Posts

It was born out of a need to move troops and material across the Atlantic Ocean, wherein in 1942, German submarines were sinking hundreds of Allied ships. Henry Kaiser, the steel magnate, and shipbuilder conceived the idea of a massive flying transport and turned to Howard Hughes to design and build it. Hughes took on the task, made even more challenging by the government’s restrictions on materials critical to the war effort, such as steel and aluminum....

These individuals were famously known as “Teddy Boys.” Their distinctive appearance featured meticulously groomed hairstyles, long suit jackets, stylish waistcoats, slim neckties, and narrow trousers. The Teddy Boy aesthetic served as a notable departure from the prevailing atmosphere of postwar austerity and frugality. Remarkably, some working-class Teddy Boys were willing to invest more than two weeks’ worth of their wages into acquiring a meticulously tailored suit. Notably, a portion of the Teddy Boy community became associated with gangs and garnered a reputation for hooliganism and delinquency....

Zander’s vision of regular exertion using machines to honor health and well-being was certainly a novel idea in an age when the rising industrialization and mechanization moved millions of people into a more sedentary life. Incorporating machinery allowed for less exertion, opening up therapeutic movement to those with injuries, deformities, and those just not in good enough shape. Zander devised nearly one hundred machines to give his exercises and manipulations, and his system of mechanotherapy did enjoy wide popularity in Europe and considerable following in North America....

He traveled around the country, interviewing thousands of children in working settings and documenting the harsh reality through photographs such as the bike messengers, newsies, miners, etc. Hine traveled to Eastport, the birthplace of the American sardine industry, where a lot of children were still working in the sardine business. The result is a lurid series of pictures. Eastport is a small town in the state of Maine, consisting of a small group of islands....

These tactics proved successful, especially during the holiday season when stores cranked it up a notch, transforming windows once simply reserved for stores’ wares into more intricate installations that had less to do with advertising and more to do with crafting something purely decorative. The photos were originally taken for the George Bain Agency, one of America’s earliest news picture agencies. The agency created photographs for worldwide distribution, but there was a special emphasis on life in New York City....

Think about that buddy who dressed up their dog in matching sweaters for the family Christmas card – or the neighbor who treats their cat like royalty. Well, these charming quirks aren’t recent; they’ve been happening for a long time. Step into the past with these cool vintage photos, and you’ll see the timeless love and sometimes hilarious craziness between people and their pets. These old snapshots reveal a history of joy, laughter, and a bit of wackiness....

The site for the durbar was in northwest Delhi and a city of tents came up across 25 square miles. At the center of the camp was the King’s pavilion, spread over 85 acres. Camps of officials and Indian princes were located in order of precedence. The camp had its own railway, connecting it to the amphitheatre where the durbar was held. Sixty four kilometers of new roads and 80 km long water mains were constructed....

First appearing in 1920 at the Kansas Free Fair, Fitter Family competitions, continued all the way until WWII. There were several different categories that families were judged in the size of the family, overall attractiveness, and health of the family, all of which helped to determine the likelihood of having healthy children. These competitions promoted certain physical and mental qualities. To compete for the title of a “Fitter Family”, a “healthy” family generally had to provide a family history ahead of time....

As the nascent commercial aviation industry sought to lure well-heeled travelers into the air, airline managers and stewardesses together defined the new field of in-flight passenger service around the social ideal of the “hostess.” A stewardess’s foremost duty was to mobilize the nurturing instincts and domestic skills to serve passengers, much as middle-class, white women were expected to treat guests in their own homes. The early airlines’ crystallizing idea of the stewardess alose demanded, however, that the hostess to be as desirable as she was nurturing....

The years between 1880 and 1920 changed American cities as they went through a period of industrial progress, and to make room for more important buildings, many of the old ones were torn down. Moreover, in the post-war US, many structures that represented technical achievements just years before became outdated and were demolished. In this article, we have collected some of the most incredible buildings, train stations, offices, hotels, and many other architectural gems that no longer exist....

