Category Archives: female

Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920

A mug shot is a photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is arrested. The original purpose of the mug shot was to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of an arrested individual to allow for identification by victims, the public and investigators. After the defeatContinue reading “Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920”

22 Vintage Photos of Marilyn Monroe’s Wardrobe Tests as Lorelei Lee in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953)

Increased press coverage of Marilyn brought headaches, but it also contributed to an improvement in her status at Twentieth Century-Fox throughout the production of Niagara. On June 1, 1952, Fox gave Marilyn a surprise birthday present — the news that she would star as Lorelei Lee in the film version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. AContinue reading “22 Vintage Photos of Marilyn Monroe’s Wardrobe Tests as Lorelei Lee in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953)”

The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852

Considered to be the first photograph of a woman smoking, this is Lola Montez’s portrait by Southworth & Hawes. A savvy self-promoter, Lola Montez is the first woman ever to be photographed smoking. She made sure the cigarette is the focus of the picture. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) This is Lola’s third and most provocativeContinue reading “The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852”

40 Beautiful Photos of Ann Blyth in the 1940s and 1950s

Born 1928 in Mount Kisco, New York, American actress Ann Blyth performed on children’s radio shows in New York for six years, making her first appearance when she was five. When she was nine, she joined the New York Children’s Opera Company. Blyth had her first acting role on Broadway in Lillian Hellman’s Watch onContinue reading “40 Beautiful Photos of Ann Blyth in the 1940s and 1950s”

Women Paint “Stockings” on Their Legs at a Store in Croydon, London, 1941

Wallace Carothers produced the first nylon fiber in 1935, but it was the 1939 World’s Fair that first introduced the nylon stocking to the public. It was marketed as a fabric made from “carbon, water and air.“ Cheap and durable, better in appearance than silk, nylon soon became the material of choice for manufacturing women’sContinue reading “Women Paint “Stockings” on Their Legs at a Store in Croydon, London, 1941”

Group Portraits of Women’s Ice Hockey Teams From the Early 20th Century

Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere, primarily bandy, hurling, shinty and lacrosse. Arguably the games most influential to the early design of ice hockey were early forms of an organized sport today known asContinue reading “Group Portraits of Women’s Ice Hockey Teams From the Early 20th Century”

A Look At Women’s Fashion in 1972

By 1972, the feel of the peppy mod sixties had faded away. In its place was a style that combined elements from the hippy counter-culture – by now, no longer really even “counter”, but a mainstream ideal embraced by the largest generation ever, the Baby Boomers. Additionally, Women’s Lib had its impact, with pants forContinue reading “A Look At Women’s Fashion in 1972”

Crazy Double-Faced Swimming Caps of the Late 1950s

These vintage crazy swimming caps were invented by a Long Island housewife, Betty Geib, to amuse her children. After they flew off the rack at a church bazaar, she started a new business, Betty Darling, selling her wares for $3 to $6. The caps featured indeed funny masklike faces and motifs including a sea serpent,Continue reading “Crazy Double-Faced Swimming Caps of the Late 1950s”

40 Wonderful Portrait Photos of Women Posing With Their Books From the Mid-19th Century

Women formed a large and increasing part of the new novel-reading public. The traditional discrepancy between male and female literacy rates was narrowed, and finally eliminated by the end of the 19th century. The gap had always been the widest at the lowest end of the social scale. Perhaps more women than we realize couldContinue reading “40 Wonderful Portrait Photos of Women Posing With Their Books From the Mid-19th Century”