45 Amazing Posters Illustrated by Achille Mauzan in the 1920s

Achille Mauzan (1883–1952) was born on the French Riviera, but moved to Italy in 1905, known as a decorative illustrator designing during the Art Deco movement, though he also painted and sculpted. Between the years 1920 and 1940, the period between the wars, he used forms and materials under the influence of the avant-garde cubists. He was also an illustrator of posters and postcards.

Posters illustrated by Achille Mauzan in the 1920s

During his career as a poster printer and designer, Mauzan designed over 2,000 posters, using a style marked by humor and brilliant colors for advertisement and events and over 1,000 postcard images. He made several important posters for the Italian film industry in Turin, and then went to work at Ricordi music publishing from 1912 to 1917. Later, from 1919 to 1923 he worked in the Magical press (Giovanni Magagnoli).

In 1924 in Milan, Mauzan established with Morzenti his own publishing house, the Mauzan-Morzenti Agency. In 1926, he travelled to Argentina and set up the “Affiches Mauzan” (Mauzan Posters) publishing house where many of his greatest works were created and where he worked until 1932.

Mauzan is also noted for designing several war posters including an adaptation of the famous Lord Kitchener poster. Here below is a collection of amazing posters illustrated by Achille Mauzan in the 1920s.

Caffè Sais, 1920

Fior d’Alba, Dentifricio Scientifico, 1920

Kali Klor, Pasta dentifricia,antiacida, perfetta, Milano, 1920

Savon à barbe Ramsgate, Paris, 1920

Champagne Victor Clicquot, Reims, 1921

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Elvis Presley’s Backup Group: 20 Vintage Photos of the Sweet Inspirations in the 1960s

The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group from Newark, New Jersey, founded by Cissy Houston, mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists but also a Grammy-nominated recording act in their own right.

The group’s origins went back to the late 1950s when the Gospelaires, a group which included siblings and future soul stars Dionne Warwick and sister Dee Dee Warwick as well as Sylvia Shemwell and another future soul star Doris Troy and was an offshoot of the Drinkard Singers, began a professional career as session vocalists. Cissy Houston later replaced Dionne in 1961 with Troy later being replaced by Myrna Smith in 1962 while Dee Dee was eventually replaced by Estelle Brown in 1963.

From 1963 until 1967, the group, known informally as “The Group,” would back up several important artists in the soul, pop and rock genres, most prominently Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley. In February 1967, they formally renamed themselves the Sweet Inspirations and signed with Atlantic Records, achieving minor and major success on the pop and R&B charts.

Their biggest hit was aptly titled “Sweet Inspiration,” which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and later earned them a Grammy Award nomination, notably making them just the third all female vocal group in history to earn a Grammy nomination. They were also known for their rendition of “I’m Blue,” which was the b-side of “Sweet Inspiration” and later was sampled famously by Salt-N-Pepa’s hit “Shoop.” Following their first couple of months performing with Presley in Las Vegas, Houston left the group to raise her family and forge a successful solo career while the rest of the group carried on with Presley and as a recording act.

The Sweet Inspirations were inducted into the second class of the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2014.

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40 Candid Photographs of John and Cynthia Lennon in the 1960s

John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon were married in 1962, and their relationship was an important part of John’s early life, especially during the rise of The Beatles in the 1960s.

Cynthia was John’s first wife, and they met at art school in Liverpool before The Beatles became famous. Their son, Julian Lennon, was born in 1963. However, John’s growing fame and the pressures of Beatlemania put a strain on their relationship. Cynthia was mostly kept out of the spotlight, and John’s lifestyle, especially his increasing experimentation with drugs and the influence of Yoko Ono later in the decade, contributed to their eventual separation.

In 1968, John and Cynthia divorced, marking the end of their marriage. Shortly after the divorce, John’s relationship with Yoko Ono became public.

Cynthia later wrote a memoir, John, where she detailed her life with John Lennon and gave insight into their relationship during the height of The Beatles’ fame. Below are 40 candid snapshots of John and Cynthia Lennon from the 1960s:

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Kathmandu in the Late 1960s Through Fascinating Color Photos

Kathmandu is the seat of federal government and the most populous city in Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley, a large valley surrounded by hills in the high plateaus in central Nepal, at an altitude of 1,400 meters (4,600 feet).

Kathmandu is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, founded in the 2nd century AD. The city is and has been for many years the centre of Nepal’s history, art, culture, and economy. It has a multi-ethnic population within a Hindu and Buddhist majority. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the city.

Kathmandu is considered the gateway to the Nepal Himalayas and is home to several World Heritage Sites: the Durbar Square, Swayambhu Mahachaitya, Bouddha and Pashupatinath. It is the largest metropolitan area located in the Himalayas. These fascinating color photos were taken by east med wanderer that show everyday life of Kathmandu in 1968.

