The Never Contented: The Pioneering Speed of La Jamais Contente
In the late 19th century, a remarkable vehicle named La Jamais Contente, meaning “The Never Contented” in English, made history as the first road vehicle to exceed 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). This groundbreaking achievement marked a significant milestone in automotive progress. Continue reading »
Too Shy, Too Cool: Reliving the Trendsetting Looks of Kajagoogoo in the 80s
The 1980s were a time of vibrant fashion and unforgettable music, and one band that epitomized the era was Kajagoogoo. Hailing from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, Kajagoogoo started their journey as a four-piece avant-garde group called Art Nouveau. Continue reading »
The Voisin C14: A Masterpiece of Art Deco Design and Innovative Engineering
During its production from late 1927 to 1932, the Voisin C14 chassis emerged as one of the brand’s most prolific models, with a total of 1,795 units manufactured. Renowned for their stunning aesthetics, many C14s boasted custom bodies inspired by the Art Deco movement, including the iconic Chartre Demi-Berline designed by Andre Lefèbvre for Voisin. Continue reading »
Capturing the Short Shorts Phenomenon in a Photo Journey Through the 70s and 80s
Short shorts, as the name suggests, are a style of shorts that are shorter than the average length. This fashion trend has a history that dates back to the 1930s, when they were donned by Hollywood starlets for publicity photos. Interestingly, their popularity led to a by-law in New York City, which was eventually repealed in 1942, prohibiting women from wearing them. Continue reading »
From Vintage Treasures to Cultural Artifacts: The Enchanting World of Petrol Station Pumps at Fisogni Museum
Bergomi Petrol Pump 1960
The Fisogni Museum, located near Milan, Italy, is dedicated to showcasing petrol station pumps and ephemera. Guido Fisogni, the museum’s founder, began collecting these pumps over thirty years ago. Continue reading »
Art on Wheels: Exploring the Captivating World of 1890s French Bicycle Posters
Throughout history, bicycles have played a significant role in shaping transportation and inspiring a sense of freedom. While the first functioning two-wheeler is often credited to a German inventor in 1817, it was the French who truly embraced and popularized this revolutionary mode of transport in the 1860s, giving it the name “bicycle.” The French not only fell in love with bicycles for their practicality but also recognized their cultural and literary significance, intertwining them with themes of freedom and adventure in their literature. Continue reading »
The Legacy of Paul Sougy: Mid-Century Scientific Illustrations that Influenced a Generation
Paul Sougy’s mid-Century collaboration with Dr. Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux resulted in a series of stunning scientific illustrations. Originally intended as large pull-down charts for classroom walls, Sougy’s work influenced an entire generation of French children. Despite the impact of his work, little is known about the man himself. Continue reading »
From Boat-Tail to Muscle Flanks: The Revolutionary Design of the 1971 Riviera Muscle Car
The year 1971 marked a significant milestone in the history of the Buick Riviera, an iconic luxury car produced by General Motors (GM) since 1963. Under the direction of GM’s chief styling director, Bill Mitchell, the Riviera underwent a radical redesign that introduced flowing and dramatic “boat-tail” styling, which was penned by Jerry Hirshberg, the future head of design for Nissan. Continue reading »
Discovering the Beauty of Wild Collaging with Artist Francesca Lawrence
Francesca Lawrence, a talented artist, describes wild collaging as an effortless art form that involves taking pre-cut paper elements into the world and creating whimsical scenes that are then captured by camera. It’s an enjoyable and accessible art form with almost instant results and gratification. Wild collaging, also known as locative collage, is a mixed-media collaging technique where paper pieces are combined with anything found on walks to create unique and ephemeral works of art. Continue reading »
Breaking Fashion Boundaries: Women’s Attitudes and Styles in the 1960s
Women’s fashion underwent significant changes throughout the 1960s, becoming increasingly casual for people of all ages and genders. Three main trends dominated women’s wear during this era: the continuation of refined elegance from the previous decade, youthful styles popularized by Mary Quant and the Space Age movement, and the hippie style that emerged in the late 60s. Continue reading »
The Timeless Beauty of the Talbot-Lago T150 CSS Series by Figoni
In 1935, Talbot-Lago emerged as a company following the dissolution of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq. Its founder, Anthony Lago, aimed to manufacture a collection of high-end and extravagant sports cars. Initially, these cars used six-cylinder engines, but later models incorporated eight-cylinder engines and occasionally more affordable options to boost sales. Continue reading »
Nostalgia Meets Futurism: The Unique Art of Maxine Gregson
Maxine Gregson’s unique and captivating artworks blend together nostalgia and futurism, creating a style that has been described as “nostalgic futurism.” Her creative process involves using postcards, magazines, and her own photography, along with snippets of lyrics and literature, to create pieces that are both beautiful and thought-provoking. Continue reading »
Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos of Audrey Hepburn With Orangey the Cat in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ in 1961
