Collected From a Number of Fashion Plates, These Images Illustrate Women’s Fashion in Every Year From 1784 to 1970

Shown here is a timeline of women’s high fashion from 1784 to 1970, focusing entirely on trends in Europe and North America. Meticulously compiled using a number of historic fashion plates, this timeline showcases the many shifts in styles that occurred in women’s fashion over the course of nearly 200 years, from 1784 to 1970.Continue reading “Collected From a Number of Fashion Plates, These Images Illustrate Women’s Fashion in Every Year From 1784 to 1970”

Rare Color Photographs of Charlie Chaplin, ca. 1917-1918

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry’s most important figures. His careerContinue reading “Rare Color Photographs of Charlie Chaplin, ca. 1917-1918”

30 Strange and Hilarious Vintage Feminine Hygiene Ads From the Early 20 Century

In the late 1800s, disposable cloth towels to be worn during menstruation were introduced as a product category marketed to middle- and upper-class women. Before then, even the wealthiest women had made their own menstrual supplies from yard goods. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the practice of birth control was rarely discussed publicly,Continue reading “30 Strange and Hilarious Vintage Feminine Hygiene Ads From the Early 20 Century”

Portraits of Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh, the Beauty Symbol of Persia For Whom 13 Men Committed Suicide When She Refused to Marry Them

The definition of beauty has evolved drastically over the time. Every country has its version of what a woman should look like to be considered beautiful. In 19th century Persia, the Western beauty standards were not dominant. So of course, they had their own beauty standards and their own concept of beauty. The more masculineContinue reading “Portraits of Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh, the Beauty Symbol of Persia For Whom 13 Men Committed Suicide When She Refused to Marry Them”

Remarkable Images of the ‘Princess May’ on the Rocks at Lynn, Alaska, 1910

Remarkable images of the steamship Princess May, resting at a seemingly impossible angle, after running aground on rocks in the Lynn Canal, Alaska on 5 August 1910. The passengers, crew and cargo (including a shipment of gold) were all evacuated safely. The Grounding of the Princess May is one of the most famous shipwreck photographsContinue reading “Remarkable Images of the ‘Princess May’ on the Rocks at Lynn, Alaska, 1910”

With Copper, Foil and Paint, a Little-Known American Sculptor Saved Scores of World War I Soldiers From a Faceless Future

Born in Philadelphia in 1878, Anna Coleman Ladd was a classically trained sculptress who in 1917 founded the American Red Cross Studio for Portrait Masks in Paris. Anna was inspired to offer her talent as an artist to help soldiers in France after reading an article about Francis Derwent Wood and his “Tin Noses Shop”Continue reading “With Copper, Foil and Paint, a Little-Known American Sculptor Saved Scores of World War I Soldiers From a Faceless Future”

Awesome Photographs of People Riding Around on Scooters From the Early 20th Century

The Autoped was an early motor scooter or motorized scooter manufactured by the Autoped Company of Long Island City, New York from 1915 to 1921. The driver stood on a platform with 10-inch tires and operated the machine using only the handlebars and steering column, pushing them forward to engage the clutch, using a leverContinue reading “Awesome Photographs of People Riding Around on Scooters From the Early 20th Century”

Virginia Rappe: The Mysterious Death of a Silent Film Beauty

Born 1895 in Chicago, American model and silent film actress Virginia Rappe began working as a commercial and art model at age 14. In 1916, Rappe relocated to San Francisco to pursue her career as an artist’s model, where she met dress designer Robert Moscovitz, to whom she became engaged. However, shortly after the engagement,Continue reading “Virginia Rappe: The Mysterious Death of a Silent Film Beauty”

Vintage Photos of 12 Crazy Wooden Homes on Wheels From the Early 20th Century

There is no formal definition of a house car but in the early 1900s, Americans want to take to the roads and explore. Some creative Tin Can tourists decided that they’d rather bring their home with them rather than have the tent attachments on the sides of their Model T’s, so they built larger structuresContinue reading “Vintage Photos of 12 Crazy Wooden Homes on Wheels From the Early 20th Century”

Canadian Fighter Pilot in WWI Ordered to Go Back to Flight School. He didn’t. Instead, He Went on To Shoot Down 72 Enemy Aircraft

Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop was a Canadian fighter pilot in WWI who crashed his plane during a practice run and was ordered to go back to flight school. He didn’t. Instead, he went on to shoot down 72 enemy aircraft, making him a legend in his own time and earning him a VictoriaContinue reading “Canadian Fighter Pilot in WWI Ordered to Go Back to Flight School. He didn’t. Instead, He Went on To Shoot Down 72 Enemy Aircraft”