“Blown Away Guy”: The Most Iconic Music Image of All Time

Maxell cassette tape in 1980 created the all-time iconic music image that will last far into the future, the “Blown Away Guy.” In the 1980s, Maxell became an icon of pop culture when it produced advertisements popularly known as “Blown Away Guy” for its line of audio cassettes. The campaign began as a two-page advertisingContinue reading ““Blown Away Guy”: The Most Iconic Music Image of All Time”

The Photography of Heinrich Kühn

Heinrich Kühn, originally Carl Christian Heinrich Kühn (25 February 1866 – 14 September 1944) was an Austrian–German photographer and photography pioneer. The grandson of a sculptor, Heinrich Kühn initially used photography to aid his medical studies. He gave up medicine for art around 1890 but spent much of his life pursuing technical research into newContinue reading “The Photography of Heinrich Kühn”

Stunning Portraits of Bette Davis Taken in 1939

Ruth Elizabeth “Bette” Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical films, suspenseContinue reading “Stunning Portraits of Bette Davis Taken in 1939”

30 Haunting Photographic Self-Portraits by Francesca Woodman From the 1970s

Francesca Woodman (April 3, 1958 – January 19, 1981) is best known for photographing herself. But her pictures are not self-portraits in the traditional sense. She is often nude or semi-nude and usually seen half hidden or obscured – sometimes by furniture, sometimes by slow exposures that blur her figure into a ghostly presence. TheseContinue reading “30 Haunting Photographic Self-Portraits by Francesca Woodman From the 1970s”

30 Vintage Snapshots of People Taking Pictures of Their Feet For Fun

Feet are an important part of our body. They take us where we want to go. They do so much for us, they are incredibly complex devices. Feet may be humble, but they are the most overworked and under-appreciated parts of our body. People from the past are weirdly obsessed with taking pictures of theirContinue reading “30 Vintage Snapshots of People Taking Pictures of Their Feet For Fun”

30 Old Portrait Photos of Manila Ladies From the Early 20th Century

Manila is the capital of the Philippines, and its second most populous city. It is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, on the island of Luzon. The Pasig River flows through the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south sections. Manila became autonomous with the passage of Republic ActContinue reading “30 Old Portrait Photos of Manila Ladies From the Early 20th Century”

Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920

A mug shot is a photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is arrested. The original purpose of the mug shot was to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of an arrested individual to allow for identification by victims, the public and investigators. After the defeatContinue reading “Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920”

22 Vintage Photos of Marilyn Monroe’s Wardrobe Tests as Lorelei Lee in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953)

Increased press coverage of Marilyn brought headaches, but it also contributed to an improvement in her status at Twentieth Century-Fox throughout the production of Niagara. On June 1, 1952, Fox gave Marilyn a surprise birthday present — the news that she would star as Lorelei Lee in the film version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. AContinue reading “22 Vintage Photos of Marilyn Monroe’s Wardrobe Tests as Lorelei Lee in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953)”

The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852

Considered to be the first photograph of a woman smoking, this is Lola Montez’s portrait by Southworth & Hawes. A savvy self-promoter, Lola Montez is the first woman ever to be photographed smoking. She made sure the cigarette is the focus of the picture. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) This is Lola’s third and most provocativeContinue reading “The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852”