50 Stunning Black and White Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Kim Novak in the 1950s

Kim Novak (nborn February 13, 1933) is an American retired actress and painter. Her contributions to cinema have been honored with two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In the 1950s, Novak was one of Hollywood’s most successful and distinctive “it” girls, known for her “lavender-tinted” blonde hair and an enigmatic, “glacial cool” screen presence. After being discovered as a model in The French Line (1953), she signed with Columbia Pictures, which marketed her as a sophisticated alternative to Marilyn Monroe.

She was the top box-office star for three consecutive years during the mid-to-late 1950s. Despite her fame, she often felt uncomfortable with the studio system’s control over her image and was famously involved in a controversial relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. that was reportedly ended due to pressure from studio head Harry Cohn.

By the end of the 1950s, Novak began to distance herself from Hollywood’s “bombshell” expectations, eventually retiring in the mid-1960s to pursue a career in painting.

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Masked Spectators Pose With Dalmatian Dogs After a Screening of “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” in 1961

Masked spectators pose with dalmatian dogs after a screening of Walt Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on December 14, 1961.

Based on the children’s novel by Dodie Smith and released in 1961, it became the first animated film to take $10 million at the box-office. As of this year and including reissues, it ranks third in the highest-grossing animated features of all time.

Elegance in Frame: The Timeless Photography of Gene Laurents

Gene Laurents was a distinguished American photographer whose work in the mid-20th century became synonymous with timeless elegance and cinematic storytelling.

Renowned for his contributions to major fashion publications like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, Laurents possessed a unique ability to blend high-fashion sophistication with a sense of raw, human intimacy. His portfolio is particularly celebrated for its portraits of Hollywood legends and cultural icons, such as his striking captures of Brigitte Bardot, where he utilized soft lighting and precise composition to elevate his subjects beyond mere celebrity into the realm of classical art.

Today, Laurents’ work is remembered as a cornerstone of vintage photography, capturing the glamour and shifting social tides of the 1950s and ’60s with an unerringly graceful lens.

Wilhelmina in red kidskin Halston turban and plaid Originala coat, photo by Gene Laurents used for Vogue cover, August 15, 1962

Simone d'Aillencourt in Siberian red fox fur hood and coat by Georges Kaplan, "Angel Red" lipstick by John Robert Powers, photo by Gene Laurents, Vogue, August 15, 1962

Model in hooded pullover of black and white striped cotton and stretch nylon by Shirt Tree, car is Ford Falcon Futura convertible, photo by Gene Laurents, Vogue, November 15, 1962

Wilhelmina in plaid wool and mohair coat by Originala, turban hat by Halston, photo by Gene Laurents, Vogue, August 15, 1962

Model in black crêpe dress with puffy black organza boa by Betty Carol, car is Sherwood Egbert's 1963 Avanti, photo by Gene Laurents, Vogue, November 15, 1962

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A Brand New 1982 Renault 5 TL Has Been Found in a Barm With 12 km (7.45 miles)

Armed with all her savings, Mrs. M ordered a new Renault 5 in October 1982 from the Sodirac dealership in Chalon-sur-Saône. She opted for a practical 5-door TL model, equipped with the 1108cc engine and a 4-speed gearbox. The uncommon “Shale Blue Metallic” paint option (ref. 602) was selected. The total bill came to nearly 40,000 francs, a considerable sum for Mrs. M., who lived modestly.

The car was then registered with the temporary number 9105 WWA 71 (a sticker) valid for 15 days, before the final registration. Itwas delivered to her home, as she didn’t yet have her driver’s license, having recently failed the test. The car was carefully stored in her barn at the end of October 1982, and it would never leave again. The final license plates were made but never installed; they sat in the trunk.

Ms. M. eventually got her driver’s license, but feeling uneasy behind the wheel, and likely for other personal reasons, she never dared to take her Renault 5 out again.

