Atmospheric Photographs of France in the 1940s Through a German Soldier’s Lens
In 1940, France was invaded and quickly defeated by Nazi Germany. France was divided into a German occupation zone in the north, an Italian occupation zone in the southeast and an unoccupied territory, the rest of France, which consisted of the southern French metropolitan territory (two-fifths of pre-war metropolitan France) and the French empire, which included the two protectorates of French Tunisia and French Morocco, and French Algeria; the Vichy government, a newly established authoritarian regime collaborating with Germany, ruled the unoccupied territory. Free France, the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle, was set up in London. Continue reading »
The Fascinating World of Japanese Matchboxes – Vintage, Simple, Elegant
A matchbox is not only useful in everyday life, but also a wonderful piece of art. Don’t you believe it? Then you should plunge into the fascinating world of Japanese matchboxes decorated with small but real works of art. Continue reading »
271 Years Before Pantone, an Artist Cataloged Thousands of Color Swatches in a Book From the 17th Century
Before we had Pantone Color Guide, there was no universally recognized system to identify colors. But there were attempts to make it, and probably the most impressive one came from the artist known only as A. Boogert, who back in 1692 created an impressive piece of literature about mixing colors. Continue reading »
The English Dance of Death: Thomas Rowlandson’s Scathing Memento Mori 1814-1816
The Danse Macabre probably arose in early 15th century Europe as a response to the widespread deaths caused by The Black Death plague. The English Dance of Death by Thomas Rowlandson was released in under-subscribed installments between 1814 and 1816. Continue reading »
Collection Of The Creepiest Bible Stories As Vintage Comic Books For Kids
“(Revelations 13:15-18) “This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. I was left alone, my mind was blank I needed time to think. To get the memories from my mind. What did I see? Can I believe it?. That what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy?”, said Bruce Dickinson.”
The Brazilian illustrator Butcher Billy likes to keep things simple. Initially he sketches out his ideas on napkins from sleazy bars, then moves over to his Mac to create a clean, clear image. He uses basic colours and strong forms – and a few graphic tricks here and there – for impact. Though he creates his work digitally, he’s absorbed by the typography, imagery and creative concepts of the 70s, 80s and 90s and loves the little imperfections of the pre-web era. He draws on nostalgia throughout his work. Continue reading »
Vintage Photographs of Christine Keeler Posing in a Swimsuit on a Beach in Spain and France, 1963
Christine Keeler taking a holiday in Spain and France shortly before her controversial involvement with war minister John Profumo led to his resignation. Continue reading »
Stunning Vintage Portrait Photography by Clarence Hudson White
The shelter, 1897
Clarence Hudson White (1871–1925) was an American photographer, teacher and a founding member of the Photo-Secession movement. He grew up in small towns in Ohio, where his primary influences were his family and the social life of rural America. After visiting the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, he took up photography. Continue reading »
Vintage Japanese Watercolor Sketches of Toy Designs
The Ningyo-Do Bunko database features thousands of late 19th and early 20th Century watercolor sketches of Japanese toy designs. More can be seen at Japan’s Akita Prefectural Library, which holds a series of six toy design illustration books produced between 1891 and 1913 by Yamada of Kyoto. 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 »
People Are Sharing Pics Of Life 50-100 Years Ago And They Might Put Things In A New Perspective
“My Grandfather And His Horse, Ruby. 1940’s”
How would you describe normal, everyday life? Well, for a modern person, it’s anything from brushing their teeth to… commuting to work. Oh wait, not anymore. Coronavirus has shaken up quite a few things, and made us work from home, stay in more, keep distances and whatnot. The change is dramatic and it’s only been like two years (almost three!, o-m-g) since it first started in late 2019. Continue reading »
Photographer Perfectly Restores Vintage Mugshots Of Famous People
David Bowie, New York, 1976
According to Jason Baker: “I love restoring old photographs (that are in black and white) and bringing new life into them. The pictures I restored today are mugshots. If you didn’t know, here’s a definition of mugshot: a photograph of usually a person’s head and especially face, specifically, a police photograph of a suspect’s face or profile.
