Horatio Gordon Robley (1840-1930) was a British army officer and artist who served in New Zealand during the New Zealand land wars in the 1860s. He was interested in ethnology and fascinated by the art of tattooing as well as being a talented illustrator. He wrote two books relating to his time in New Zealand,Continue reading “Major General Horatio Gordon Robley With His Collection of Tattooed Maori Heads, 1895”
Tag Archives: life & culture
Manhattan Project: 20 Black and White Photos Document Everyday Life in the Secret City, Oak Ridge, in the 1940s
Starting in 1942, the U.S. government began quietly acquiring more than 60,000 acres in Eastern Tennessee for the Manhattan Project — the secret World War II program that developed the atomic bomb. The government needed land to build massive facilities to refine and develop nuclear materials for these new weapons, without attracting the attention ofContinue reading “Manhattan Project: 20 Black and White Photos Document Everyday Life in the Secret City, Oak Ridge, in the 1940s”
Go West, Young Woman! A Short History of Mail-Order Brides of the Wild West
Why would a young woman leave her family, and her home – likely never seeing them again in this earthly life – to travel in sub-par quarters to become a mail-order bride? Why would a bachelor agree to marry someone he had come to know only through her letters? The phenomenon of a courtship correspondenceContinue reading “Go West, Young Woman! A Short History of Mail-Order Brides of the Wild West”
Rare and Amazing Vintage Photos Showing London in the Late 1940s
Photographer Ernst Haas (1921–1986) is best known for his color saturated images of post-war America, where he moved in 1951. Born in Vienna, Haas suffered under the Nazi occupation, turning to photography after being kicked out of medical school for being Jewish. His big break came after his photographs of prisoners of war returning toContinue reading “Rare and Amazing Vintage Photos Showing London in the Late 1940s”
The Luxury Apartment on Wheels: Camping in Style in a 1930s Jungle Yacht
The Jungle Yacht was created for and used by Italian explorer Commander Attilio Gatti and his wife, who both traveled extensively to the African Congo as a deluxe apartment “for his 1937-1940 (his 10th) and 1947 (his 11th) expeditions” and “equipped them quite lavishly.” The expedition used two streamlined trailers designed by Count Alexis deContinue reading “The Luxury Apartment on Wheels: Camping in Style in a 1930s Jungle Yacht”
Amazing Vintage Photographs Capture Harlem Street Life in the Late 1930s
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harlem area encompasses several other neighborhoods and extends west to theContinue reading “Amazing Vintage Photographs Capture Harlem Street Life in the Late 1930s”
17 Groovy Photos of High School Fashions in 1969
Photos: Arthur Schatz—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
Amazing Color Photographs of America’s Hippie Communes From the 1970s
Their hair and dress, their pioneer spirit, even their Indian teepees evoke the nation’s frontier beginnings. These young people are members of a commune, which they have created for themselves as a new and radical way of living. Scores of these communes are springing up all across the U.S. In the wilderness areas of theContinue reading “Amazing Color Photographs of America’s Hippie Communes From the 1970s”
18 Harrowing Photographs of Heroin Addicts in New York in the 1960s
In February 1965, LIFE magazine published an extraordinary photo essay on two New York City heroin addicts, John and Karen. Photographed by Bill Eppridge, the pictures — and the accompanying article, reported and written by LIFE associate editor James Mills — were part of a two-part series on narcotics in the United States. A sensitive,Continue reading “18 Harrowing Photographs of Heroin Addicts in New York in the 1960s”
A Rare Look Inside the Harley-Davidson Factory From Their Early Days
In 1901, 20-year-old William S. Harley drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Over the next two years, Harley and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson worked on their motor-bicycle usingContinue reading “A Rare Look Inside the Harley-Davidson Factory From Their Early Days”
