Incredible Graphic Posters Designed by Leo Marfurt in the 1920s and ’30s
Swiss-Belgian commercial artist Leo Marfurt was born in Aarau in 1894 and moved to Belgium in 1921, where he married in 1922. Continue reading »
The 1933 ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Movie Is Creepy as Hell!
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod, the 1933 film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel “Alice in Wonderland” delves into the depths of the deepest, darkest, strangest, and most horrific of nightmares. Its uncanny nature is particularly evident in the character designs, costumes, and masks used throughout the film. Continue reading »
Embarking on a Breathtaking Aerial Adventure of of German Zeppelin Airship, Flying Over Giza’s Pyramids in the 1930s
In the realm of aviation during the early 20th century, a magnificent creation emerged from German craftsmanship — LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. This majestic airship, filled with hydrogen and boasting a rigid structure, gracefully soared through the skies as a passenger carrier. Its operational tenure spanned from 1928 to 1937, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of aeronautics. Continue reading »
Vintage Propaganda Posters of Spanish Civil War in 1937
1st May – We will attack!, 1937
The Spanish Civil War, fought from 1936 to 1939, was a complex conflict between the Republicans and Nationalists, both vying for control over Spain’s government and its future. The Republicans supported the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic and consisted of various socialist, communist, separatist, anarchist, and republican parties. On the other hand, the Nationalists were an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, conservatives, and traditionalists led by General Francisco Franco. Continue reading »
Beautiful Photos and The Story of Edsel Ford’s Model 40 Special Speedster
In the early 1930s, Edsel B. Ford, the President of Ford Motor Company, commissioned his styling chief, Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie, to create a unique roadster with limited production potential. Gregorie sketched various alternatives before building a 1/25th scale model, which he tested in a small wind tunnel. The resulting car, based on the 1934 Ford (also known as Model 40), became known as the Model 40 Special Speedster. Continue reading »
The Futuristic Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia: A Unique Luxury Car from a Bygone Era
Imagine cruising down the road in a car that is unlike any other. That is precisely what French pilot and racing car driver André Dubonnet did in 1938 when he commissioned the Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia. The Spanish automobile manufacturer Hispano-Suiza built this one-of-a-kind luxury car on the chassis of the H6B and gave it a distinctive new look. Continue reading »
Captivating Photographs of the Luxury and Futuristic 1930 Henderson KJ Streamline
As one of the major motorcycle brands of the early 20th century, Henderson produced a number of impressive vehicles before ceasing production in 1931. Among these was the 1930 Henderson Model KJ Streamline, a motorcycle known for its advanced design and impressive capabilities. Continue reading »
Stunning Examples of the Rhinoplasty Surgery from the 1920s and 1930s
Most people assume that the history of rhinoplasties (nose jobs) began in the middle of the last century among Hollywood starlets who wanted to improve their facial features to get more work. While this was undoubtedly true of rhinoplasties starting around the 1930s, the truth is that the procedure has a much longer history, dating back thousands of years.
In the 18th century, rhinoplasties were often performed on patients in the late stages of syphilis, during which the nose loses its structure. It was no coincidence that in 1794, Sushruta’s “Indian rhinoplasty” technique was finally translated into English in an article in the British publication Gentlemen’s Magazine. Continue reading »
Beautiful Colorized Photos of a Young Queen Elizabeth II From the 1930s and 1940s
Elizabeth, Duchess of York (1900 – 2002), looking at her first child, future Queen, Princess Elizabeth. May 1926
Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / original image: Speaight/Hulton Archive—Getty Images
When Winston Churchill met a two-year-old princess, the future Queen Elizabeth II, in 1928, he observed in the child a remarkable quality. She had, the future Prime Minister said, an “air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant.” Continue reading »
Vintage Cover Photos of Popular Mechanics Magazine in the 1930s and ’40s
Popular Mechanics (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation of all types, space, tools and gadgets are commonly featured. Continue reading »
Rare and Fascinating Historical Photos of Pasta Production From the 1920s to 1950s
A worker hangs pasta to dry in a factory in Italy. 1932.