Forty-three years passed, the car was never touched or moved, dust accumulated, and the odometer remained frozen at its delivery mileage: 12 km. The discovery of this beautiful and improbable sleeping beauty, opening the door, and finally taking it out were truly special moments.

During the probate process, the car almost met a bad end. Fortunately it was saved and will be auctioned by the French house Aguttes on March 15, 2026, in Paris. Given its unique status, experts have placed an initial estimate between 5,000 and 10,000 euros, though “barn finds” with this kind of mileage often spark bidding wars that push the price much higher.

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Portraits of Brigitte Bardot During the Filming ‘Babette Goes to War’ (1959)

The portraits of Brigitte Bardot during the filming of Babette Goes to War (1959) capture the French icon at a fascinating stylistic crossroads. Moving away from her usual “sex symbol” persona, these images showcase Bardot in military-inspired costumes and her signature beehive hairstyle, which became a global fashion phenomenon shortly after the film’s release.

Whether captured in candid moments of laughter on set or in posed promotional shots, the photos radiate a playful, rebellious charm that redefined 1950s femininity. This collection serves as a vivid time capsule, documenting the peak of “Bardot-mania” and the cinematic craftsmanship of a decade that saw the birth of the modern celebrity era.

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20 Stunning Vintage Postcards of Anna Pavlova, Early 20th Century Ballet Icon

Anna Pavlovna Pavlova (born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova; February 12, 1881 – 23 January 1931) was a Russian prima ballerina. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, but is most recognized for creating the role of The Dying Swan and, with her own company, being the first ballerina to tour the world, including South America, India, Mexico and Australia.

Unlike many of her contemporaries who focused on athletic power and technical perfection, Pavlova was celebrated for her poetic expression. She possessed a slender, delicate frame that contrasted with the more muscular “Italian style” dancers of the time. She rose to the rank of Prima Ballerina in 1906 after a successful performance in Giselle. She premiered her most iconic solo in The Dying Swan (1905), choreographed by Michel Fokine, which became her lifelong signature role.

After a brief stint with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1909, she formed her own company in 1911. She traveled extensively for over 20 years, performing in North and South America, Asia, and Australia, often for audiences who had never seen classical ballet. In 1912, she settled in London at Ivy House, which served as her permanent base and rehearsal space. 

Despite having “unconventional” feet for the era, her ethereal style and emotional depth defined a new aesthetic of grace. To support her highly arched feet, Pavlova added hard leather soles and flattened the box of her shoes. This innovation is considered the precursor to the modern pointe shoe.

Her 1926 tour of Australia and New Zealand was so significant that the Pavlova dessert was named in her honor. Pavlova died of pleurisy in 1931 while on tour in The Hague. Her legendary final request was reportedly, “Get my swan costume ready.”

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Japan in the 1920s Through Fascinating Vintage Photos

The 1920s in Japan, often remembered as the era of Taisho Democracy, was a vibrant decade defined by a fascinating tension between rapid Westernization and deep-rooted tradition.

In burgeoning cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the rise of the “Salaryman” and the iconic Moga (Modern Girl), who sported bobbed hair and flapper dresses, signaled a shift toward cosmopolitan consumerism, jazz clubs, and cinema. However, this “roaring” decade was also a period of immense resilience, following the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, Japan underwent a massive industrial and architectural transformation.

While liberalism and labor movements flourished in the cafes of Ginza, the decade remained a fragile golden age, balanced precariously between the artistic freedom of the post-WWI boom and the looming economic hardships that would soon give way to 1930s militarism. These vintage photos, via Wolfgang Wiggers, capture everyday life in Japan in the 1920s.

The Komusō, the "priests of nothingness" or "monks of emptiness" were wandering non-monastic lay Buddhists. They wear a straw basket hat and play the shakuhachi bamboo flute, Japan, circa 1920s

A crowd of children, Japan, circa 1920s

A picnic, Japan, circa 1920s

A walk, Japan, circa 1920s

A wandering monk with a group of curious children, Japan, circa 1920s

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