Pictures from way back

[Myth]

These are all from Bulgaria, but still you might find them interesting


A German squad of hussars crosses the streets of the city of Struga during World War 1.


Military encampment of Russian cossacks near Byala - 1877


Soldiers and officers from the 34th Troyan infantry regiment with the plethora of captured British munitions - rifles, machine guns, helmets. Doyran, the summer of 1917


The motorized police escort of general Hermann Göring (prime minister of Prussia and supreme commander of the Luftwaffe) during his visit in Sofia, 26th of May 1935


Sofia, "San Stefano" str., the corner with "Sheynovo" str. - clearing the debris left over from the "Prosheck Brothers" brewery which was damaged during the allied bombings, probably during the spring of 1944

[Fragony]

Fascinating pics. Love the smug face of the guy in the car in pic 4

[Gregoshi]

The clarity of the third picture (captured munitions) is outstanding. I'm so used to seeing fuzzy old pictures.

[Hamburger]

Thanks alot

indeed there are much worse cities and Buildings that allies destroyed it purposefully.

[Myth]

Go to http://www.lostbulgaria.com/ to see more. If you are intersted in the context of one in particular, point it out to me (right click - copy image URL or some such) and I will translate the caption. Note that when you select a year on top, then on the bottom you have dozens of pages of images (first I thought we only had 5 per decade)

Adding a few more:

Romanian soldiers from the Second infantry battalion (vanatori) during drill instruction, 1877


Russian cavalrymen resting in front of their dugouts in the military camp near Pleven, 1877


The Romanian king Karol I with his guards in front of his headquarters in Podrim in 1877


The Emperor's Guard - cossacks from Kuban, Ploesht 1877


Russian officers on Bulgarian soil in front of one of the pontoon bridges over the Danube river, built to facilitate the crossing of the Russian armies from Romania. In the center you can see major-general Alexander Richter, overseer of the building of the pontoon bridges, 1877.


Russian officers on their way to Pleven, 1877


A fortified pier used by the Russian army near Kalafat, Romania 1877


Fortified Russian battery on the Romanian shore of the Danube near Korabya, 1877

[Fragony]

They are awesome, but also perfectly composed. I'd go to an exposition to see them if it was close.

[rvg]

Amazing

[Myth]

A few more:
@Kagemusha
Officers and petty officers from the Finnish guard, participants in the Russo-Turkish War on the side of Russia, 1878


Zeybekler or zebeymen - an ethnicity hailing from southwest Turkey, mobilized in the Turkish army as reserves, known as "bashibozuks" in Bulgaria. Picture taken in Istanbul in 1870.
Troops famous for their severity and the atrocities they committed. Lots of rape was handed around free of charge.


Varna, the trade station. Railwaymen and the head of the station posing in front of one of the first 8 steam locomotives, supplied by English manufacturer Sharp Stewart - Manchester in 1868 to facilitate the railway between Ruse and Varna. The picture dates from the 80s of the XIX century.


The commander of the 17th Tyrnovo infantry company with officers and soldiers in front of the constituent аssembly building (former konak), April 1880
This is taken in my home town of Veliko Tyrnovo and the building still stands today.


The building today:

[Kagemusha]

Thanks for posting these! Great stuff!

[Myth]

last for today:

Bulgarian officers enjoying a pint, 1890


Packthread maker, end of the XIX century

[Hamburger]

where you have found these?

my thanks are not enough for you dear Myth,...

[Myth]

I've provided the link in the second post.

[Myth]

More pics:

Russian soldiers guarding Turkish canons which were captured under Philippopolis (Plovdiv), 1878


Guards from the Finnish regiment (from the Russian army) - a picture taken a as a memento with two Bulgarian children,


Russian heavy artillery positions near Korabia, Romania, 1877


The great Kynaz Sergey Aleksandrovich (in the middle), colonel Vladimir Vladimirovich Skryatin (mounted) and Prince Alexander fon Battenberg (on the right), Podrim, 1877


28 cm. Turkish canon from the defensive system of the Medjidi Tabya fort near Silistra, 1877


The Russian Emperor Alexander II with his guard attending the siege of Pleven, 1877


Russian military musicians and a Bulgarian street peddler in front of the St. Sofia church after the liberation of the capitol. Sofia, 1878


This is how it looks like today:


Knyaz Ferdinand's train wagon, 1893


Portrait of Knyaginya Nadejda, Sofia, 1908 (authored by Georg Woltz)


Soldiers and petty officers from the 6th Turnovo infantry regiment, part of the first Sofia infantry division, with an Maxim MG08 machine gun. Sofia, 1910

[Fragony]

Incredibly fascinating I could look at these pics for hours. Keep'm comming.

[Myth]

I want to make note that I have an officer's sabre as seen in the pics. The blade has gotten dark, I need a safe way to restore it to shinyness. Mine i from the Balkan wars AFAIK. My great-great grandfather was named Goran. He went to the USA and made enough money working there to come back and buy a flower mill. He served alongside his brother in the war. As his brother got killed in the trenches, someone shouted "Goran, they've killed your brother!" He immediately raised his head and got shot in the forehead.

I can't imagine but think how much better my family would have been if he had become successful but somehow managed to doge the nationalizations after the communist coup. That sabre though, it has a bronze lion's head near the crossguard and its made of fine quality steel (albeit not stainless). Any advice on how to restore it are welcome.

I used to have a broken flintlock from before the liberation, but my father sold it without my knowledge. For pennies nonetheless!

[Fragony]

Put the sword in a bath of coca-cola for a night, most should be gone. Yes that stuff is really good for you. Just saved you a lot of money.

Edit: check the sword for a number, just above your hand, you might not be able to see it now because it's filled up. If there is one you might be able to find out who it belonged to if you check the military records. These swords aren't worth a lot, but coolness is high.

[Myth]

Used to drink 2 liters per day. Now I don't touch the stuff. I drink mainly water, and beer on occasion. And whiskey if I'm out.

[Fragony]

Used to drink 2 liters per day. Now I don't touch the stuff.

Good, it's trash. But it's excellent for fixing metal, your sword is black because of metal-oxidation. You are not going to get it all shiny with it mind you.

[Myth]

I'll take a picture this weekend and post it here (if I don't forget)

[edyzmedieval]

I love the pictures of the Romanian army, really really nice!

[burphat]

These are great compilations of historical pictures that unveil how soldiers look like even in times of war. Those are awesome. Typical examples of art that relates to war way back. These photographs also evoke nostalgia. Great effort having those!

[Vuk]

Very interesting.