The popularity of the Miss America pageant led to a variety of beauty contests — many during the 1950s, a golden age for pageants. Some events were more important, politically and socially, than others. The crowning of the National Doughnut Queen held less social significance. But contestants in every beauty pageant shared one thing — the sincere desire to be chosen queen — or king, in some cases — and to represent a community ideal…
Below are 12 amazing vintage photographs of Donut Queens from between the 1940s and 1950s:
When the term diathermy is used in beauty culture it usually refers to ‘surgical diathermy.’ Diathermy treatments of this type – also known a thermolysis – were used from the 1930s onwards in beauty culture as an alternative to electrolysis for the permanent removal of superfluous hair, spider veins (telangiectasia), acne, warts, moles and other skin blemishes.
High-frequency currents have also been used in beauty treatments to warm the face and body as with ‘medical diathermy’. The first use of diathermy in this manner in beauty culture, was Elizabeth Arden’s Vienna Youth Mask. Introduced in 1928, it was claimed to have a rejuvenating effect by stimulating the circulation of blood through the facial tissues.
Other salons followed Arden’s lead and facial treatments incorporating diathermal heat became quite common in the 1930s, in part because the machines could also be used to remove hair through thermolysis. Treatment begins by cleansing the face, which is then dried with tissue and the mask applied. The chin electrode is first fixed in place by an adjustable rubber strap. In similar manner, double cheek electrode bands and the forehead electrode band is fixed. The cables, which are heavily insulated, are then attached and circuits closed. The resulting sensation is a pleasant, deep-reaching warmth; the consequence of a 10 minutes controlled application is a thorough enduring stimulation of skin and sub-cutaneous tissues. This intensive stimulus is not to be achieved by massage, or any available lotion, and is under full control of the operator. (The Hairdresser and Beauty Trade, 1936) Mention should also be made of indirect high-frequency treatments, also known as a Viennese massage. These combined a facial massage with a high-frequency current to heat the skin under the therapist’s fingers.
Although there are some salons today that offer warming diathermy treatments as a ‘circulation booster’ during a facial, these are not typical. A more common and more recent use of ‘medical diathermy’ in beauty culture has been in cellulite treatments. Although it is generally combined with other procedures rather than used in isolation, the deep heat produced by diathermy has been claimed to enhance collagen production; increase blood circulation through vasodilation; improve lymphatic drainage of trapped fatty deposits; and even break down fat cells.
Coin-operated diathermy machine. Pay your 25 cents and stick a hot, germy mask on your face that hundreds of others have sweated into beforehand!High-frequency diathermy could be replaced with a simple heating pad. This mask appears to be a Thera Therm Electro-Velour face mask. Introduced around 1938, it was operated by an adjustable heating pad, similar to those used in electric blankets.Surgical diathermy treatment, possibly for pimples or acne, 1933.Silk mask and electrode method, 1936.Surgical diathermy treatment to coagulate acne pustules, although the model in this photograph does not look like she has an acne problem, 1939.A rubber mask contained a series of heating coils that would allegedly “melt away” fine lines and wrinkles, 1939.
Born 1908 as Earl Stanley Morner in Prentice, Wisconsin, American actor and singer Dennis Morgan began his career as a radio announcer in Milwaukee and went on to broadcast Green Bay Packers football games. He became a radio singer in Chicago.
Morgan used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one obituary, he was “a twinkly-eyed handsome charmer with a shy smile and a pleasant tenor voice in carefree and inconsequential Warner Bros musicals of the forties, accompanied by Jack Carson.” Another said, “for all his undoubted star potential, Morgan was perhaps cast once too often as the likeable, clean-cut, easy-going but essentially uncharismatic young man who typically loses his girl to someone more sexually magnetic.” David Shipman said he “was comfortable, good-looking, well-mannered: the antithesis of the gritty Bogart.”
In 1983, Dennis Morgan, along with his film pal, Jack Carson, who had died in 1963, were inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Artists Hall of Fame. That year he was critically injured in a car crash. He died in 1994 of respiratory failure.
Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of a young and handsome Dennis Morgan in the 1930s and 1940s.
Dentistry has come a long way since the gory days of teeth extraction in the 19th century.
The 19th century saw the rise of dentistry as a distinct profession, with its own practitioners, techniques, and standards. The emphasis of dental care shifted from simply removing painful teeth to trying to avoid extractions by filling cavities. By the end of the century, preventive dentistry sought ways to keep the cavities from developing in the first place. 19th century dentists were the first professionals to use anesthetic drugs, a development that made modern surgery possible.
In the early nineteenth century, the euphoria-inducing properties of substances such as nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas” and ether, were known, but used only for entertainment at “ether frolics” and sideshows. Ether, being a more powerful agent with which deep unconsciousness could be induced, became the surgical anesthetic of choice for many years, while nitrous oxide became standard in dentistry.
