Immediately after World War II, New York City became known as one of the world’s greatest cities. However, after peaking in population in 1950, the city began to feel the effects of white flight to the suburbs, a downturn in industry and commerce as businesses left for places where it was cheaper and easier to operate, an increase in crime, and an upturn in its welfare burden, all of which eventually reached a nadir in the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, when it barely avoided defaulting on its obligations and declaring bankruptcy.
New York City has always been a glamourous destination. Whether visiting Times Square, or the Brooklyn Bridge, or even New York’s street vendors, there’s a sense of nostalgia for better days that most of us didn’t even experience first hand.
Whether you frequent the Big Apple or not, take a minute for a bit of late 1950s charm. Visit and enjoy the people and sights of a New York City past.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1937, Grady Stiles Jr., aka “Lobster Boy”, was one in a long line of people in the Stiles family, dating back to 1840, who suffered from a rare and strange physical condition known as ectrodactyly. This genetic condition was one in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities.
Grady Stiles Sr. was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival when his son was born and he jumped at the opportunity to add his son to the freak show act at the age of seven. Stiles Sr. married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly.
Many have viewed this disorder as a handicap, yet for the Stiles family it was seen, and used as, an opportunity. As far back as the 1800s, as the family grew and produced more children with unusual hands and feet, they developed a circus act: The Lobster Family, which became a carnival freak show staple throughout the early 20th century.
Grady Stiles, the Lobster Boy, as an adult (L) and as a child (R).
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From August 1914 to early 1917, the French Army shouldered much of the the fighting on the Western Front – and with astonishing endurance. In one two-week period – August 16-31, 1914 – they suffered 210,993 casualties. By comparison, British casualties numbered 164,709 in the opening month – July 1916 – of the Somme offensive.
The French Army also adapted very well to the difficulties that trench warfare presented. They perfected the art of artillery “barrage” fire and they pioneered new & fresh platoon-level infantry tactics, focused on automatic weapons and rifle grenades. While the first day of the Somme – July 1, 1916 – was a disaster for the British, the French took all of their objectives.
In early 1917, 68 French divisions suffered mutinies. But the soldiers taking part in what were effectively military strikes neither refused to defend their trenches nor abandoned France’s war aims. The army itself would rally magnificently from this near collapse and would play a critical role in the coming Allied victory of 1918. From July to November 1918, French troops would capture 139,000 German prisoners. During the same period, the American Expeditionary Force would capture 44,142 Germans.
In the 1930s the Great Depression was just getting it’s steam, the epic American historical film Gone with the Wind was in theaters and radio shows were the popular form of entertainment. The slang of the ’30s was all about the blue collar side of life from alcohol to women, gambling and more.
Giggle Juice – The 1930s slang term was used to describe alcohol, often found in illegal speakeasies during the prohibition. I.e. “What’s in this giggle juice, it’s great!”
Blow Your Wig – Used to say that someone was very excited. I.e. “Don’t blow your wig, Johnny, it’s just a new car.”
Butter and Egg Man – This 1930s slang term was used to describe a person who was the money man, someone with a lot of money, etc. I.e. “Timmy’s the new butter and egg man, he’s loaded.”
Taking the Rap/Fall – The 1930s slang term was used when someone took the blame for crimes another committed. I.e. “Did you see Davy take the rap for Tony? He’s a real stand up guy.”
Ring a Ding Ding – Used as a way to describe or express that someone had a great time at a party. I.e. “This is a great party! Ring a ding ding!”
Grifter – The 1930s slang word was used to describe someone who was a con man or woman. I.e. “I think that grifter cheated me out of my money!”
Make Tracks – This 1930s slang term was a way to say that a person has/should leave quickly, in a hurry or abruptly. I.e. “I heard your father coming home and I had to make tracks.”
Slip Me Five – Used as a way to say that a person wanted to shake hands with another. I.e. “Lou, how’s it going? Slip me five, you old dog!”
Greaseball – This slang word was a way to tell or say that someone that they was unpopular, disreputable, unworthy, etc. I.e. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Anna, but your boyfriend is a greaseball.”
Clam Bake – The 1930s slang term was used to describe a party, always in conjunction with a fun time. I.e. “My birthday party is going to be a clam bake!”
Cat/Alligator – Used as a way to describe a person who was a fan of swing music. I.e. “My friend here is a cool cat, he’s a big fan of Glenn Miller.”
