane Dougherty. David Conover's photos helped launch her modeling career, and within a few years, she was known as Marilyn Monroe.
Princess Elizabeth in the ATS, 1945
This young woman in overalls, standing in front of an army truck, looks like any other trainee mechanic. She was Princess Elizabeth, who joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945 and trained as a driver and mechanic. Seven years later, she became Queen Elizabeth II.