I’d like to share with you some of the vintage mugshots of celebrities that I restored.” Continue reading »
“Dark Carnival”: Photographer Makes a Shots of Vintage Creepy Clowns In a Cornfield
According to Tara Mapes: “If you know me, you know Halloween is my favorite time of year. Scratch the pumpkin spice and sweater weather, I just love recreating vintage horror shots. Continue reading »
Amazing Illustrations by John Bauer in the Early 20th Century
Dag and Daga, and the Flying Troll of Sky Mountain, 1907
Born 1882 in Jönköping, Swedish painter and illustrator traveled throughout Lappland, Germany and Italy early in his career, and these cultures deeply informed his work. He painted and illustrated in a romantic nationalistic style, in part influenced by the Italian Renaissance and Sami cultures. Continue reading »
“Waste Management Confidential”: The Superb Vintage Inspired Artworks of Paco Pomet
A selection of work by artist Paco Pomet from Granada, Spain. Highly iconoclastic, Pomet’s work descends from a tradition in Western art building from the irruption of photography where credibility becomes a starting point for distortion and crises of representation. In this way, Pomet often uses photography to establish a sense of realism that is later dismantled by the introduction of a discordant element to the scene. Continue reading »
Amazing Vintage Photographs of Linemen on Utility Poles at the Turn of 20th Century
Most people don’t think much about the wooden utility poles in their neighborhood. However, they rely on them each day—utility poles support overhead power lines, cable services, streetlights, and other public services in the area. As it happens, these important structures were created by mistake. Continue reading »
“False Gods”: The Superb Retro Aesthetic Artworks of Fârzad Borousan
Fârzad Borousan, known as VΞRTIGO; a young and talented Iranian digital collage artist who creates multi-dimensional comic-book inspired surrealist pop-art with a vintage sci-fi aesthetic. Continue reading »
Jack London’s Extraordinary Photos of London’s East End in 1902
Men sleeping in Green Park.
In 1902 the American author Jack London visited his namesake city – at the time when it was still the largest in the world. In a book that became to be known as The People of the Abyss he described the time when he lived in the Whitechapel district sleeping in workhouses, so-called doss-houses and even on the streets. Continue reading »
This Anesthesiologist Recreates Historical Clothes
History can be something to learn from, something to study, or just plain boring to some people. However, for some, it’s a source of inspiration and a way to unleash their creativity and style. Continue reading »
Satirical and Absurd Illustrations From JJ Grandville’s Un Autre Monde, 1844
‘Un Autre Monde: Transformations, Visions, Incarnations Et Autres Choses’ by JJ Grandville (1803-1847) was published by H. Fournier of Paris in 1844. The illustrations are, as the book’s sole reviewer at the Internet Archive puts it, “nutty, weird and wonderful – funny and strange.” The work is “very good!”. It is. Continue reading »
The Qajar Series, Inspired by The Studio Portraiture First Introduced to Iran in The Late 19th Century
These photographs are from a series of thirty-three portraits by Shadi Ghadirian, a contemporary artist who was inspired by the studio portraiture first introduced to Iran in the late nineteenth century under the Qajar dynasty (1794–1925). Continue reading »
Stunning Black and White Photographs Captured the Spirit of Early 20th Century Athletics
My nanny Dudu, 40, on rue Cortambert in Paris, 1904.
Jacques Henri Lartigue/Ministère de la Culture-France/AAJHL
Jacques Henri Lartigue was fascinated by the ascent of sport in the early 20th century as a fashionable pastime for the middle classes, and was himself a keen sportsman. Lartigue’s entirely unposed photographs, presented album-style in this gorgeous, luxurious and delightful volume, capture both the joyous exuberance of amateur sports––racing, skiing, tennis, gymnastics, hang gliding––and the particular character of its popularity in the first half of the 20th century. 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 »
Paris in Vivid Color Images by Jules Gervais-Courtellemont, 1923
Paris as seen from the church of Saint Gervais.
Jules Gervais-Courtellemont/National Geographic Creative/Corbis
These colored photos by Jules Gervais-Courtellemont will take you back through time to see how Paris looked in 1923. The vivid images are produced using the autochrome technique in which the plates are covered in microscopic red, green and blue colored potato starch grains (about four million per square inch). Continue reading »
Lettering Artist Rafael Serra Creates Popular Logos in A Vintage Spirit
Pizza Hut, Spotify, Liddl… Inspired by advertising and marketing from the 70s, Portuguese type designer and lettering artist Rafael Serra imagined what modern brand logos would look like if they had been designed some decades ago. Playing with colors and typography, the artist offers a new version of these logos that we know very well today, and gives them a vintage and retro style. Continue reading »
Before Bikini: Cool Photos of Women in Swimsuits From the 1930s
The silhouette of the 1930s swimsuit took on direct inspiration from men’s swimsuits (which were still one pieces). Men were encouraged to build a muscular yet lean sportsman’s body. Women also needed to slim down into an athletic body that was tall, lean, and curvy up top to flatter the latest bias cut dresses. Continue reading »
