The Flagpole Sitting Trend of the 1920s Was Widely Popularized in the U.S by Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly

Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly (May 11, 1893 – October 11, 1952), a prolific pole sitter who first publicized flagpole sitting in the country, attracted massive crowds and set off national adoration for the trend. Peculiar as it may seem to audiences today, the 1920s was ablaze with pole sitting fever, and the fad became especially popularContinue reading “The Flagpole Sitting Trend of the 1920s Was Widely Popularized in the U.S by Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly”

The Amazing Story of Alla Ilchun, the Kazakh Muse of Christian Dior

Alla Ilchun (1926 – March 8, 1989) was the first Euro-Asian model who has worked for twenty years at Dior. She was famous for her waist of 49 cm and eyeliner arrows. Information about the family and the ancestors of Alla Ilchun is not very much preserved. Her father, Zhuanhal Ilchun, was allegedly a railwayContinue reading “The Amazing Story of Alla Ilchun, the Kazakh Muse of Christian Dior”

Photos of the Cast of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ (1975)

Welcome Back, Kotter is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial class called the “Sweathogs”. Recorded in front of a live studio audience, it originally aired on ABC from September 9, 1975, to May 17, 1979. The show enjoyed ratings success duringContinue reading “Photos of the Cast of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ (1975)”

The Story of the Cardiff Giant, the Greatest Hoax in American History

The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous hoaxes in American history. It was a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m), 3,000 pound purported “petrified man” uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. “Stub” Newell in Cardiff, New York. He covered the giant with a tent and itContinue reading “The Story of the Cardiff Giant, the Greatest Hoax in American History”

Fabulous Vintage Photos of Actress Cara Williams From the 1940s to the 1960s

Born 1925 as Bernice Kamiat in Flatbush, Brooklyn, American actress Cara Williams had her first credited role was in the 1941 western Wide Open Town. She followed this with the dramas Girls Town (1942) and Happy Land (1943) with Don Ameche. Williams is best known for her role as “Billy’s Mother” in The Defiant OnesContinue reading “Fabulous Vintage Photos of Actress Cara Williams From the 1940s to the 1960s”

Amazing Vintage Photos of Automobiles From Between the 1900s and 1920s

The automotive industry in the United States began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass-production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The motor vehicle industry began with hundreds of manufacturers, but by the end of the 1920s it was dominated byContinue reading “Amazing Vintage Photos of Automobiles From Between the 1900s and 1920s”

Amazing Photos of Calamity Jane in the Late 19th Century

“In fact I was at all times along with the men,” Martha Cannary Burke records in her brief 1896 autobiographical pamphlet, “when there was excitement or adventure to be had.” The words are straightforward and plain, like the rest of her narrative, with little room left for rhetorical flourish. This is probably due to theContinue reading “Amazing Photos of Calamity Jane in the Late 19th Century”

Fabulous Photos of a 25-Year-Old Cab Calloway in 1933

Born 1907 in Rochester, New York, American jazz singer, dancer and actor Cab Calloway was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years.Continue reading “Fabulous Photos of a 25-Year-Old Cab Calloway in 1933”

Beautiful Vintage Postcards of the Glamorous Butlin’s Ocean Hotel in Saltdean, England

Opened in 1938 the Ocean Hotel occupied a site of around 4 acres with 344 bedrooms and a dining hall that could seat 300 people. It consisted of a main building shaped like a crescent which contained the whole of the public rooms and some of the bedrooms, and there were six other buildings whichContinue reading “Beautiful Vintage Postcards of the Glamorous Butlin’s Ocean Hotel in Saltdean, England”

In 1948, Burlesque Dancer Stacy “Stormy” Lawrence Did a Surprise Striptease for the Students at Louisiana State University

The event was actually a school run event in front of a field house on campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. One of the students came up with this stunt because he wanted to generate a campus prank story since he was running for student body president. This same student also was atContinue reading “In 1948, Burlesque Dancer Stacy “Stormy” Lawrence Did a Surprise Striptease for the Students at Louisiana State University”