Stunning Black and White Photos of Life in London in the 1950s

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Casparus Bernardus Oorthuys (1 November 1908 – 22 July 1975), known as Cas Oorthuys, was a Dutch photographer and designer. Oorthuys first took up photography after he joined the free-thinking Dutch Association of Abstinent Students in the architecture department of the Haarlem MTS.

In 1936, Oorthuys became permanent photographer at De Arbeiderspers. He produced photography and graphics for communist and anti-fascist organizations; and in the tradition of “workers’ photography” he documented poverty, police violence, the unemployed, homeless people and evictions for magazines, book illustrations and book covers and exhibitions.

During the German Occupation, Oorthuys became involved in the Personal Identification Centre established in 1942 and made passport photos for fake ID cards. In May 1944, Oorthuys was arrested by the Germans and imprisoned in camp Amersfoort. Unexpectedly, he was released again in August. On release Oorthuys connected with De Ondergedoken Camera and documented the activities of the German occupiers, and also the awful Hongerwinter, the Dutch famine of 1944–45. During the postwar recovery he recorded the Nuremberg war crimes trials and the rebuilding of his homeland.

Take a look at London in the 1950s through these 23 stunning black and white photographs taken by Oorthuys:

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51 Amazingly Gorgeous Photos of Supermodel Cindy Crawford

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Cynthia Ann Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American model, actress and television personality. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers and runways, as well as fashion campaigns. She subsequently expanded into acting and business ventures.

Crawford is an icon who’s had a lasting impact on the fashion world. Her All-American look highlighted by a beauty mark on her upper lip became an instant sensation when she hit the scene in 1986. The mother of two has since graced countless magazine covers for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar Elle and stared in major designer campaigns for brands like Chanel, Versace and Calvin Klein.

Crawford helped pioneer ’90s All-American style with simple silhouettes, neutral palettes and comfortable, easy fabrics. Her inimitable and innate sense of style has had a lasting impact on both street style and high fashion. In honor of her milestone birthday, below are 50 of Crawford’s most iconic style moments.

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Vintage Photos Show What Young Couples Wore in the 1940s

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World War II dominated the first half of the 1940s as well as fashions in the Western world. Materials such as silk, nylon, wool, leather, rubber, and zippers were needed in wartime production. Clothing was rationed in the United States and parts of Europe. 1940s fashion designers had to be efficient and innovative in how they made suits, dresses, and shoes.

The typical 1940s female dress silhouette was like a uniform: simple and fitted, with boxy shoulders, a slim-belted waistline, and a hemline below the knee. In cold weather, you might see women in long-sleeved dress suits of a similar shape.

Women in the 1940s typically wore their hair shoulder-length or longer, without bangs, styled with waves and rolls. The “victory roll” helped women manage long hairstyles during a hard day’s work; they could unroll it later into shapely waves.

During the 1940s, men not in uniform often wore suits in public. Many made do with older suits from the 1930s. Suit vests fell out of favor as an excess use of fabric. New suits were made with a wool-rayon blend instead of wool and often with patterned (especially striped) fabric.

Here is a vintage photo collection that shows what young couples looked like during the 1940s.

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30 Amazing Photos Show Street Scenes of Amsterdam During the 1930s

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Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands. It is colloquially referred to as the “Venice of the North”, attributed by the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Amsterdam is well known for its nightlife and festival activity; with several of its nightclubs (Melkweg, Paradiso) among the world’s most famous. Primarily known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled façades; well-preserved legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Cycling is also key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.

The Port of Amsterdam is the fifth largest in Europe. The KLM hub and Amsterdam’s main airport, Schiphol, is the Netherlands’ busiest airport as well as the third busiest in Europe and 11th busiest airport in the world. The Dutch capital is considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with at least 177 nationalities represented.

These rare vintage photos show what street scenes of Amsterdam looked like in the 1930s.

Rapenburg, Amsterdam, 1930

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Beautiful Portraits of Eva Gabor in the 1940s and 1950s

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Born 1919 in in Budapest, Hungarian-American actress and singer Eva Gabor had her first movie role in the U.S. in 1941’s Forced Landing at Paramount Pictures. During the 1950s, she appeared in several feature films, including The Last Time I Saw Paris, and Artists and Models. These roles were bit parts.

In 1953, Gabor was given her own television talk show, The Eva Gabor Show, which ran for one season (1953–54). Through the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s she appeared on television and in movies.

Gabor was widely known for her role on the 1965–71 television sitcom Green Acres as Lisa Douglas, the wife of Eddie Albert’s character Oliver Wendell Douglas. She was successful as an actress in film, on Broadway, and on television. She was also a successful businesswoman, marketing wigs, clothing, and beauty products. Her elder sisters, Zsa Zsa and Magda Gabor, were also actresses and socialites.

Gabor died in Los Angeles on Independence Day 1995 at the age of 76, from respiratory failure and pneumonia, following a fall in a bathtub in Mexico, where she had been on vacation.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see portrait of a young and beautiful Eva Gabor in the 1940s and 1950s.

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Yesterday Today: September 1, 2024

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Aboard the U.S.S. New York, 1896. “Ship’s tailor.” The dog is Nick.

Bathing Beauties, ca. 1910s

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Fascinating Black and White Photos of Life in Britain in 1939

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Boys release toy balloons bearing appeals for the Doctor Barnardo’s Home at Stepney, London, August 1939

After the German invasion of Poland, The King declared war in September 1939.

In preparation for war, Britain undertakes measures including calling up of troops, citizens returning home from abroad, children rehearsing safety drills. The government also thought of all the possible dangers and difficulties the Home Front would face and started to take precautions.

Boys release toy balloons bearing appeals for the Doctor Barnardo’s Home at Stepney, London, August 1939

Take a look at life in Britain in 1939 through these fascinating black and white photographs.

The ladies’ rifle team of Downe House School in Berkshire set out for a practice session with their guns, April 1939

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Life in America in the 1970s and 1980s

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Kansas City, Kansas, May 1983

McLean, Virginia, December 1978

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Wild West Wednesdays, Part 2 (a day late) – The Death of Outlaw Johnny Ringo

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45 Beautiful Vintage Photos of Actress Barbara Britton During the 1950s and 1960s

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Born 1919 in Long Beach, California, American actress Barbara Britton was soon signed to a Paramount Pictures contract when a photo of her while appearing in a Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade was used on the front page of a local newspaper in 1941. Britton’s first major film appearance was in a small role in Reap the Wild Wind (1942).

During the 1940s, Britton starred in three films for which she is most recognized today. The first was the 1945 film Captain Kidd, followed by The Virginian in 1946, and the third was the 1947 film Gunfighters. In total, she starred or appeared in 26 films during that decade.

Britton starred in the 1950s television show Mr. and Mrs. North. She was probably best known for being the spokesperson for Revlon products in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in advertisements and commercials that included live spots on The $64,000 Question. She also portrayed Laura Petrie in Carl Reiner’s Head of the Family, the 1959 pilot for the later Dick Van Dyke Show.

One of Britton’s last roles was on the daytime television soap opera One Life to Live in 1979. She died of pancreatic cancer at her Manhattan apartment in 1980, at the age of 60.

In 1948, Britton was given a key to the City of Long Beach, California. In 1960, she received a star for television on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; her star is located at 1719 Vine Street.

Take a look at these glamorous photos to see the beauty of Barbara Britton in the 1950s and 1960s.

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