At the very end of the century, the invention of radiography allowed dentists to see inside patients’ teeth and diagnose cavities before they caused major damage. New knowledge in microbiology also provided understanding of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. These bacteria digest the sugars and starches on the teeth, producing acids and causing the enamel to deteriorate. Once this happens, other bacteria can penetrate deeper into the tooth. Armed with this information, dentists began seeking to prevent the decay process by encouraging better dental hygiene practices and developing new tooth powders and pastes.
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In 1973, David Bowie traveled to the Soviet Union after finishing the Japan leg of his Ziggy Stardust tour. Whether it was the Starman’s fear of flying that prompted the adventure, or his desire to see Russia, the always unconventional Bowie took the Trans-Siberian railway from Vladivostok to Moscow with his childhood friend and backup singer Geoff MacCormack.
They started by ship. En route from Yokohama to Nakhodka aboard the SS Felix Dzerzhinsky, Bowie performed an impromptu gig which reportedly included Jacques Brel’s Port of Amsterdam while MacCormack played the congas.
Of the week-long rail trip Bowie later wrote like a natural philosopher in teen magazine Mirabelle: “I could never have imagined such expanses of unspoilt, natural country without actually seeing it myself, it was like a glimpse into another age, another world, and it made a very strong impression on me. It was strange to be sitting in a train, which is the product of technology — the invention of mankind, and traveling through land so untouched and unspoilt by man and his inventions.”
“I used to sing songs to them, often late at night, when they had finished work. They couldn’t understand a word of English, and so that meant they couldn’t understand a word of my songs!” wrote Bowie in Mirabelle. “But that didn’t seem to worry them at all. They sat with big smiles on their faces, sometimes for hours on end, listening to my music, and at the end of each song they would applaud and cheer!”
Joining the two in Khabarovsk was Robert Muesel, a veteran reporter with UPI, and photographer Lee Childers. Muzel described what happened when Bowie boarded the train.
“A passenger made an entrance that stopped onlookers in their tracks, as he was destined to do at most of the 91 stops to Moscow. He was tall, slender, young, hawkishly handsome with bright red (dyed) hair and dead white skin. He wore platform-soled boots and a shirt glittering with metallic thread under his blue raincoat. He carried a guitar, but two Canadian girls did not need this identifying symbol of the pop artist. ‘David Bowie’ they screeched ecstatically, ‘on our train.’ Bowie turned their spines to jelly with a smile.”
Bowie and MacCormack stayed for three days in Moscow, watching the May Day parade, checking out the GUM department store and visiting the Kremlin. MacCormack would go on to write in his book Station to Station: Travels with Bowie 1973-1976 that Bowie was the “wildest spectacle in the city. Ostensibly in order to slightly deflect attention from his fiery hair, he put on a dazzling yellow jacket with a zipper, a bright yellow scarf, orange pants and shoes with three-inch heels.” Bowie also wore a “feminine large soft cap” to GUM.
Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The name “Mar del Plata” is a shortening of “Mar del Rio de la Plata,” and has the meaning of “sea of the Rio de la Plata basin” or “adjoining sea to the (River) Plate region.”
From the 1910s, the residents, mostly new arrived immigrants from Europe, demanded and obtained the control of the Municipality administration. The socialist were the mainstream political force in this period, carrying out social reforms and public investment. The main port was also built and inaugurated in 1916.
The first military coup in Argentina’s history took place on September 6, 1930, restoring the conservative hegemony in all levels of Government, including the local one. Although unpopular and fraudulent, this old new order brought some progress and investment to an ailing country in the climax of the Great Depression. Mass tourism began to arrive in this decade, helped by improved roads, but it took off in the 1940s and 1950s, when the development of union-run hotels under the Perón presidency put the city within the reach of Argentina’s middle and working classes.
These amazing photographs below, taken by LIFE photographer Hart Preston (1910–2009), show what life was like in Mar del Plata in the early 1940s.
The Great Depression and World War II bookended the 1930s, but fashion flourished anyway during this decade. Glamorous Hollywood screen stars inspired new looks for women, men, and even children. Inexpensive fabrics, affordable catalog clothing, and homespun ingenuity let anyone copy styles previously worn by the wealthy.
Men still dressed up nice, sporting fedoras and double-breasted overcoats. The boys wore short shorts and tall socks. Women wore dresses and kept their hair close to their head. Makeup was chic and shoulder pads were very important until the late 1930s.
Although hats were still popular for women, they were gradually becoming less popular. Fashion in the 1930s was just as glamorous as the 1920s, just in a different way. Take a look at these vintage photos to see styles of couples from the 1930s.
Born 1912 as Kornél Lajos Weisz in Privigye, Kingdom of Hungary (now Prievidza, Slovakia), Hungarian-American actor Cornel Wilde began made his Broadway debut in 1935 in Moon Over Mulberry Street. He also appeared in Love Is Not So Simple, Daughters of Etreus, and Having Wonderful Time.
Wilde was then signed by 20th Century Fox who gave him a good role in a B picture The Perfect Snob (1941). It was followed by a war movie Manila Calling (1942). He was the romantic male lead in Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942), and supported Sonja Henie in Wintertime (1943).