Bumping Gums – This 1930s slang term was used to say that someone was talking about nothing important. I.e. “Oh, I don’t have anything special to say, just bumping gums until the mechanic get’s done with my car.”
Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname “The Great Stone Face”. Critic Roger Ebert wrote of Keaton’s “extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929” when he “worked without interruption” as having made him “the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies”.[4] In 1996, Entertainment Weekly recognized Keaton as the seventh-greatest film director, and in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him as the 21st-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema.
Working with independent producer Joseph M. Schenck, Keaton made a series of successful two-reel comedies in the early 1920s, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), and The Electric House (1922). He then moved to feature-length films; several of them, such as Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), and The Cameraman (1928), remain highly regarded. The General is widely viewed as his masterpiece: Orson Welles considered it “the greatest comedy ever made…and perhaps the greatest film ever made”. His career declined when he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and lost his artistic independence. His wife divorced him, and he descended into alcoholism. He recovered in the 1940s, remarried, and revived his career as an honored comic performer for the rest of his life, earning an Academy Honorary Award in 1959. (Wikipedia)
Keaton Was Institutionalized
There was a time in Buster Keaton’s life were he started to go down hill. He began to drink and had depression. His first wife Natalie Talmadge who was an actress took all of his money when they divorced. He was unstabilized he had to be put into an institution.
Most of Keaton’s Films Were Made Without a Script
“Two or three writers and I would start with an idea, and then we would work out a strong finish, and let the middle take care of itself as we went along, as it always does.” – Buster Keaton said in an interview.
Buster is His Nickname
When Keaton was a small child he fell down the stairs. He stood up as if he didn’t even fall. Someone said “That’s a real buster!” and that’s where he got his nickname.
Keaton Didn’t Find Out Abut His Broken Neck Till Years Later
When Keaton was filming Sherlock Jr. he broke his neck on the train track scene. He didn’t find out about his broken neck until he had his routine examination which was years later.
Buster Keaton’s Real Name
Buster Keaton’s birth name is Joseph Francis Keaton Vl. He was born on October 4, 1895.
His Nickname Was “The Great Stone Face”
He was called this because in his earlier movie he would sometimes smile but in his later work he wouldn’t. Some people would even claim that he could smile or laugh.
Buster Keaton Had Three Wives
Buster Keaton’s first wife was Natalie Talmadge. They were married for twelve years and divorced in 1933. Buster Keaton’s second wife was Mae Scribbens. They were married for three years and divorced in 1936. Buster Keaton’s third wife was Eleanor Norris. They were married in 1940.
Buster Keaton Has Two Sons
Their names are Joseph and Robert. Their mother is Natalie Talmadge.
Keaton Has Been in Over 100 Films
Buster Keaton has been in about 147 films
Buster Keaton Died of Lung Cancer
Even though his stunts were very dangerous, the stunts he did had nothing to do with his death. Keaton died of lung cancer on February 1, 1966. This means he was 70 years old when he died.
Born on May 4, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium, Audrey Hepburn was a talented performer known for her beauty, elegance and grace. Often imitated, she remains one of Hollywood’s greatest style icons. A native of Brussels, Hepburn spent part of her youth in England at a boarding school there.
During much of World War II, she studied at the Arnhem Conservatory in The Netherlands. After the Nazis invaded the country, Hepburn and her mother struggled to survive. She reportedly helped the resistance movement by delivering messages, according to an article in The New York Times.
After the war, Hepburn continued to pursue an interest in dance. She studied ballet in Amsterdam and later in London. In 1948, Hepburn made her stage debut as a chorus girl in the musical High Button Shoes in London. More small parts on the British stage followed. She was a chorus girl in Sauce Tartare (1949), but was moved to a featured player in Sauce Piquante (1950).
Here, below is a collection of rare photos of Audrey Hepburn as a child and a teenager from the 1930s and 1940s, before she becomes famous.