Basket and rope shop in the Durbar Square of Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1968

A street in the old city - traffic free! Apart from the cycle rickshaw on the right, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1968

Bhairavnath Temple, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1968

Bhatgaon, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1968

Bhatgaon, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1968

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Citroën DS “Flying Car” That Used in French Movie “Fantomas” (1964)

The flying car that Fantomas, a French movie character, used in 1964. It starts out as an iconic Citroen DS, but at the flip of a switch, wings come out from underneath, the tail splits in two and jets fire.

Details have emerged, of the original project by French engineers at Citroen in the 1950s, to create a flying car based upon the popular DS.

The aerodynamic and futuristic body design by French aviation engineer André Lefèbvre formed the basis for the project. The standard front mounted 1911 cc 4-cyl engine was retained for road use and two thrusters were installed at the rear of the car, which would be used for flight.

Two delta wings are deployed from side pods together with a Y form tail fin and by switching the transmission from normal road-use to flight. The foot pedals and steering wheel convert to traditional yaw and pitch controls as in a small airplane.

Unfortunately, the original prototype car was totally destroyed during early testing and Citroen’s management decided to cancel the project, the details were lost to the company archives, until historians found the plans and engineers reconstructed a replica in the 1960s.

The reconstruction was initially planned to be used in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice but was substituted by ‘Little Nellie the Gyrocopter,’ due to budget overruns.

The comedy film comes complete with squealing tires on dirt, and Fantomas the brilliant criminal who hides behind different masks and escapes by taking off in the DS. A stunt only James Bond could only dream of.

30 Vintage Photos of People at ’60s Halloween Parties

Halloween parties in the 1960s were a mix of traditional customs and the vibrant culture of the era. Many people wore homemade costumes, often inspired by popular movies and TV shows. Classic monsters like vampires, witches, and ghosts were popular, but there was also a rise in characters from films like The Addams Family and Star Trek.

Parties often featured handmade decorations like paper pumpkins, ghosts, and cobwebs. The psychedelic art movement influenced some decorations, with bright colors and whimsical designs. Traditional games like bobbing for apples and pinning the hat on the witch were common. Many parties also included storytelling, with spooky tales told around the bonfire or in dimly lit rooms.

Halloween treats often included homemade cookies, popcorn balls, and candy. The rise of packaged candies like M&Ms and Snickers also influenced what was handed out to trick-or-treaters.

Overall, Halloween in the 1960s was a blend of nostalgia and the evolving cultural landscape, reflecting the creativity and spirit of the decade. Here below is a set of vintage photos that shows people at Halloween parties from the 1960s.

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55 Amazing Behind the Scenes Photos From the Making of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a 1986 American black comedy slasher film co-composed and directed by Tobe Hooper, and written by L. M. Kit Carson. It is the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and the second installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson, Bill Moseley, and Jim Siedow. The plot follows Vanita “Stretch” Brock, a radio host who is victimized and abducted by Leatherface and his cannibalistic family; meanwhile, Lt. Boude “Lefty” Enright, the uncle of Sally and Franklin Hardesty—both prior victims of the family—hunts them down.

Principal photography of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 began on May 5, 1986, in Austin, Texas metropolitan area. Shooting locations in the city included the Cut Rite chainsaw store, as well as the interiors of the former Austin American-Statesman building. The majority of the shoot occurred in and around the shuttered Matterhorn Amusement Park in Prairie Dell, which stood in for the fictional Texas Battle Land amusement park where the Sawyer family's lair is located.

Several scenes were deleted by director Tobe Hooper due to pacing issues as mentioned on the 2000 Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth documentary. One lengthy scene that was cut from the film involves the Sawyer Clan heading out at night to collect prime meat for their chili by slaughtering patrons exiting a movie theater and a group of rowdy, rioting fans in a parking garage. The deleted slaughtering scene featured several elaborate Tom Savini special effects. The deleted scene at the movie theater also includes a cameo by American film critic Joe Bob Briggs.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was released in the United States on August 22, 1986, and earned over half of its $4.5–4.6 million budget during its opening weekend before going on to gross $8 million domestically. It received mixed reception from film critics and audiences, largely due to its emphasis on black comedy and gore, which departed from the first film’s approach that featured minimal violence, low-budget vérité style, and atmosphere to build tension and fear. The film’s promotional materials featured a satirical bent, with its theatrical one-sheet parodying the poster art for John Hughes’s popular teen comedy film The Breakfast Club (1985).

Despite its mixed reception, the film eventually gained a cult following. It was followed by Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III in 1990. Here’s a gallery of 55 amazing behind the scenes photographs from the making of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2:

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