Stunning Color Photography in the 1950s by Saul Leiter
Saul Leiter (1923-2013) was born in Pittsburgh. His interest in art began in his late teens, he left theology school and moved to New York to pursue painting at age 23. In New York, he befriended the Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart, who was experimenting with photography. His friendship with Pousette-Dart and soon after, with W. Eugene Smith, expanded his interest in photography. Continue reading »
Portraits of Swiss “Halbstarken” Girls With Very Big Hair in the 1950s and 1960s
Halbstarke is a German term describing a postwar-period subculture of adolescents – mostly male and of working class parents – that appeared in public in an aggressive and provocative way during the 1950s in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Later, the term sometimes described youths in general. Continue reading »
Back When the Rotor Rides Were Fun and Dangerous!
The Rotor is an amusement park ride, designed and patented by German engineer Ernst Hoffmeister in 1948. The ride was first demonstrated at Oktoberfest 1949, and was exhibited at fairs and events throughout Europe, during the 1950s and 1960s. The ride still appears in numerous amusement parks, although traveling variants have been surpassed by the Gravitron. Continue reading »
Incredible Color Photographs That Show What Life Was Really Like in Britain in the 1950s
Unemployment was very low in the 1950s and it was a long period of prosperity. In the early part of the decade, there was still rationing. However, food rationing ended in 1954. In the 1950s living standards in Britain rose considerably. In the late 1950s, Britain became an affluent society. By 1959 about two-thirds of British homes had a vacuum cleaner. However, even in 1960, only 44% of homes had a washing machine. Continue reading »
Remember When Traveling by Train Was Wonderful in the 1950s
Before the start of Amtrak in 1971, the Sunset Limited was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Sunset Limited is the oldest named train in the United States, operating since November 1894 along the Sunset Route (though originally named the Sunset Express). The Sunset Route (originating in New Orleans) is the southernmost of the three gateways to the West Coast envisioned through the Pacific Railroad Acts. The other two embarked from Chicago and St. Louis. Continue reading »
Vintage Photos of Cars During Winter in the 1950s and ’60s
1950s and 1960s cars in Portland, Maine
1950s cars were some of the most classic, powerful and unsafe cars ever driven. The modern designs and acceleration abilities were getting more and more amazing every year. The auto industry was starting to experiment with a new concept called a “sports car.” By the end of the 50s, Americans fell in love with the sports car. After all, the 50s gave birth to the Corvette. Continue reading »
Inspiring & Rare Color Photographs Of Everyday Life In Hong Kong From The Photographer Fan Ho
Here are rare and beautiful color photographs from Master photographer Fan Ho. We have seen a lot of his Black and White photographs, but in this collection, we are presenting his colorwork. Continue reading »
Behind the Scenes Photographs From a 1950s Casting Call for a Long-Haired Model
Thomas McAvoy/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation
In 1959 Dallas photographer William Langley had a problem: he needed a long-haired model for a shoot—the woman’s hair needed to blow in the breeze. But no local agency had a model who could do the job. Their hair was all too short. Continue reading »
Breakfast in Bed: Extraordinary Color Photographs Revealed the First Class of Air France in the 1950s
Air France, in full Compagnie Nationale Air France, French international airline originally formed in 1933 and today serving all parts of the globe. With British Airways, it was the first to fly the supersonic Concorde. Headquarters are in Paris. Continue reading »
Fantastic Photos of the USSR in the 1950s You Haven’t Seen
Well, maybe you have seen some of these photos, however you are more likely to see the majority of them for the first time. All of them are colored and they literally help you dig into that special atmosphere. Amazing feeling of a time journey – 60-70 years into the past. Continue reading »
Beautiful Photos of the 1953 Cadillac Le Mans
The Cadillac Le Mans was a concept car designed by Harley Earl and developed by Cadillac. It was named for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, in which Cadillac competed in 1950. Continue reading »
Inside the Gruesome Mummies of Guanajuato in the 1950s
The Mummies of Guanajuato are a number of naturally mummified bodies interred during a cholera outbreak around Guanajuato, Mexico in 1833. Continue reading »
“One Day with Salvador Dalí”: A Surreal Photo Shoot of Salvador Dalì in His Seaside Villa, 1955
Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