Hailed as the highest-earning pin-up star of the 1950s, she earned recognition as one of the earliest supermodels. Her presence graced the pages of countless prestigious magazines like LIFE, Time, Fortune, and Look. Additionally, she made history by becoming the first model to own the rights to many of her photographs and negatives—a groundbreaking achievement in the industry. Note: Prints of these pictures can be purchased via Betty’s official site: bettybrosmer....

Taken a few minutes after a Japanese air attack on civilians during the Battle of Shanghai, Hearst Corporation photographer H. S. “Newsreel” Wong, did not discover the identity or even the sex of the injured child, whose mother lay dead nearby. One of the most memorable war photographs ever published, and perhaps the most famous newsreel scene of the 1930s, the image stimulated an outpouring of western anger against Japanese violence in China....

After Gunn’s murder, Britton began flying across the state to Pensacola weekly in order to perform abortions at the Pensacola Ladies’ Center. Because he had received harassment and death threats, he wore a homemade bulletproof vest, carried a .357 Magnum, and enlisted volunteer bodyguards. Britton was notably ambivalent about abortion: he was vocal about his personal opposition to the procedure, and would sometimes turn away women seeking it, telling them to think about the decision and come back in a week if they still wanted an abortion....

While walking with Dr. Frank Aydelotte, the former head of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Mrs. Aydelotte back to their car, reporters followed trying to get shots of Einstein. UPI photographer Arthur Sasse let the crowd of reporters take their pictures and when the crowd had dispersed walked up close to the car and said: “Ya, Professor, smile for your birthday picture, Ya?”. Einstein thought the photographer wouldn’t be fast enough stuck his tongue out and quickly turned his head away....

Other pictures show kids at the fountain, sweethearts waiting for the boats, people sitting on benches and enjoying the sun, sailors from the US Navy enjoying their shore leave, a cop playing with a child. As we can see, American soldiers may have been fighting for their lives on the battlefields of Europe, but back home, life was chugging along with some semblance of normality. Collins was part of the Office of War Information Agency, tasked by the US government to create and distribute information and propaganda about the war effort at home and abroad....

After the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Government swiftly moved to begin solving the “Japanese Problem” on the West Coast of the United States. In the evening hours of that same day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested selected “enemy” aliens, including more than 5,500 Issei men. Many citizens in California were alarmed about potential activities by people of Japanese descent. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D....

By this time, automobiles were becoming more commonplace, the Wright brothers had made their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, and millions of homes were being outfitted with electricity due to the working populace having shifted to urban housing during the industrial revolution. And then you have this guy, the lone cowboy and his horse on the prairie, a living relic of a dying era. The cowboy of myth and reality had his beginnings in Texas....

Mistakes in performing the hanging, and the surrounding media circus, contributed to the end of public executions in the United States. During the early morning of June 7, 1936, Bethea entered the home of Lischia Edwards on East Fifth Street by climbing onto the roof of an outbuilding next door. After removing a screen from her window, he entered the room, waking her. Bethea then choked Edwards and violently raped her....

Through a rare collection of amazing photographs, we’ll explore the old neighborhoods, the Parthenon, and the many other iconic landmarks that have defined Athens for generations. In 1832, Otto, Prince of Bavaria, was proclaimed King of Greece. He adopted the Greek spelling of his name, King Othon, as well as Greek national dress, and made it one of his first tasks as king to conduct a detailed archaeological and topographical survey of Athens, his new capital....

As a testament to this pivotal era, a collection of rare photographs provides a unique glimpse into the Moscow of yesteryears. Architecturally, Moscow was also undergoing a metamorphosis. In 1812, Napoleon’s army had set fire to the city, causing widespread destruction. However, by the late 19th century, ambitious reconstruction projects were well underway. Landmarks such as the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Bolshoi Theatre, and the Moscow State University were built during this period and continue to define Moscow’s skyline....