By the mid-1940s, Wilde was a major leading man. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1945’s A Song to Remember.
In the 1950s, Wilde moved to writing, producing and directing films, and still continued his career as an actor. He died of leukemia in 1989, three days after his 77th birthday. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Cornel Wilde has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1635 Vine Street.
Take a look at these vintage photos to see portrait of Cornel Wilde in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough.
The bridge was officially opened on 10 October 1928 by King George V and has since become a defining symbol of Tyneside. It is ranked as the tenth tallest structure in the city, and is one of the North East’s most iconic landmarks.
These photographs from Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums were taken by James Bacon & Sons of Newcastle and document its construction from March 1927 to October 1928. They belonged to James Geddie, who was Chief Assistant Engineer on the construction of the Bridge with Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd. of Middlesbrough.
View of the Tyne Bridge in the very early stages of construction, looking from Newcastle upon Tyne over towards Gateshead, March 22, 1927Work on the Tyne Bridge arch underway. The first sections of steelwork rise over Hillgate Quay, Gateshead, August 10, 1927View of support mast and cables holding the Tyne Bridge in place as it is constructed, November 29, 1927View through the girders from the Gateshead side of the Tyne Bridge to the Newcastle side, January 27, 1928View of progress with the Tyne Bridge, February 2, 1928, showing the two halves getting closer togetherView of the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead, February 2, 1928, showing the two halves getting closer togetherView of the Newcastle side of the Tyne Bridge captured during its construction, February 2, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge captured from the Newcastle side during its construction, February 15, 1928Bracing between the Tyne Bridge arches, February 17, 1928The Tyne Bridge arch is nearly complete as a girder is lowered into place above the River Tyne, February 23, 1928An historic moment as the Newcastle and Gateshead sides of the Tyne Bridge meet, February 23, 1928Steel erectors, riveters and crane drivers perch on a 20-ton capacity crane to mark the completion of the Tyne Bridge arch, February 23, 1928Flags fly above the Tyne Bridge to celebrate the completion of its arch, February 27, 1928Construction staff of the Tyne bridge, employed by Dorman Long & Co. Ltd, March 2, 1928View along the Tyne Bridge looking towards Newcastle, as work on its construction continues, March 6, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead, as work on its construction continues, March 6, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge from the High Level Bridge, March 6, 1928View along the Tyne Bridge as work on its roadway continues, May 18, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge towers under construction, September 6, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge towers under construction, September 19, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge roadway nearing completion, September 25, 1928View along the Tyne Bridge as it nears completion,, September 25, 1928View of the Tyne Bridge, October 1, 1928
It was a troubling decade: America was a nation healing from the Great Depression, and had spent four years engaged in a war that would devastate millions worldwide. But on the beaches of Coney Island, New Yorkers young and old could forget their worries for the day as they splashed in the sea, relaxed with their sweetheart in the sand or chowed down on a hot dog from the original Nathan’s.
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to the north and includes the subsection of Sea Gate on its west. More broadly, Coney Island or sometimes for clarity the Coney Island peninsula consists of Coney Island proper, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach. This was formerly the westernmost of the Outer Barrier islands on the southern shore of Long Island, but in the early 20th century it became a peninsula, connected to the rest of Long Island by land fill.
The origin of Coney Island’s name is disputed, but the area was originally part of the colonial town of Gravesend. By the mid-19th century it had become a seaside resort, and by the late 19th century, amusement parks had also been built at the location. The attractions reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th century. However, they declined in popularity after World War II and, following years of neglect, several structures were torn down. Various redevelopment projects were proposed for Coney Island in the 1970s through the 2000s, though most of these were not carried out. The area was revitalized with the opening of MCU Park in 2001 and several amusement rides starting in the 2010s.
Coney Island had around 32,000 residents as of the 2010 United States Census. The neighborhood is ethnically diverse, and the neighborhood’s poverty rate of 27% is slightly higher than that of the city as a whole.
Coney Island is part of Brooklyn Community District 13, and its primary ZIP Code is 11224. It is patrolled by the 60th Precinct of the New York City Police Department. Fire services are provided by the New York City Fire Department’s Engine 245/Ladder 161/Battalion 43 and Engine 318/Ladder 166. Politically, Coney Island is represented by the New York City Council’s 47th District. The area is well served by the New York City Subway and local bus routes, and contains several public elementary and middle schools. (Wikipedia)
Vintage photographs from the 1940s – before, during and after America’s involvement in World War II – illustrate the carefree summers of years past. It is an atmosphere that can still be found any given day on the famed boardwalk.
Coney IslandConey IslandConey IslandConey IslandConey IslandConey IslandConey IslandAmusement rides being ridden during 4th of July celebrations at Coney Island.Exterior of Luna Park during 4th of July celebrations at Coney Island.Entrance to the Luna amusement pavillion at Coney Island Amusement Park.Thrillseekers getting a hair-raising start off the top of the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island Amusment Park.Gryro Globe ride, a metal monster which simultaneously spins & tilts it victims at Coney Island Amusement Park.