Bettmann/Getty Images/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
Pasta is an integral part of Italy’s food history. Wherever Italians immigrated they have brought their pasta along, so much so that today it can be considered a staple of international cuisine. Continue reading »
Amazing Photos of New York in the 1930s by Samuel Gottscho
Midtown Manhattan, New York City, December 15, 1931
Samuel Herman Gottscho (1875–1971) was an American architectural, landscape, and nature photographer. He was born in Brooklyn in New York City. He acquired his first camera in 1896 and took his first photograph at Coney Island. From 1896 to 1920 he photographed part-time, specializing in houses and gardens, as he particularly enjoyed nature, rural life, and landscapes. Continue reading »
Beautiful Photos of West Zealand County, Denmark in the Late 1930s
Vestsjælland Lumbsaas, circa 1938
West Zealand County (Danish: Vestsjællands Amt) is a former county in the west-central part of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising a few former counties. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into Region Sjælland (i.e. Region Zealand). Continue reading »
Stunning Black and White Photos of Manhattan Taken by Berenice Abbott in 1935 and 1936
Seventh Avenue Looking South from 35th Street
An American photographer, Berenice Abbott was a central figure in and important bridge between the photographic circles and cultural hubs of Paris and New York. Continue reading »
Vintage Family Photos of BMW Automobiles and Their Owners
A fellow experiencing tyre trouble with a BMW 3/15 PS on a gravel road in a forest in wintertime. The car is registered in the former German state of Oldenburg, circa 1930
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly referred to as BMW, is a German multinational corporate manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The corporation was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945. Continue reading »
Trapped In The 1930s: Artist Draws Popular Characters In Rubber Hose Style
Many of us feel nostalgia for certain things, be it old-school candy, clothing style, TV shows, cartoons, etc. It feels good to relive something that is remembered with a warm feeling once again. Some things, even if not experienced personally, are admired nonetheless and are wished to be brought back so that they can be enjoyed and appreciated by those who didn’t have the chance to do so. And that’s what Kev Craven does! Continue reading »
Schlörwagen: The Bizarre German Car from 1939 that Was Super-Aerodynamic but Very Impractical
The 1930s was a defining decade for automotive design, during which time the car evolved from its horse-drawn ancestry into an integrally engineered, aerodynamic, desirable product to meet the demands of the public. This was true nowhere more than in Germany, where the first autobahns were being opened. Continue reading »
Beautiful Colorized Photos of Helsinki, Finland in the 1930s
Horse and carriage in Helsinki, circa 1930
Helsinki is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and the most populous urban area in Finland as well as the country’s most important center for politics, education, finance, culture, and research. Continue reading »
Captivating Vintage Photos of People in Encampment, Wyoming From Between the 1920s and 1930s
When her youngest child reached 4 years of age and the Nichols family committed to remaining in Encampment after the last of the mining and railroad work left town, Lora Webb Nichols (1883-1962) purchased a storefront and established the Rocky Mountain Studio in the center of Encampment, Wyoming. Continue reading »
Amazing Snapshots Capture Street Life in New York City From the Mid-1930s to the End of the 1940s
In the late 1930s, photographer Helen Levitt rode the New York City subway system, first as an apprentice to photographer Walker Evans, then snapping photos of aloof passengers wearing fur coats, flat-brim hats, and antique brooches. Continue reading »
Diathermy in Beauty Culture From From the 1930s
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!
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. Continue reading »
“We Were Once Alive”: 100-Year-Old Portraits from Rural Sweden by John Alinder
Sävasta, Altuna parish, 1910–20
From the 1910s to the 1930s, John Alinder portrayed the local people of rural Sweden, the landscape around them and their way of life. Alone, in pairs or in groups, the people stand facing the photographer’s camera. Continue reading »
1934 Peugeot 601 Eclipse, the First Automatic Retractable Hardtop for an Automobile
Fixed-roof cars of the early 20th century could feel claustrophobic. But convertibles of the time were often leaky, drafty, noisy, and insecure. The advanced solution came from Peugeot in 1934, with the introduction of the retractable hardtop on its luxurious 601. The self-storing roof structure automatically disappeared behind the passenger’s compartment into a space revealed by the reverse-opening rear deck in lieu of the trunk. Continue reading »
The Futuristic World as Envisioned by Echte Wagner Advertising Cards, 1930
These future fantasy collectible cards were published by the German company Echte Wagner in the first half of the 20th century. Originally Echte Wagner made margarine, and it made a lot of trade cards that were distributed all over Central Europe. In 1930, the True Wagner Margarine created a series of books designed as a display for a collection of stickers made available separately. In this book, there’s a section called Future Fantasy which has no artist or author credited.
The illustrations are beautiful, the technology is actually quite brilliant and not so far-fetched. The book is called Echte Wagner Margarine Album Nr. 3, Serien 12 und 13 (Genuine Wagner Margarine Album Nr. 3″, series 12 and 13). It was published by Elmshorn in Holstein, Germany.
Wireless Private Phone and Television
“Each person has their own transmitter and receiver and can communicate with friends and relatives using certain wavelengths. But television technology has become so advanced that people can talk and watch their friends in real-time. The transmitter and receiver are no longer bound to the location but are carried in a box the size of a photo apparatus.” Continue reading »
R-100 Airship: Inside a British “Flying Hotel”, 1929-1930
The R-100 moored in Cardington, England. 1929.
The R100 airship was built as part of a British government programme to develop airships to provide passenger and mail transport between Britain and the countries of the British Empire, including India, Australia and Canada. Originally, it was proposed that two airships be constructed: one, R101, to be designed and constructed under the direction of the Air Ministry, and the other, R100, to be built by a private company under a fixed price contract. Continue reading »