Ella Van Heemstra photographed with her daughter Audrey Hepburn, 1929. At the time this photograph was taken, baby Audrey wasn’t even one years old.Audrey Hepburn with her father Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston in Linkebeek, Belgium, 1933 (left) and 1934 (right).Audrey Hepburn, 5 years oldAudrey Hepburn’s first passport, 1936.Audrey at the beach in 1937, 8 years old, before the war.Audrey Hepburn, 1938.A young Audrey Hepburn, 1939.Audrey Hepburn and her Mother in Arnhem during the war, 1942.As a child Audrey Hepburn trained as a ballerina. During the war Audrey performed in several benefit performances to help the Dutch resistance. Photographed 1942.Audrey Hepburn at the age of 12 in one of her very first professional photo shoots. April 14, 1942.Audrey Hepburn, November 27, 1942Audrey, 13 years old.Audrey Hepburn during a dance recital in Arnhem, Holland, 1944.Audrey Hepburn photographed by Godfried de Groot, 1945.Audrey Hepburn, sitting, far right on the radiator, in the ballet studio of Sonia Gaskell in Zomerdijkstraat, 1945.Audrey Hepburn, 17 years old. The photograph was taken after the liberation of Holland, 1946.This photograph was taken by a Dutch photographer in Arnhem, in 1946, probably at the Arnhem Conservatory where Audrey took dancing lessons when she was 16.Audrey Hepburn and her mother, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra, 1946.Audrey Hepburn’s photograph from her British passport, 1946.Rare modeling pictures of Audrey Hepburn in 1946.Audrey Hepburn during auditions for High Button Shoes, London, 1948.Audrey Hepburn with the cast of a Christmas Party, 1949.The girl members of the cast arrive at the Cambridge Theatre rehearsal of Sauce Tartare, 1949. Left to right: Aud Johannsen, Nina Tarakanova, Audrey Hepburn and Marlana.Audrey Hepburn photographed on the roof of the Cambridge Theatre in London, June 28, 1949. She was performing as a chorus girl in the show Sauce Tartare.Chorus girls Audrey Hepburn, Aud Johanssen, and Enid Smeedon from the show Sauce Tartare keep cool with a block of ice on the roof of the Cambridge Theatre in London. June 28, 1949.
The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is a two-door luxury roadster produced by Mercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. Internally referred to as W121, it was first shown in prototype at the 1954 New York Auto Show, and was available with an optional removable hardtop.
The 190 SL presented an attractive, more affordable alternative to the exclusive Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, sharing its basic styling, engineering, detailing, and fully independent suspension. Both cars had double wishbones in front and swing axles at the rear. Instead of the 300 SL’s expensive purpose-built W198 tubular spaceframe the 190 SL rode on a shortened monocoque R121 platform modified from the W121 small saloon.
The car was available either as a soft-top convertible or with removable hardtop). A small third-passenger transverse seat was optional. During its first years the 190 SL was available as a sports-racing model with small perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather covered bucket seats and aluminum doors.
Below are some photographs from a Mercedes-Benz’s factory in February, 1958.
From 1946 to 1955 the sport of baby racing was an actual thing. At the fairgrounds in New Jersey’s Palisades park the annual baby racing competition, better known as the Diaper Derby, would take place. The event was sponsored by the National Institute of Diaper Services and was a true crowd pleaser as evidenced by the photos shown below.
Babies need not have any special talents to be a participant in this very strange race often called “the slowest two minutes in sports.” The babies only uniform was that of a snugly fit diaper and a keen desire to win. Babies were lined up at the starting line by their mothers and once the race was started were urged to crawl to the finish line.
As a matter of fact, babies are capricious by nature, so the organizers would adorn the finish line with stuffed bears, bunnies, dogs, and other such animals that babies have an affinity for, in order to make it look as enticing as possible.
But it did not matter who arrived at the finish line ahead of the others, there were no losers in this lovable competition. Every baby got to take home the stuffed animal he or she was crawling after.
However, the champion of the Diaper Derby got to take home more than just a stuffed toy. The overall winner was given a $50 savings bond and a special crown. Yet there were rules to be followed in these competitions. If any baby stood up and walked they were then automatically disqualified.
As well, in order to make things more fun, each baby entered into the race was given a their own unique nickname. For example, one baby was given the moniker “Palisade Pete” while another went by the name “Donut Dan.”
During the course of the races babies would often fall asleep, or they would matter-of-factly just get up and walk away, not caring one bit about being disqualified. And it wasn’t just the babies who had it tough. Their mothers often had to wait for long periods of time for the race to finish as various unforeseen delays would further slow down the slowest race in the world.
In the end the babies got the stuffed toys and one lucky parent walked, or crawled, away with a $50 savings bond. Not too bad for an afternoon’s work.
Performance was in Elizabeth Taylor’s blood. Her mother had worked as an actress until she married. At the age of 3, the young Taylor started dancing, and eventually gave a recital for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Not long after relocating to California a family friend suggested the Taylors’ daughter take a screen test.
