Weird Inventions From the 1940s

Facing a decrease in demand during the war years, the Los Angeles Brush Manufacturing Corporation created a catalog full of facetious inventions, simply “to take their minds off the ugly fact that they had no brushes to sell.” In a photo shoot by Allan Grant published in LIFE in 1947, actress Olga San Juan andContinue reading “Weird Inventions From the 1940s”

The Volkswagen Theory of Evolution – How the VW Beetle Changed Over the Years

Here’s a scan of a Volkswagen advertisement from 1963. The ad features a grid of black and white photos of the VW Beetle from 1949 to 1963 in order to highlight how little the Beetle’s design changed during that period. The ad is titled “The Volkswagen Theory of Evolution.” Can you spot the Volkswagen withContinue reading “The Volkswagen Theory of Evolution – How the VW Beetle Changed Over the Years”

Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story Behind “a Boy Left His Bike Chained to a Tree When He Went Away to War in 1914”

The kids’ bicycle embedded into a tree is a bit of a tourist attraction on Vashon Island, Washington, just outside of Seattle. It’s also become a source of folklore and fake internet stories. The most famous of the fakes is that a young boy went off to fight in WWI and left his bike upContinue reading “Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story Behind “a Boy Left His Bike Chained to a Tree When He Went Away to War in 1914””

Harrowing Pictures Showing the Brutality of the Vietnam War in 1966

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by theContinue reading “Harrowing Pictures Showing the Brutality of the Vietnam War in 1966”

Five Shots of a Woman Braving the Streets of Mexico City, 1950

A women being watched and harassed in Mexico City, Mexico in 1950. There are 5 pictures of her being watched by men everywhere she went. (Note: She has been identified as Mexican movie and television actress Maty Huitrón.)

13 Amazing Colorized Photos of Refugees During World War II

Refugees crossed these same passageways 70 years ago. But they were not Syrians and they traveled in the opposite direction. At the height of World War II, the Middle East Relief and Refugee Administration (MERRA) operated camps in Syria, Egypt and Palestine where tens of thousands of people from across Europe sought refuge. MERRA wasContinue reading “13 Amazing Colorized Photos of Refugees During World War II”

Amazing Vintage Photos Reveal How Babies Used to Travel With Family on Airplanes in the 1950s

Flying with children has never been easy. But before the days of special seat belt attachments and sky nannies parents took a more cavalier approach to childcare, simply placing babies in cradles that hung above their heads. Incredible vintage images, dating back to the 1950s, have emerged revealing that ‘skycots’ were attached to the overheadContinue reading “Amazing Vintage Photos Reveal How Babies Used to Travel With Family on Airplanes in the 1950s”

14 Wonderful Anthony Bourdain Childhood Photos Before He Became One of the Most Influential Chefs in the World

“I have the best job in the world. If I’m unhappy, it’s a failure of imagination.” Born on June 25, 1956, in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Anthony Bourdain knew he’d be a chef while vacationing on the coast on France with his parents as a boy. A local fisherman offered himContinue reading “14 Wonderful Anthony Bourdain Childhood Photos Before He Became One of the Most Influential Chefs in the World”

12 Beautiful Colorized Photos of Beauty Queens of the 1920s

These stunning images of 1920s beauty queens reveal how ideas of beauty have changed – and how they haven’t – in the last 100 years. The photographs were colorized by Irish artist Matt Loughrey of My Colorful Past.“I think they deserved to be seen in colour as they were. A lot of these photographs wereContinue reading “12 Beautiful Colorized Photos of Beauty Queens of the 1920s”