22 Photos of a Young Jean Seberg on the Set of “Breathless” (1960)

On the set of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (À bout de souffle, filmed in August–September 1959 and released in 1960), 20-year-old Jean Seberg worked in a chaotic, improvisational, and guerrilla-style environment that was the complete opposite of her previous Hollywood studio experiences. Coming off rigidly controlled productions with Otto Preminger (Saint Joan and Bonjour Tristesse), Seberg initially struggled with Godard’s unconventional methods before embracing the creative freedom.

Godard worked from a loose outline rather than a finished script. He frequently wrote dialogue on the spot, often jotting lines down at a nearby café minutes before rolling, and fed Seberg and co-star Jean-Paul Belmondo their lines right before or even during takes. At times, Seberg reportedly wondered if the movie would ever be coherent or even released.

Because the film had a tiny $90,000 budget and no credited costume designer, Seberg styled herself and largely wore her own clothes. Her minimalist choices, including the iconic New York Herald Tribune T-shirt, cropped pants, and striped Breton tops, combined with her signature pixie cut, inadvertently turned her into a lasting fashion icon.

Much of the movie was filmed on the streets of Paris without permits using natural light and handheld cameras. To capture tracking shots of Seberg and Belmondo walking down the Champs-Élysées without drawing crowds, cinematographer Raoul Coutard famously hid inside a rolling postal cart or was pushed in a wheelchair while Godard directed from the sidelines.

Upon its initial release in France, the film attracted over two million viewers. It has since been considered one of the best films ever made, repeatedly appearing in Sight & Sound magazine’s decennial polls of filmmakers and critics on the subject. In May 2010, a fully restored version of the film was released in the United States to coincide with the film’s 50th anniversary. American film critic of the time, Pauline Kael, called it the most important New Wave film to reach the United States.

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30 Vintage On-Set Photos of Brigitte Bardot From “Une Parisienne” (1957)

These vintage on-set photos capture Brigitte Bardot during the filming of Une Parisienne (1957), a light French romantic comedy directed by Michel Boisrond. In the film, Bardot plays the playful and determined daughter of the French Prime Minister who sets out to win the affection of her father’s chief of staff.

The images reveal her natural charm, expressive energy, and effortless style both in character and between takes. Shot in the vibrant atmosphere of late-1950s Paris, these photos offer a delightful glimpse of Bardot at a peak moment in her early career, just as she was becoming an international symbol of French beauty and allure.

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Gloria DeHaven Posing for Thanksgiving, ca. 1952

Here, American actress and singer Gloria DeHaven posing in themed promotional publicity stills for Thanksgiving, ca. 1952. During Hollywood’s Golden Age, major studios routinely staged seasonal pin-up shoots to keep their contract players in newspapers and fan magazines year-round.

At the time these were taken, DeHaven was a prominent contract star for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Studios produced thousands of holiday-themed photos, ranging from Fourth of July sparklers to Thanksgiving turkeys, and distributed them to the press for free to promote their actors and upcoming films.

Photographers dressed DeHaven in a playful “farmer’s daughter” outfit complete with a straw hat, plaid shirt, and shorts. This was a popular, wholesome pin-up aesthetic of the era that contrasted with the actors’ glamorous on-screen personas. Although they look like candid farm shots, the dramatic cloud backdrop, clean hay bales, and staged lighting show that the photos were taken on an indoor soundstage or studio backlot.

The Spirit of America: 40 Stunning Portraits of Gertrude Olmstead in the 1920s

Gertrude Olmstead (November 13, 1897 – January 18, 1975) was a prolific American silent film actress who appeared in 56 films between 1920 and 1929. Her entire screen career took place during the 1920s, where she became known for playing sweet, conventional heroines opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest male stars.

After winning a 1920 beauty contest out of 5,900 entrants to represent “The Spirit of America” at the Elks Club national convention, she won a $10,000 one-year contract with Universal Pictures. She debuted in Tipped Off (1920) and gained her first credited role in The Fox (1921), quickly becoming a frequent leading lady in westerns starring Hoot Gibson. Her highest-profile role came in 1925 when she starred opposite Rudolph Valentino in the drama Cobra.