In 1955, photographer Charles Hewitt visited Salvador Dalí and his wife (and muse) Gala at their home to shoot photos for a British editorial magazine called Picture Post. The famous artist posed up showing his surreal personality and didn’t miss this opportunity to shock his audience. Hewitt ended up titling the photoshoot simply as “One day with Salvador Dalí”. Continue reading »
Louie Mattar’s Cadillac, the Car That Has Everything, 1952
Louie Mattar, a San Diego garage owner with a big imagination, who turned his 1947 Cadillac into a how-to guide for four-wheeled DIYers everywhere. When he bought a brand new Cadillac four years ago, the extra equipment his dealer offered was not enough and Mattar started to add a weird assortment of things that other motorists can only dream of. Continue reading »
Italian Defense Shoes With Spurs for Protection, 1955
In 1955 in Italy, “Defense Shoes”, complete with spurs on toes and heels to kick away sex pests, were designed by a Roman shoemaker to protect young girls from street. Police at the time referred to those harassing young women as “parrots” – because the girls said they repeated the same silly phrase all the time. Continue reading »
Vikki Dougan: Seductive Sex-Bomb Whose Daring Backless Dresses Inspired the 1950s Women’s Fashion
Actress and model Vikki Dougan earned her nickname “The Back” thanks to the dangerously low-back, curve-hugging dresses she wore in the 1950s and 1960s. Dougan’s alluring back has even inspired a song written by folk music legends The Limelighters whose lyrics passionately request that she “turn her back” on them. Continue reading »
Playful Pictures of Marilyn Monroe Having Breakfast in Bed, 1953
Marilyn Monroe having breakfast in bed at the Bel Air hotel in Los Angeles, 1953. She was photographed by Andre de Dienes during the filming of How To Marry a Millionaire. Continue reading »
The Cars That Money Can’t Buy: 1953-1955 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. Concepts
Ron Kimball/RM Sothebys
Unconstrained by the limitations of budget and the realities of manufacturing, concept cars afford talented designers the opportunity to explore their wildest and most progressive ideas. At their best, these dazzling, artistic creations invite us to totally reimagine what the automobile can be. Continue reading »
Early 1950s Tijuana Bible, a Humorous Pamphlet About Urination
Tijuana bibles were palm-sized comic books produced in the United States from the 1920s to the early 1960s. Their popularity peaked during the Great Depression era. Continue reading »
Vintage Photos of Stunning Custom Cars Painted by Larry Watson in the 1950s
Larry Watson was born on July 21, 1938, in Bellflower, California. He began his pinstriping career at the tender age of 16, having grown up in a time period that saw the Southern California scene abuzz with the latest American makes and model cars; a time period that would later be considered “the era of Bombs.” Continue reading »
Beautiful Vintage Color Photos of Holidaymakers at Southend-on-Sea in 1953
Take a look at tourists enjoying their holiday at Southend-on-Sea, a resort town on the Thames Estuary in Essex, Southeast England: sunbathing on the beach, singing and dancing on the Royal Sovereign-a pleasure steamer taking passengers on a trip up the Thames, having good times at the funfair, through 11 fascinating color photographs taken by Bert Hardy. Continue reading »
The Making of a Coca-Cola Neon Sign for Piccadilly Circus, 1954
The area began as a link between Piccadilly and Regent Street and when the tube was opened at Piccadilly Circus in 1906, Perrier became the first advertiser in 1908. Continue reading »
These Humorous Stinker Station Signs Helped to Provide Comic Relief for Motorists in Idaho During the 1950s and ’60s
When traveling to distant places, it is well to remember where you come from. If you come from Idaho, chances are you are familiar with the Stinker gas stations, which used to put up gag signs along the roads. Those bright yellow Stinker Station signs all with black print truly were an “Idaho only” institution. The Stinker gas stations used to break the monotony of traveling through southern Idaho’s miles of sagebrush with their comic signs. Continue reading »
Fascinating Nostalgic Color Photos Show What the World Looked Like in the 1950s
A 1950s Ford with a ‘Welcome to Colorful Colorado’
The 1950s were a decade marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. “America at this moment,” said the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1945, “stands at the summit of the world.” Continue reading »
The 1955 GMC L’Universelle Dream Truck
One of the most popular General Motors design concept models designed under the direction of Harley Earl was the 1955 GMC L’Universelle show van. The name “L’Universelle” is French and means “The Universal.” The model was a part of the Motorama shows during the 1950s, which created a huge buzz among crowds at the time. Continue reading »