She soon signed a contract with Universal Studios, and made her screen debut at the age of 10 in There’s One Born Every Minute (1942). Her breakout role, however, came in 1944 with National Velvet, in a role Elizabeth Taylor spent four months working to get. The film subsequently turned out to be a huge hit that pulled in more than $4 million and made the 12-year-old actress a huge star.
In October 1948, Taylor, who was only 16 at the time, arrived in a low-cut dress at Halsman’s New York City portrait studio, which still exists today and is now home to the Halsman Archive. “In my studio Elizabeth was quiet and shy. She struck me as an average teen-ager, except that she was incredibly beautiful,” Halsman reflected in his book Halsman: Sight and Insight.
Halsman had his one-of-a-kind hand-built 4×5 view camera ready to go with both black-and-white and color film.
“On a purely technical level, he pointed out that two sides of my face photographed differently,” Taylor would later recall. “One side looked younger; the other more mature. In posing for Halsman, I became instantly aware of my body.”
She also recalled Halsman shouting one particularly memorable instruction for her: “You have bosoms, so stick them out!”
According to TIME.com, Taylor had worn her own dazzling earrings but she didn’t wear a necklace. During the sitting, Halsman borrowed his wife Yvonne Halsman’s blue triangle pendant necklace and placed it around Elizabeth’s neck. This subtle decision added a new level of impact to the portrait. The necklace was later passed down to Halsman’s daughter Irene, who still cherishes the keepsake today.
“[Halsman] was the first person to make me look at myself as a woman… After my session with Halsman, I was much more determined to control my screen image.” She described the effect of the portrait session.
LIFE magazine ran a color portrait, a wider frame with Taylor facing right, in its Feb. 21, 1949 issue.
Halsman’s portrait of Taylor as it originally appeared in color the Feb. 21, 1949 issue of LIFE.
Halsman ran into Taylor a few weeks later in Hollywood and when approached by him, she couldn’t remember where they had met. “She could have not hurt me more,” he would later reflect. “Her words showed again how important a photograph can be and how unimportant the photographer who made it.”
(Photos by Philippe Halsman/Halsman Archive ,via TIME.com)
Madonna was riding high in 1985. Her second album, Like A Virgin, had produced a string of hits; she starred in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan; the song Crazy for You from the movie Vision Quest became her second #1 hit; TIME Magazine had her on its cover in May; and in August (on her 27th birthday) she married actor Sean Penn. And a scandal only added to her “buzz” when Playboy published nude photos of her (from her past) in its September issue.
With all that was going on in her fledgling career it was a no-brainer for Saturday Night Live to have her host the first show of the 1985 season on Nov. 9. Surprisingly, she wasn’t called upon to sing – that honor went to the group Simple Minds (she’d get the chance in January 1993). One of the skits had her portraying Princess Diana visiting the Reagans with Prince Charles (played by Jon Lovitz).
On November 9th, 1985, Madonna hosted the 11th season premiere of Saturday Night Live. The episode not only marked her first ever appearance on the show, but is also the only episode she has ever hosted to date.She also did a Latin style cover of A-ha’s “Take On Me,” with background vocals provided by Jon Lovitz, Damon Wayans, and Robert Smigel.Working as an assistant to Penn & Teller, during the duos guest performance.Getting some early practice on perfecting her faux British accent while playing Princess Di in the sketch “Nancy Reagan Meets Charles & Di.”During the opening monologue she poked fun at her recent wedding to Sean Penn.Giving off some “La Isla Bonita” vibes as ‘Marika’ in the sketch “El Spectaculare De Marika.”But more importantly, she shared the stage with Robert Downey Jr.!Terry Sweeney as ‘Clint Weston’ and Madonna as ‘Melinda Zumont’ in the sketch “Pinklisting,” which was social commentary on the growing paranoia of AIDS in Hollywood.Channeling Marilyn Monroe in the “National Inquirer Theatre” sketch, with Anthony Michael Hall as Bobby Kennedy, and Randy Quaid as John F. Kennedy.The sketch was a parody of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and featured Jon Lovitz as Prince Charles, Randy Quaid as Ronald Reagan, and Terry Sweeney as Nancy Reagan.Taking her final bows during the closing credits with SNL cast members: (L-R) Jon Lovitz, Danitra Vance, Nora Dunn, Terry Sweeney, Randy Quaid, Joan Cusack, Dennis Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, and Robert Downey Jr.
