For as long as we've had cameras, we, as humans, have loved a good selfie. Since the world of photography first took off in the mid-19th century, we've been taking photos of ourselves, positioning polaroids, film cameras, and box cameras towards our faces, and clicking the shutter and hoping for the best, sometimes even using an actual stick to get the job done.
From Elvis fans snapping a photo with The King to a former First Lady getting in on the fun, here are 29 old-school selfies from long before iPhones existed.
1
“My wife’s grandpa taking a selfie (date unknown, most likely 60’s or 70’s).”
2
“One of the many selfies that Emperor Nicholas II took throughout his life, (1868-1918).”
3
“1969 Vietnam: My father’s version of a selfie before selfies were a thing.”
4
“A 1940’s mirror selfie.”
5
“My momma taking a selfie before selfies were really a thing. 1979.”
6
“Fan takes selfie with Elvis Presley. 1960s.”
7
“A selfie from 1966, George Harrison in India.”
8
“The first selfie in 1949?…maybe.”
9
“Young Paul McCartney taking a mirror selfie, 1963.”
10
“My grandparents selfie in the 60s at a military base in Puerto Rico.”
11
“A mirror selfie, ~1900.”
12
“A 17 year old Frank Sinatra taking a selfie (1938).”
13
“My grandpa taking a selfie, around 1965.”
15
“My grandpa's selfie in the 1950s. This now hangs on my wall.”
16
“Jackie O mirror selfie with JFK and Ethel Kennedy (1960s).”
17
“Taking a selfie before selfie was a thing ‘1920’”
18
“Young girl taking a mirror selfie with a box camera, 1901.”
19
“Former US Sect’y of State Gen. Colin Powell taking a selfie before selfies were cool. 1954.”
20
“The first selfie ever taken in space. Buzz Aldrin — Nov. 12, 1966.”
21
“My dad taking a selfie, using a piece of wood to activate the shutter, circa 1957.”
22
“My Italian grandpa’s selfie with his dog in 70s.”
23
“My grandparents taking a mirror selfie in the mid 1960s on their Super8 camera.”
24
“My moms selfie before it was cool (1989).”
25
“A vintage selfie from 1934.”
26
“Jackie Kennedy taking a ‘selfie’ with John F. Kennedy. 1960s.”
27
“Great grandfather selfie 1923.”
28
“Mom Circa 1980, Taking A Selfie Before It Was Cool.”
29
“My mom took a selfie in 1966.”
