Alfred Kowalski: Master of the Winter Scene

Alfred Kowalski (1849–1915), often known as Alfred Kowalski-Wierusz, was a highly celebrated Polish painter renowned for his captivating depictions of 19th-century Polish life and landscapes, particularly his masterful winter scenes.

A leading figure of the Munich School, where he studied and lived for much of his life, Kowalski became famous across Europe and North America for his dramatic yet detailed genre paintings. His signature works often feature sleigh rides, wolf attacks, bustling village markets, and travelers braving the snow, all rendered with a striking sense of movement, dramatic lighting, and deep, evocative color palettes.

Kowalski’s ability to capture the specific atmosphere and narrative of rural life under a heavy blanket of snow made him one of the most recognizable and beloved Polish realist painters of his time.

A Sunny Day in Winter

A Horse-Drawn Carriage

A Horse-Drawn Sled at Dusk

A Journey in the Rain

A Mare and Her Foal in a Landscape

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The Final Journey of Elvis Presley’s Private Jet, the Lisa Marie, in 1984

This rare photograph captures a significant moment in February 1984 when Elvis Presley’s private jet, the Convair 880 “Lisa Marie,” was transported down Elvis Presley Boulevard to Graceland. The plane had been purchased by Elvis in April 1975 from Delta Air Lines for $250,000, with an additional $800,000 spent on luxurious customizations to create his “Flying Graceland.”

The Convair 880 jetliner was one of the fastest commercial airliners of its era. Elvis named the plane after his daughter, Lisa Marie. Whereas the Convair used to fly 96 people around for Delta, now it would seat just 28, but in far more comfort than before. As requested, the Convair now had a conference room, with a large oval glass table and leather armchairs, and two further lounge areas for guests. 

It had a well-appointed bar, a professional hair and makeup station, and two additional sleeping areas. For the King, the plane had a private bedroom complete with a queen-sized bed, a lounge chair and a TV, and naturally, it was en suite. For the bathrooms, Elvis specified 24K gold-plated sinks and taps, and the larger bathroom even had a shower.

Attention to detail was important to the King, and every part of the aircraft was meticulously crafted. Seats were finished in suede or leather, walls were panelled in beautiful hardwoods, and the carpets were thick and plush. Even the seatbelts had gold-plated buckles.

Across the jet, 52 speakers connected to a videotape system with three TV screens as well as a quadraphonic 8-track stereo system. The aircraft even had a sky-to-ground phone system – all cutting-edge technology at the time.

Elvis used the jet for tours around the US, for which he needed a crew of four – a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and flight attendant. On top of that, the jet consumed 1,700 gallons of fuel per hour, and 2,200 gallons were needed for takeoff. Taken all in, this gave the Convair an annual operating cost of $404,000, or $2.1 million today when adjusted for inflation.

After Presley’s death in 1977, the Lisa Marie was sold by his father, Vernon. It changed hands a couple of times, but when Graceland opened to the public in 1982, Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), the managers of the attraction, sought to bring the plane back to Memphis. 

In 1984, the Convair 880 duly arrived back in Graceland, where it is now on permanent display. It has gone on to become one of the most visited tourist attractions in the U.S.

Not long after, EPE also acquired the Hound Dog II Lockheed JetStar and put that on display at Graceland too. Both planes can still be visited today.

Beautiful Photos of the 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe

The 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe was the flagship model of Chevrolet’s popular Bel Air line and marked the final year of the brand’s early post-war styling generation (1949–1954) before the completely redesigned models of 1955.

It retained the sleek, low-slung look of its predecessors, distinguished by a new, more substantial grille featuring a chrome texture, a revised instrument panel, and minor trim changes. Powered by the reliable “Blue Flame” inline six-cylinder engine, the ’54 Bel Air was often paired with the optional Powerglide automatic transmission.

The Sport Coupe, a two-door hardtop, was particularly sought after for its lack of a B-pillar, creating an open, pillarless appearance that gave it a sporty, premium feel, making it a highly desirable car of the mid-1950s American landscape.

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30 Photos of Clint Eastwood With His First Wife Maggie Johnson in the 1950s and 1960s

Clint Eastwood and Maggie Johnson were married from 1953 to 1984, making it his longest marriage to date. They met on a blind date while she was working as a secretary and model, before Eastwood achieved major fame.

