Yesterday Today

22 Amazing Black and White Photographs of Jewish Life From the 1930s

Born in 1897 to a wealthy Russian-Jewish family, Roman Vishniac immigrated to Berlin in 1920 in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. As an amateur photographer, he took to the streets with his camera throughout the 1920s and ’30s, offering astute, often humorous visual commentary on his adopted city and experimented with new and modern approaches to framing and composition. Here’s a collection of amazing black and white photographs show daily life of Jewish people in the 1930s.

Boy with kindling in basement dwelling, Krochmalna Street, Warsaw, ca. 1935–38.

Roman Vishniac’s daughter, Mara, posing in front of a shop specializing in instruments that measure the difference in size between Aryan and non-Aryan skulls, Berlin, 1933.

Travelling salesmen returning home for the Sabbath, Mukacevo, c. 1935–38.

Youngsters adopted cattle as friends, Carpathian Ruthenia, c. 1935–38.

A German family walking between taxi-cabs in front of the Ufa-Palast cinema, Berlin, ca. 1930s.

Sunlight streaming into a railway station, probably the Bahnhof Zoo terminal in Charlottenburg, Berlin, ca. 1930s.

People behind bars at Berlin Zoo in the early 1930s.

Woman washing windows above Mandtler & Neumann Speditionen (Mandtler & Neumann Forwarding Agents), Vienna, ca. 1930s.

A salesman sleeps on a bench to save on lodging, Eastern Europe, c. 1935–38.

Nazi Storm Troopers marching next to the Arsenal in front of the Berlin Cathedral, ca. 1935.

Interior of the Anhalter Bahnhof, a railway terminus near Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, ca. 1930s.

Street scene with swastika flag in background, Berlin, ca. 1935–36.

Children with shaved heads at the Cemach Szabad Colony for Frail Children, near Wilno, c. 1935–38.

Students standing outside a yeshiva, Mukacevo, c. 1937–38.

At the end of October, 1938, thousands of Polish Jews in Germany were forcibly repatriated by the Nazis and housed in military barracks in Zbaszyn, Poland.

Exhausted. A carrier of heavy loads, Warsaw, ca. 1935–38.

Girl in plaid dress, Mukacevo, Ukraine ca. 1935–38.

Zionist youth learning construction techniques while building a school and foundry, Werkdorp Wieringen, The Netherlands, 1939.

An elder of the village, Vysni Apsa, Carpathian Ruthenia, c. 1935–38.

Students sharing books in heder, Brod, c. 1935–38.

She would rather have it for her own family!, Uzhorod, Carpathian Ruthenia, c. 1935–38.

Grandfather and granddaughter, Warsaw, c. 1935–38.

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Handsome Portrait Photos of John Ericson in the 1950s and 1960s

Born 1926 as Joachim Alexander Ottokar Meibes in Düsseldorf, Germany, German-American actor John Ericson made a number of films for MGM in quick succession in the 1950s. His first appearance was in Teresa (1951), and also appeared in Rhapsody, The Student Prince, Green Fire (all in 1954), in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955). He co-starred with Barbara Stanwyck in Forty Guns (1957). In 1958 he appeared as Sheriff Barney Wiley in the Western Day of the Badman which starred Fred MacMurray.

For the next 30 years, his career continued mostly on television. Ericson was known primarily for his co-star role with actress Anne Francis on the ABC television series Honey West in the 1965-66 season.

Ericson played the title role in Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), and his other film appearances included roles in Under Ten Flags (1960), Slave Queen of Babylon (1963), 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), Operation Atlantis (1965), The Money Jungle (1968), The Bamboo Saucer (1968), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Crash! (1976), and The Far Side of Jericho (2006).

Ericson died of pneumonia in 2020 at the age of 93. These vintage photos captured portraits of a young and handsome John Ericson in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Poignant Photos of Liverpool in the 1980s

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The 1980s were a time of turmoil and upheaval for Liverpool. Unemployment and economic instability led to widespread disquiet, culminating in public shows of resistance such as the 1981 Toxteth Riots. Liverpool also elected its first Labour council in 1983, who promised to stand up for what they saw as unjust cuts under the Thatcher government.

However, the people of Liverpool were strong in the face of this upheaval, and glimpses of light can be found in dark times. As the official photographer for the Militant, Sinclair’s stunning images show a city that refused to lie down in the face of adversity.

