Vintage Photos Capture Times Square’s Depravity in the 1970s and 1980s

Before Times Square became a global spots, the neighborhood was once defined by burlesque shows, porn theaters, grindhouses, go-go bars, peep shows and sex shops. A symbol of New York’s decay, 42nd Street was called the “worst” block in the city by the New York Times in 1960, with nearly every block became crammed with these seedy businesses. One of the city’s busiest corridors, every day thousands of people would have to pass under the marquees of numerous adult theaters lining the street. These 18 vintage black-and-white photographs from the late 1970s to mid-1980s, taken by renowned photographer Andreas Feininger, will give us a glimpse of the area during the time it was bound with the social decline of urban America:

Posters advertising burlesque shows at the Follies Burlesk and Gaiety Theater in in Times Square, New York City, 1975.

A man walking past the entrance to a topless bar in Times Square, New York City, 1975.

Men walking past the entrance to one of the strip clubs around Times Square, New York City, circa 1975.

Street scene showing a sex shop and massage parlour titled 'Porno House', New York City, 1975.

The 'Follies Burlesk' showing the upcoming shows for 'Valerie Craft' and 'Marinka', 46th St. and Broadway, New York City, 1978.

See more»

Ramón Novarro: Handsome Hero of the Silent Era Who Had a Tragic End

Born 1899 as Jose Ramón Gil Samaniego in Durango City, Durango, Mexican film, stage and television actor Ramón Novarro began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box office attractions of the 1920s and early 1930s.

Novarro was promoted by MGM as a "Latin lover" and became known as a sex symbol after the death of Rudolph Valentino, but he was troubled all his life by his conflicted feelings toward his Roman Catholic religion and his homosexuality.

In the early 1920s, Novarro had a romantic relationship with composer Harry Partch, but he broke off the affair as his acting career began to become successful. He was romantically involved with Hollywood journalist Herbert Howe, who was also his publicist in the late 1920s, and with a wealthy man from San Francisco, Noël Sullivan.

Novarro was murdered on Halloween eve of 1968, by brothers Paul and Tom Ferguson, aged 22 and 17, who called him and offered their sexual services. He had in the past hired prostitutes from an agency to come to his Laurel Canyon home for sex, and the Fergusons obtained Novarro's telephone number from a previous guest.

Novarro had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.

These vintage photos captured portrait of a young and handsome Ramón Novarro in the 1920s and 1930s.

See more»

35 Cool Pics Show Victorian Interior Styles of the Late 19th Century

Victorian interiors feature beautiful colors, lots of ornate details, and skilled fakery to make the home a welcoming and beautiful place. The industrial revolution led to a revolution in interior decorating, and for the Victorians, high style was all about the appearance of luxury, whether real or imitation.

Furniture of the 19th century was often made of walnut, mahogany, or rosewood, tables, chairs and sofas have cabriole legs and often feature naturalistic carvings of fruit, flowers, and leaves.

Take a look at these cool pics to see what Victorian furniture looked like in the 1880s and 1890s.

See more»

Jan. 22, 1981: John Lennon and Yoko Ono Appeared on Rolling Stone’s Cover – The Story Behind the Most Iconic Photograph in Rock ‘n’ Roll History

The musician John Lennon and the performance artist Yoko Ono married in 1969. It was one of the most talked about relationships of the time, not least because many fans of the Beatles blamed Yoko for the break up of the band. John was defensive about the intensity of their love, writing in the lyrics to God (1970): “I just believe in me, Yoko and me, and that’s reality.”

On December 8, 1980, Annie Leibovitz was commissioned by Rolling Stone to photograph John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as part of the promotional efforts surrounding their joint album Double Fantasy. While Leibovitz had hoped that both Lennon and Ono would pose nude, Ono was uncomfortable with shedding her clothes. But Ono’s reluctance led to a legendary improvisation. Of the experience, Leibovitz has said: “I was kinda disappointed, and I said, ‘Just leave everything on.’ We took one Polaroid, and the three of us knew it was profound right away.” When Lennon saw the Polaroid, he said to her: “This is it. This is our relationship.”

Later that evening, Lennon was shot and killed outside of his New York City apartment building. The magazine ran the haunting image (sans headlines) as its cover the following month.

This image and the other image with John nude would quickly become iconic for its timing and the manner in which it immortalized the couple’s devotion towards each other. The picture ultimately documented the celebrity couple’s last hours together, and perhaps a depiction of their final kiss. Leibovitz understands that the photo’s special status is a result of the musician’s tragic death occurring immediately after the shoot.

“It’s actually an excellent example of how circumstances change a picture. Suddenly, that photograph has a story. You’re looking at it and thinking it’s their last kiss, or they’re saying goodbye. You can make up all sorts of things about it. I think it’s amazing when there’s a lot of levels to a photograph.”

(Photos by Annie Leibovitz)

Interior Views of the Central Social Institution in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1937

The Central Social Institution in Prague was home to the world’s largest vertical file cabinet. It consists of 3,000 drawers, 10 feet high, reaching from floor to ceiling and covering approximately 4,000 square feet. The drawers are all equipped with roller bearings.

Special desks were built for those working at the files. They are, in essence, electrically operated elevators, controlled by a touch of a button, which rise or descend, move to the right or left and stop before the desired drawer.

The drawers themselves are electrically opened and shut. With this installation it is now possible for 20 workers to do what formerly required the services of 400.

There are many jobs in which distribution of the work only results in confusion. In this case, eliminating help expedites progress.

These amazing photographs below show men working in mobile work stations used to access the card catalog drawers in the Central Social Institution, Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) in 1937.

40 Colorized Photos of Japanese Bathing Beauties in the Early 20th Century

This set from Okinawa Soba contains colorized photos of mostly geisha and maiko posing as bathing beauties during the Meiji and Taisho eras of old Japan.

See more»

Beautiful Photos of Bea Arthur in the 1970s

Born 1922 as Bernice Frankel in Brooklyn, New York, American actress and comedian Bea Arthur began her career on stage in 1947 and made her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera in 1954.

Arthur won the 1966 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Vera Charles in Mame. She went on to play Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family (1971–72) and Maude (1972–78), and Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–92), winning Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977 and 1988.

Arthur's film appearances also include Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) and Mame (1974). In 2002, she starred in the one-woman show Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends.

A private and introverted woman according to her friends, Arthur died of cancer at her home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles in 2009. She was two and a half weeks short of her 87th birthday.

These beautiful photos captured portrait of Bea Arthur in the 1970s.

See more»