After moving to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), she worked alongside major icons including Lon Chaney (The Monster, Mr. Wu), Greta Garbo (Torrent), and John Gilbert, as well as director John Ford (Cameo Kirby).

In 1926, she married prominent MGM director Robert Z. Leonard, and the two remained together until his death in 1968.

Like many silent-era stars, her career slowed with the arrival of “talkies” in the late 1920s. Comfortably married and no longer needing to work, she retired from acting in 1929 following appearances in The Time, the Place and the Girl and The Show of Shows.

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Before the Supermodels, There Was Veruschka

Veruschka (born Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort in 1939) was one of the most distinctive and influential models of the 1960s. Tall, aristocratic, and strikingly unconventional, she rose to international fame after being discovered in Florence and quickly became a favorite of major fashion magazines and photographers.

With her dramatic presence and artistic approach to modeling, Veruschka helped redefine what a fashion model could be long before the term “supermodel” entered popular culture. Her appearance in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up (1966) further cemented her status as a cultural icon of the era.

Beyond fashion, Veruschka later worked as an actress and performance artist, continuing to explore image and identity throughout her career. These iconic photos capture the striking beauty, presence, and pioneering spirit of Veruschka, the model who came before the supermodels.

Veruschka in gold dots on ebony, hooded evening pajamas by Pauline Trigere, photo by Henry Clarke in the Jas Mandir at Amber, India, Vogue, December 1, 1964

Veruschka in sun-fired orange evening pajamas of jersey by Shannon Rodgers for Jerry Silverman, photo by Henry Clarke at the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula, Vogue, December 1, 1964

Veruschka photographed by Johnny Moncada in Sardinia, 1964

Veruschka wearing an ivory chiffon wool jersey fantasy dress and turban, standing in front of the Goddress Chamunda in the Hall of Heroes, Jodhpur, India, photo by Henry Clarke, December 1964

Veruschka, photo by Tony Vaccaro, 1964

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Filippo Romoli: Master of Italian Art Deco Posters

Born in Savona and later based in Genoa, prominent Italian illustrator and poster artist Filippo Romoli (1901–1969) began his career in the mid-1920s at the Barabino & Graeve graphic company. He was a known for his elegant Art Deco style and contributions to tourism and commercial advertising.

Romoli specialized in travel posters promoting Italian seaside resorts, cultural events, and transportation companies, creating bold, colorful compositions that captured the glamour and optimism of the interwar period. His work often featured stylized figures, dynamic compositions, and a refined sense of light and color influenced by both Art Deco and Italian Novecento aesthetics. Beyond tourism, he also designed advertising for industrial and food companies.

Romoli is remembered as one of the leading Italian poster artists of the twentieth century. These striking vintage posters showcase the refined style and visual charm of Filippo Romoli, a true master of Italian Art Deco design.

Calzaturificio Ocrea Genova, 1927

Diana Park, Alassio, 1929

Stagione Giugno Settembre, Alassio, 1929

Varazze, La Spiaggia Preferita, 1929

Genova e la Riviera Ligure, circa 1930

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Kathy Ireland Photographed by John G. Zimmerma for the 1987 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

These iconic photos of supermodel Kathy Ireland for the 1987 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue were captured by legendary photographer John G. Zimmerman on September 24, 1986, in the Dominican Republic.

One of the most memorable images from this session features Ireland combining 1980s glamour with the Dominican Republic’s deep passion for baseball. She posed holding a baseball bat while wearing a white one-piece swimsuit, sneakers, and a New York Mets cap.

The shoots took place in Santo Domingo and surrounding coastal areas, featuring striking backdrops of rocky beaches and local architecture. In the original magazine layout, one of the primary images actually featured Canadian model Monika Schnarre alongside Ireland. Schnarre was intentionally styled to be blurry in the background, which is why she is typically cropped out of modern internet reposts.

This photoshoot took place early in Ireland’s historic run with the magazine, where she ultimately appeared in 13 consecutive swimsuit editions. The massive popularity of her early shoots, including this 1987 feature, paved the way for her record-breaking 1989 25th-anniversary cover and helped launch her into a billion-dollar business career.

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