Dave Sinclair was born in 1959 in Walton, Liverpool. By 1980, he was studying Art at Liverpool Polytechnic, where he developed an interest in the Liverpool urban landscape. Surrounded by derelict factories and docks, Dave started documenting his surroundings, processing and printing in black and white in a darkroom he built himself. He soon realised that photography was what he wanted to do for a living. His photographs have been featured in several exhibitions, including ‘The Dockers’ which was exhibited in London Liverpool and extensively abroad, The ‘School Student Strike’ at the Bluecoat in Liverpool and ‘Thatcher, Liverpool and the 80s’ in Shoreditch.

Liverpool in the 1980s’ pays tribute to the constancy of the Liverpudlian spirit. From citywide protests to intimate portraits, this volume is a unique insight into the recent history of one of Britain’s most inspirational cities.

Leatherman, the Mystery Man Who Walked Along the Same Path for 30 Years From the Mid-1850s

The Leatherman (ca. 1839–1889; aged 49–50) was a vagabond famous for his handmade leather suit of clothes who traveled through the northeastern United States on a regular circuit between the Connecticut River and the Hudson River from roughly 1857 to 1889.

Of unknown origin, he was thought to be French-Canadian because of his fluency in the French language, his “broken English,” and the French-language prayer book found on his person after his death. His identity remains unknown, and controversial. He walked a repeating 365-mile (587 km) route year after year, which took him through certain towns in western Connecticut and eastern New York, returning to each town every 34–36 days.

Living in rock shelters and leatherman caves, as they are now locally known, the Leatherman stopped at towns along his 365-mile (587 km) loop about every five weeks for food and supplies. He was dubbed the “Leatherman” as his adornment of hat, scarf, clothes, and shoes were handmade from leather.
An early article in the Burlington Free Press dating to April 7, 1870, refers to him as the “Leather-Clad Man”. It also states that he spoke rarely and when addressed would simply speak in monosyllables. According to contemporary rumors, he hailed from Picardy, France.

Fluent in French, he communicated mostly with grunts and gestures, rarely using his broken English. When asked about his background, he would abruptly end the conversation. Upon his death, a French prayer book was found among his possessions. He declined meat on Fridays, giving rise to speculation that he was Roman Catholic.

It is unknown how he earned money. One store kept a record of an order: “one loaf of bread, a can of sardines, one-pound of fancy crackers, a pie, two quarts of coffee, one gill of brandy and a bottle of beer.”

The Leatherman was well known in Connecticut. He was reliable in his rounds, and people would have food ready for him, which he often ate on their doorsteps. Ten towns along the Leatherman’s route passed ordinances exempting him from the state “tramp law” passed in 1879.

The Leatherman survived blizzards and other foul weather by heating his rock shelters with fire. Indeed, while his face was reported to be frostbitten at times during the winter, by the time of his death he had not lost any fingers, unlike other tramps of the time and area.

The Connecticut Humane Society had him arrested and hospitalized in 1888, which resulted in a diagnosis of “sane except for an emotional affliction,” after which he was released, as he had money and desired freedom. He ultimately died from cancer of the mouth due to tobacco use. His body was found on March 24, 1889, in his Saw Mill Woods cave on the farm of George Dell in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, near Ossining.

After he perished, so many people visited the Leatherman’s roadside grave that the local historical society decided to move it farther inland to avoid potential accidents. When the body was exhumed for reburial in 2011, many thought DNA testing might help solve the mystery of who he was.

However, those hopes were dashed when they opened the casket to find that the remains were missing. Now, the Leatherman is shrouded in even more mystery: no one knows who he was or where he is.

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Defined Styles of 1960s Ladies

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There’s no denying that the ’60s were one of the most impactful eras in fashion. Setting the tone for modern style, the decade revolutionized womenswear with bold colors, striking cuts and a rebelliously youthful attitude.

The Swinging Sixties were a time where traditions were broken, and self-expression was encouraged. Influenced by the youth of the day, the decade dished up plenty of style inspiration. Key fashion styles of the decade included mod, beatnik and hippie looks, all of which captured the artful, fun and free spirit of the time.

’60s hairstyles were exciting and iconic. From big bouffant styles and bohemian bangs to long hippie waves and chic pixie cuts, the decade produced many unforgettable looks. Today, several of these bold styles are still seriously popular.

