The Rest Is History

**Unlock the full episode and the complete History in Photos mini series by joining The Rest Is History Club at therestishistory.com** Why are there only three confirmed photographs of Blues-legend Robert Johnson? How did Art Kane’s photo of 1950’s NYC Jazz musicians Great Day In Harlem serve as a symbol of American segregation? And, what is the connection between David Bowie’s face paint on the Aladdin Sane album cover, Elvis Presley, and the Templar Christian Brotherhood? In today’s episode of our new member’s-only mini-series, Dominic is joined by photographer Chris Floyd to discuss iconic photographs of the most famous and influential 20th century musicians.  Getty Images has one of the largest and oldest privately held archives globally with access to over 150 million images dating back to the beginning of photography. From historical images created in the early 1800s to more contemporary 1990s imagery, the Getty Images archive houses a wealth of socially significant, historical photos, videos and prints, and includes content from over 40 editorial content partners including Gamma-Rapho, Paris Match, The Bettmann Archive, Sygma and Motorsport Images. Our archive video collection contains 3.1 million hours of offline video footage and includes partners such as NBC News Archives, ITN, Sky News and the BBC Motion Gallery. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Japan’s samurai first emerged from the provinces and rose above the aristocracy. The conversation explores frontier horsemen, imperial clans, courtly disdain for war, and the explosive legend of Masakado’s severed head. It also looks at how samurai myth was built, from bushido to the long afterlife of warrior rule.

A white supremacist movement turns itself into family entertainment, mass recruitment, and political theater. The story follows the women who helped power it, the war zone violence beneath the pageantry, and the ruthless internal coup that reshaped its leadership. Then come election misfires, a shocking Indiana scandal, and a dramatic collapse.

Chris Floyd, a British portrait and editorial photographer, explores the images that came to define modern revolutions. He gets into Abbas’s extraordinary access during the Iranian Revolution. He looks at the failed US rescue mission as a symbol of humiliation. He also unpacks mob imagery, black and white austerity, and how photographs can capture power shifting in real time.

A violent secret society is reborn as a slick national movement. Hollywood mythmaking, fraternal club culture, and ruthless sales tactics fuel its explosive rise. The story follows anti-Catholic panic, prohibition vigilantism, political ambition, and the terror lurking beneath a veneer of respectability.

Reconstruction America turns into a political battlefield. The story follows election intimidation, racist backlash, and the spread of organized terror across the South. There is a look at why federal authorities hesitated, how South Carolina became a flashpoint, and how Grant finally struck back. It also traces how later myths helped revive the movement.

A dark dive into how the Ku Klux Klan emerged from the wreckage of the Civil War. It explores Reconstruction, black voting rights, secret rituals, public parades, and the slide from bizarre costumes to organized terror. The story moves from Pulaski to national politics as white supremacy hardens into a violent movement.

Samuel Johnson’s final years are filled with love, jealousy, scandal, and dread. There’s heartbreak over Hester Thrale, fury from Boswell, and a terrifying fear of madness and damnation. It also follows the race to preserve Johnson’s life in writing, as grief and rivalry help create a new kind of biography.

A rambunctious travelogue through Scotland with vivid Highland scenes, clan encounters and storm‑trapped antics. They trace routes tied to Culloden and debate the 1707 union. Stories of Iona’s ruins, Flora MacDonald, pony quarrels and theatrical impersonations add humor and tension. The journey yields material for big books and personal rivalries.

Scandalous London life in the 18th century, with clubs, fashion, and rampant libertinism. The wild sexual adventures and debts of James Boswell and his appetite for celebrity. The famous first meeting and evolving friendship with Samuel Johnson. Boswell’s European travels, meetings with Rousseau, Voltaire, and Pasquale Paoli, and his zeal for Corsican liberty.