Medieval Toilets in Castles

The medieval toilet or latrine, then called a privy or garderobe, was a primitive affair, but in a castle, one might find a little more comfort and certainly a great deal more design effort than had been invested elsewhere. Practicality, privacy, and efficient waste disposal were all considered and, even today, one of the mostContinue reading “Medieval Toilets in Castles”

Actress Wanda Hendrix Visiting Mildred Alexander’s Motel for Cats in San Francisco, 1947

Mildred Alexander gave new meaning to the term “cathouse!” She operated a Sherman Oaks cat motel with 30 units that took up nearly an acre of ground. Each feline was housed in a little bungalow and provided with a customized menu that might include lobster or ice water in crystal goblets. Adult cats had barrelContinue reading “Actress Wanda Hendrix Visiting Mildred Alexander’s Motel for Cats in San Francisco, 1947”

50 Amazing Photos of New Zealand in the 1970s

New Zealand’s population reached three million in late 1973. The rate of natural increase then slowed as the contraceptive pill became more widely used and an economic downturn meant that young couples were less eager to start families. There were also more emigrants and fewer immigrants. The population had only reached 3.2 million by theContinue reading “50 Amazing Photos of New Zealand in the 1970s”

Needlework & Crafts: Do-It-Yourself Fashion From 1971 and 1972

Fashion trends come and go every year, however, nowadays consumers are challenging the fashion industry to take on more ethically sustainable practices, as fast fashion has already been a major issue in the world. One not-so-difficult way to solve this problem is “do-it-yourself” fashion, which not only paves the way for creativity to flourish butContinue reading “Needlework & Crafts: Do-It-Yourself Fashion From 1971 and 1972”

Natalie Wood Roller Skating in ‘The Last Married Couple in America’ (1980)

The Last Married Couple in America is a 1980 comedy film released in the US. It was directed by Gilbert Cates, whose most successful film Oh, God! Book II, was released in the same year. The film starred George Segal and Natalie Wood as a California couple in the late 1970s struggling to maintain theirContinue reading “Natalie Wood Roller Skating in ‘The Last Married Couple in America’ (1980)”

32 Daguerreotypes of Mothers Posing With Their Children From the Mid-19th Century

A daguerreotype is a single reversed image, made as a direct positive onto a silvered copper plate. Its reflective surface is an easy way to tell the difference between a daguerreotype and an early photograph taken using a different technique. The image is made of a combination of silver and mercury, resting on that plate.Continue reading “32 Daguerreotypes of Mothers Posing With Their Children From the Mid-19th Century”

Photos of Attendees at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California in 1969

The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It was founded on October 3, 1958 by jazz disc jockey Jimmy Lyons. The festival is held annually on the 20-acre (8 ha), oak-studded Monterey County Fairgrounds, located at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, on the third fullContinue reading “Photos of Attendees at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California in 1969”

Handsome Photos of Actor Montgomery Clift During the Filming of ‘Red River’ (1948)

Red River is a 1948 American Western film, directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. It gives a fictional account of the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. The dramatic tension stems from a growing feud over the management of the drive, between theContinue reading “Handsome Photos of Actor Montgomery Clift During the Filming of ‘Red River’ (1948)”

Rare Photographs of New York City’s Parade at the End of World War I

On March 25, 1919, 20,000 men of the New York National Guard’s 27th Division owned the streets of Manhattan. Two million people turned out to see the division march five miles up Fifth Avenue after they came home from World War I. City officials estimated Manhattan’s population grew by 500,000 as people came from upstateContinue reading “Rare Photographs of New York City’s Parade at the End of World War I”

Myrtle Crawford: One of the Leading Models of the Late 1940s and Early 1950s

Born 1928 in Stirling, Scottish model Myrtle Crawford started modeling in a small way. She joined the Jean Bell modeling agency, sharing a flat with another top model of the day, Susan Abraham. At 36-19-36, Crawford’s hourglass figure was highly fashionable in the early 1950s. She worked with many celebrated photographers of the day, includingContinue reading “Myrtle Crawford: One of the Leading Models of the Late 1940s and Early 1950s”