Johnson supported Eastwood during his early years as a struggling actor. His breakthrough role in the TV series Rawhide in 1959, followed by his iconic film roles, led to intense media scrutiny and the strains of fame, which ultimately took a toll on their marriage.

Throughout their marriage, Eastwood had numerous affairs, including a 14-year liaison with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis, which produced a daughter, Kimber (born 1964), and a long-term relationship with actress Sondra Locke. According to some accounts, Maggie Johnson was aware of these infidelities.

Despite their difficult past, Eastwood and Johnson remained on good terms and friendly after their divorce, bonded by their children. Their daughter Alison has mentioned they still celebrate holidays together and live close by, a testament to their commitment to family.

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Warren Beatty and Carrie Fisher, Then 17, Take a Break During Filming of the Movie “Shampoo” (1975)

Shampoo is a 1975 American comedy film directed by Hal Ashby and starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Tony Bill, and Carrie Fisher. Co-written by Beatty and Robert Towne, the film follows a promiscuous Los Angeles hairdresser on Election Day 1968, as he juggles his relationships with several women.

At the time of filming, Fisher was just 17 years old, making her film debut as Lorna Karpf, the rebellious daughter of a wealthy couple entangled in the film’s web of infidelities. Beatty, who co-wrote and produced Shampoo, played George Roundy, a charismatic Beverly Hills hairdresser whose charm and romantic entanglements mirror the cultural and political turbulence of the late 1960s.

Behind the scenes, Beatty was already one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and power players, fresh off Bonnie and Clyde and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Fisher, meanwhile, was the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, still carving out her own identity before her Star Wars fame just two years later.

Todd Fisher, Fisher’s younger brother, told The Times in 2018 that Reynolds was extremely protective of Fisher when she was filming Shampoo. So much so, she threatened Beatty about hitting on her. “If you touch her, I will take out a hit on you,” Todd recalled his mother saying.

It seems that Beatty, who was 19 years Fisher’s senior, didn’t head that warning.

In a 1991 interview with Madonna for Rolling Stone, Fisher revealed more of Beatty’s inappropriate behavior. Madonna dated Beatty in the early 1990s after they co-starred in Dick Tracy.

“Let me ask you something: Did you f*ck Warren?” Madonna asked Fisher.

“No,” she replied.

“You didn’t?” the singer asked.

“I’m one of the few. I could have,” Fisher said.

“OK, but we both made a movie with him, so we both could have f*cked him,” the “Vogue” singer said. And that’s when Fisher revealed Beatty’s propositions.

“At the time, I was 17 and making Shampoo,” Fisher explained. “He offered to relieve me of the huge burden of my virginity. Four times. That was the big offer. I decided against it. I decided for reality over anecdote.”

54 Behind the Scenes Photos of Teenage Sophie Marceau in Her Debut Films “La Boum” (1980) and “La Boum 2” (1982)

Sophie Marceau made her film debut in the French comedy La Boum (1980) at the age of 14, where she starred as the main character, Victoire “Vic” Beretton. The film was a massive commercial success in France and other parts of Europe, instantly launching her to stardom.

She reprised her role as Vic in the sequel La Boum 2 (1982). This film was also very popular and earned Marceau the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 1983, solidifying her career in French cinema. These two films were instrumental in establishing Sophie Marceau as a prominent actress.

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The Original Blonde Bombshell: 30 Stunning Portraits of Jean Harlow in the 1930s

Jean Harlow (1911–1937) was an American actress and cultural icon who rose to fame in the early 1930s, becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars before her tragically early death at age 26.

Known as the “Blonde Bombshell,” Harlow was instrumental in establishing the archetype of the glamorous, platinum-blonde sex symbol in cinema. She was one of the first actresses to be billed by her screen name, and her image, characterized by her dazzling, almost white hair, provocative roles, and witty, often cynical delivery, challenged the conservative morality of the time.

Key films like Hell’s Angels (1930), Red Dust (1932), and Dinner at Eight (1933) solidified her position as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s top star and a pioneer whose bold, modern femininity permanently influenced screen sirens who followed her. Take a look at these stunning portraits to see the beauty of Jean Harlow in the 1930s.

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