38 Fabulous Photographs of Life in America during the 1950s
A Day in the Life With “The King of Cool” Steve McQueen in 1963
In the spring of 1963, already popular from his big-screen breakout as one of The Magnificent Seven and just a couple months away from entering the Badass Hall of Fame with the release of The Great Escape, Steve McQueen was on the brink of superstardom.
Intrigued by his dramatic backstory and his off-screen exploits — McQueen was a reformed delinquent who got his thrills racing cars and motorcycles — LIFE sent photographer John Dominis to California to hang out with the 33-year-old actor and, in effect, see what he could get.
Three weeks and more than 40 rolls of film later, Dominis had captured some astonishing images — photos impossible to imagine in today’s utterly restricted-access celebrity universe. Here, a series of pictures from what Dominis would look back on as one of his favorite assignments, along with insights about the time he spent with the man who would soon don the mantle, “the King of Cool.”
(Photos: John Dominis—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
35 Stunning Photos of “The Sisters G” in the 1920s and 1930s
Eleanor and Karla Gutöhrlein, aka “The Sisters G”, were a German sister dance team in the 1920s and early 1930s (according to a 1929 magazine article, they were from Schwabisch-Hall, Germany).
Eleanor (born August 18, 1909) and Karla (born December 9, 1910) differed more than a year in age, but were often thought to be twins. They were famous for performing together, for having striking black bobs, and for their dancing and acting skills, and performed in several American films including King of Jazz (1930), Recaptured Love (1930) and God’s Gift to Women (1931).
The sisters moved to Sweden. Eleanor married the bank director Gösta Lennart Brywolf and died on June 7, 1997 in Vasa, Sweden. Karla married Per Oskar Olof Åberg in 1936.
These glamorous photos that captured “The Sisters G” in the late 1920s and 1930s.
28 Vintage Photos Showing Service Stations in the US During the Early 20th Century
These amazing photos show what service stations in the US looked like in the 1920s and 1930s.
Osterburg, PA, August 14, 1933
February 9, 1938
(Photos via Steve Hagy on Flickr)
40 Gorgeous Portraits of 19th Century Russian Women in Traditional Costumes
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60 Incredible Photos Showing Youth Culture in San Francisco in 1968
William Gale Gedney (1932-1989) was an American documentary and street photographer. It wasn’t
until after his death that his work gained momentum and his work is now widely recognized.
These black and white photographs of San Francisco were captured by William Gedney in 1968.
55 Stunning Color Photos of Raquel Welch from the 1960s
42 Rare Vintage Photographs of The Quarrymen From the Late 1950s
The Quarrymen are a British skiffle/rock and roll group, formed by John Lennon in Liverpool in 1956, which eventually evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Originally consisting of Lennon and several school friends, the Quarrymen took their name from a line in the school song of Quarry Bank High School, which they attended.
Lennon started a skiffle group that was very briefly called the Blackjacks, but changed the name before any public performances. Some accounts credit Lennon with choosing the new name; other accounts credit his close friend Pete Shotton with suggesting the name. The Quarrymen played at parties, school dances, cinemas and amateur skiffle contests before Paul McCartney joined the band in October 1957. George Harrison joined the band in early 1958 at McCartney’s recommendation, though Lennon initially resisted because he felt Harrison (still 14 when he was first introduced to Lennon) to be too young. Both McCartney and Harrison attended the Liverpool Institute.
The group made an amateur recording of themselves in 1958, performing Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” and “In Spite of All the Danger”, a song written by McCartney and Harrison. The group moved away from skiffle and towards rock and roll, causing several of the original members to leave. This left only a trio of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, who performed under several other names, including Johnny and the Moondogs and Japage 3 before returning to the Quarrymen name in 1959. In 1960, the group changed its name to the Beatles, and went on to have an extremely successful recording career.
Here’s a gallery of 42 rarely seen photographs of the band from the late 1950s.
18 Extraordinary Portraits of Women From the 1920s and 1930s
Else Neuländer Simon, also known as Yva, was an extraordinary photographer in the early 20th century. Born in 1900 in Berlin, she worked her magic through fashion and advertising photography as well as owning a popular studio. She had a keen eye for the sensual interplay of light and shadow and used lines and curves to dramatically display the women she photographed.
Frequently, she said more about a subject by deliberately avoiding the model’s face. Many photos focused on, or depicted solely, a woman’s legs, and they were sexy and sophisticated works that endure through today. The importance of her art and her role are reflected in the fact that she taught Helmut Newton, who went on to become one of history’s most famous photographers.
In 1942, Yva and her husband, Alfred Simon, were arrested and deported to the Majdanek concentration camp where they were killed most probably in 1942.
(Photos by Else Neuländer Simon)
23 Amazing Vintage Photos of Philadelphia During the 1920s
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