Holly Golightly’s cat in the iconic 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s was famously described as a “poor slob without a name.” However, in real life, the cat actor who played the part of Cat was anything but. His name was Orangey, and he was a star in his own right, with a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after feline actors. Continue reading »
Matra Sports Jet: The French Sports Car Gifted to Yuri Gagarin
The Matra Djet is a renowned French sports car that was originally designed and sold by René Bonnet. The car was first introduced in June 1962 under the name René Bonnet Djet, and it was the world’s first rear mid-engined production road car. Over the years, different versions of the car were produced and sold under various names that included Matra-Bonnet Djet, Matra Sports Djet, and finally, Matra Sports Jet. Continue reading »
Anne Lee Patterson Photographed by Alfred Cheney Johnston, ca. 1930
In these vintage model shoot photos, we see Miss Anne posing in a diaphanous covering designed by ‘Erte’ and wearing high heels. She sports short hair and looks stunning. The photographer was a longtime close friend of hers. Miss Anne was not only crowned Miss USA in 1931 but also performed in the Ziegfeld Follies during the same year. 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 »
The Fend Flitzer: The Invalid Carriage that Paved the Way for Messerschmitt Kabinenroller Microcars
The Fend Flitzer was a three-wheeled vehicle designed and built by Fritz Fend in Rosenheim, Germany in 1948. Fend, a former aeronautical engineer and technical officer in the Luftwaffe, initially produced a tricycle invalid carriage with a front wheel that was steered by handlebars and powered by a mechanism actuated by pushing back and forth on the handlebars. Soon after, the tricycle was offered with a 38 cc Victoria two-stroke proprietary engine normally used for motorizing bicycles. Continue reading »
The Autochrome: A Revolutionary but Brief Moment in Photography History
The Autochrome was a groundbreaking photographic process that revolutionized the industry in the early 20th century. Developed by the Société Lumière in 1907, the Autochrome was the first industrial color photography process available to the public. American photographer Edward Steichen even described it as the “most beautiful process that photography has ever given us to translate nature.” This new process quickly gained popularity and created a craze for color photography. Continue reading »
Capturing the Unbridled Hysteria of Beatlemania: LIFE Photographer Stan Wayman’s Portraits of Fans at the Beatles’ First US Concert
The Beatles are undoubtedly one of the most iconic bands in the history of popular music. Their influence on music and culture is immeasurable, with their impact felt not just in their home country of the UK, but across the world. Beyond the impact their music had on everyone from Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys to Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones, The Beatles also sparked the era-defining phenomenon known as Beatlemania. Continue reading »
The Rhino: An Inventor’s Visionary Solution for Off-Road and Highway Transportation From The 1950s
Rhino’s tilting hemispheroidal wheels adjust to variable heights on uneven terrain.
Back in 1954, inventor Elie Aghnides was struck by an idea that would revolutionize the way we think about off-road vehicles. As he watched a caterpillar tractor muscling dirt around in New York City’s Central Park, he couldn’t help but wonder why such a powerful machine was limited to a maximum speed of 25 mph and plagued by frequent tread breaks. Continue reading »
Pachimon: The Amazing Obscure Kaiju Collectible Cards From The 70’s
Kyuradorosu (vampire monster)/ Height: 5 meters/ Weight: 800 kilograms/ From Chiba
In the 1970s, kaiju and tokusatsu were all the rage in Japan, inspiring Yokopro to create Pachimon. These collectible cards featured several “Pachimon,” monsters based on popular kaiju series such as Godzilla, Gamera, and the Ultra Series. These monsters were often depicted attacking famous cities and places, making them all the more exciting for fans. Continue reading »
The Superb Retro Inspired Collages by Figaro Many
His name is Tomasz aka Figaro Many, hailing from a small town in Poland. Tomasz began creating collages a year ago and it quickly turned into his passion. He enjoys merging the styles of vintage ads, posters, or magazine covers with something unconventional that appears amusing or provocative. Additionally, Tomasz has interests in music and movies. Continue reading »
Meet Jean Carlu, A Pioneer of Graphic Design and Branding
Jean Carlu was a French graphic designer who was born in 1900 in Bonnières-sur-Seine. He began his career as a professional poster designer in 1919 after winning a competition held by a dental aids producer called Glycodont in 1918. Continue reading »
Customizing the 1940 Mercury: A Classic Car with Endless Possibilities
The 1940 Mercury is a classic car that has been widely appreciated for its unique design and customization potential. Introduced by Ford Motor Co. in 1939, the Mercury was positioned between the low-priced Ford V-8 and the luxurious Lincoln Zephyr V-12, filling the gap in the market for a mid-range vehicle. Continue reading »
Introducing La Modiste Universelle, a Fashion Magazine with Original Hat Designs From the 19th Century
La Modiste Universelle, established in 1876, was a prominent illustrated magazine for women’s fashion. Printed on high-quality paper and adorned with watercolor, it presented four unique hat designs every month. The publication was a part of Société des Journals de Mode, which included other prominent magazines like Le Moniteur de la Mode and La France Elegante. It had a vast distribution network, ensuring its readership spanned across borders. Continue reading »