These cool vintage photos show what women’s fashion styles looked like in the 1960s.

23 Amazing Vintage Photographs Capture Chicago Night Clubs’ Scene From the Mid-1970s

Between 1975 and 1977, sometimes five nights a week, photographer Michael Abramson traveled from his northern Chicago suburb to the South Side, rambling from nighttime hotspots like Perv’s House and the Five Fingers Social Club to the High Chaparral and the New Jazz Showcase Lounge. Shooting upwards of half a dozen rolls of film a night, he captured the energy and emotion of little life dramas unfolding around him through telling, but unsentimentalized gestures and gazes.

“You’re there to have fun… to forget whatever troubles or successes you might have,” he told LENS blog in 2009. “When you’re looking through the lens, you have a reason to wander all over the place.”

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Sarah Rosetta Wakeman aka Lyons Wakeman: A Woman’s Life as a Man in the Civil War

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In 1940, Jackson Doane, of Binghamton, unearthed a packet of letters, a ring and a picture in his family’s attic from Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, the older sister of Jackson’s great-grandmother. She was a family member that seemed to be little spoken about — and little known. In 1976, Jackson read those letters, discovering that they were letters of a woman passing herself off as a man while serving in the Civil War.

Portrait of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.

Black and White Photos of the New York Auto Show in 1965

The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter.

The show has been held annually since 1900. It was the first automotive exhibition in North America. The show was held at the New York Coliseum from 1956 to 1987 when the show moved to the Javits Center.

Before the show opens every year, several auto companies debut new production and concept vehicles for the press. In addition, the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association (GNYADA) and the International Motor Press Association (IMPA) host corporate meetings and events.

In addition to individual programs during the show, there are automobile related conferences, forums, symposiums, and other gatherings. The ten day event contribution to economy of the City and State is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

These black and white photos were taken by Michael Dolan that show the New York Auto Show in 1965. “This show was at the 59th. St. Coliseum in New York City, now demolished. This was a user friendly exhibition space. A pleasure to go to either, a boat show , a flower show or a car show. The upper mezzanine circled the exhibition floor and besides a great view, housed all the smaller vendors.”

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30 Elegant Photos Show What Victorian Girls Wore in the 1860s

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Victorian fashion consists of the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and developed in the United Kingdom and the British Empire throughout the Victorian era, roughly from the 1830s through the 1890s. The period saw many changes in fashion, including changes in styles, fashion technology and the methods of distribution. Various movement in architecture, literature, and the decorative and visual arts as well as a changing perception of gender roles also influenced fashion.

During the Victorian Era, clothes were seen as an expression of women’s place in society, hence were differentiated in terms of social class. Upper-class women, who did not need to work, often wore a tightly laced corset over a bodice or chemisette, and paired them with a skirt adorned with numerous embroideries and trims; over layers of petticoats.
Middle-class women exhibited similar dress styles; however, the decorations were not as extravagant. The layering of these garments make them very heavy. Corsets were also stiff and restricted movement. Although the clothes were not comfortable, the type of fabrics and the numerous layers were worn as a symbol of wealth.

Here below is a set of elegant photos that shows what Victorian girls looked like in the 1860s.

30 Vintage Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Tina Louise in the 1950s and 1960s

Tina Louise (February 11, 1934) is an American actress best known for playing movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy Gilligan’s Island. She began her career on stage during the mid-1950s before landing her breakthrough role in 1958 drama film God’s Little Acre for which she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.

Louise had starring roles in The Trap, The Hangman, Day of the Outlaw, and For Those Who Think Young. She also appeared in The Wrecking Crew, The Happy Ending, and The Stepford Wives (1975). Upon the death of Dawn Wells in December 2020, Louise became the last surviving original cast member of the Gilligan’s Island TV series.

Following the news of Dawn Wells’ passing, Tina Louise denied any longtime rumors that she resented the role of Ginger Grant, “Never true – I loved doing my part, especially after they really started writing for my character, originally billed as a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ type of character. A different director took over and really started to write for my character. I really loved my character.”

She also said that she was very grateful to the show’s fans for their continued support especially during the COVID-19 pandemic: “We were part of the wonderful show that everyone loves and has been a great source of comfort, especially during these times. We brought a lot of joy to people and still do. This show is an escape from so many things going on. Fathers share it with their children now. I get letters all the time about that.”