Behind the Scenes Photos of Andy Warhol and Truman Capote During a Photoshoot for High Times Magazine, 1978

In December of 1978, Andy Warhol and his good friend and collaborator Truman Capote appeared on the cover of an issue of High Times. Warhol is wearing a Santa suit, and is holding his dachshund Archie. Capote is dressed as an elf.

Their photoshoot took place on September 26, 1978 by Mick Rock, and is detailed in Warhol’s entry that day in his book, The Andy Warhol Diaries. As he recounted later that day: “Dropped Fred. Truman was coming to the Factory at 3:00 for the High Times Christmas cover photograph of him and me. Truman was early, 2:30. Bob MacBride peed on one of the Piss paintings in the back for me, and he kept going back to see if the colors had changed. Truman told Brigid about the drying-out place, and she interviewed him, and that's where her sister Richie is, too.

“Paul Morrissey was down, and he and Truman talked all afternoon about scripts and things. Then Toni arrived four hours late, she had a Santa costume for me and a little girl outfit for Truman. But Truman wasn’t in the mood to go into drag, he said that he was already dressed like a little boy. Truman was really drunk, hugging around. Truman was pleading with Brigid to get him a drink and not tell Bob—this is after she caught him drinking in the kitchen. Ronnie was trying to make the makeup girl. My makeup wasn't working, it was no use, I had too many pimples.”

In the “Opinion” section of the December, 1978 edition of High Times, Truman Capote chats with Andy Warhol about what they want for Christmas.

AW: So do you know what you want for Xmas?

TC: Well, first of all, I don’t want anything for myself at Xmas, I think that’s very selfish and what not. I know what I want for other people.

• For Jackie Kennedy I want a sex-change operation. The reason is that since the American people must have a Kennedy, I’d rather have a Jackie than a Teddy.
• I want for Timothy Leary justice at last, a ten-year full professorship at Harvard.
• For Richard Avedon, I hope his portrait of Kate Graham finally makes the cover of Newsweek. You know, they took a picture of him for the cover of Newsweek and then discarded it because I don’t know…the Pope died or something.
• For Gore Vidal, because of his great politics, I wish him an ambassadorship to Paraguay…and hope he stays there forever.
• For Larry Flynt, the newborn Christian, I want him to be made first ambassador to the Vatican.
• For Norman Mailer, I want a five-million-dollar contract to rewrite the old Tenth Amendment.
• For Mick Jagger, in his old age, the directorship of the Metropolitan Opera.
• For Andy Warhol, at all times, the directorship of the Metropolitan Museum and all its branches.
• For Anita Bryant, I want her to be appointed editor of the Advocate.
• For Steve Rubell [owner of Studio 54], I want him to be appointed ambassador to the court of St. James.
• For Muhammad Ali, I want him to be our first black president.
• For Ralph Nader, a wife at last, none other than little Anne Ford.

AW: Is high society really high?

TC: I wouldn’t know, I never met anyone from high society. I think high society is a complete myth, made up from the movies. When Joan Crawford died, so did high society.

AW. Do you think everything in the world should be legal?

TC: Yes, I do, except murder.

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Glamorous Portraits of Fashion Model Margaret Phillips in the 1950s

Margaret Phillips was a fashion model active during the 1950s, known for her elegant presence in photographic portraits and magazine fashion spreads. She worked with respected designers and photographers of the era such as John French, Henry Clarke, Frances McLaughlin helping to shape the visual language of 1950s style.

Like many working models of the period, Phillips represents the countless women who quietly contributed to the evolution of modern fashion through their presence, grace, and professionalism. Take a look at these glamorous photos to see portraits of Margaret Phillips in the 1950s.

Margaret Phillips in royal blue taffeta evening dress by Linzi from Harvey Nichols, photo by Robert Randall, Vogue UK, November 1951

Margaret Phillips in a short dinner dress of black chiffon by Jean Desses, beneath it an underskirt hemmed with pink silk roses that appear whenever the wearer moves about, photo by Frances McLaughlin-Gill, Vogue, October 1952

Margaret Phillips in black silk jersey coat, fully lined, by Christian Dior, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, September 1, 1952

Margaret Phillips in Dior's fine wool dress, that molds to the body with just a touch of white at the neck and a double line of buttons that relieve the stark simplicity, photo by Frances McLaughlin, 1952

Margaret Phillips in Dior's grey crépe dress from the Profile Collection, with tiny corrugated pleats wrapping and shaping the bodice, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, 1952

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The Well With a Human-Powered Treadmill Inside the Milbury Pub at Beauworth

The Milbury Pub is a historic English country pub located in Beauworth, near Winchester, that features an ancient well with a human-powered treadmill and pulley system inside.

Lowering the bucket and hauling it back up demanded a full two miles of walking inside the treadmill wheel. The well inside the Milbury pub at Beauworth drops an astonishing 300 feet (about 100 meters).

Believed to have been hand-cut more than 800 years ago, it still features a 250-year-old human-powered treadmill and bucket pulley system. Operating it once required the equivalent of a two-mile walk inside the wheel. The well sits right inside the pub, close to the bar, as one of its most remarkable historic features.

The pub was purchased by Clive and Tanith Cummings in April 2023 and has since undergone a full refurbishment, now offering local ales, open fires, and views of the surrounding countryside.

Meccano Magazine: The Voice of Engineering Enthusiasts

Meccano Magazine was a highly influential British monthly publication that ran from 1916 until 1982, serving as an extension of the iconic Meccano construction system brand.

More than just a promotional tool, the magazine became a comprehensive journal for young engineering enthusiasts and model builders. While it prominently featured Meccano models, including instructions and design ideas, it also covered a vast range of non-Meccano topics such as trains, cars, ships, aircraft, and general scientific and engineering news. It was known for its detailed technical drawings and articles that fostered an interest in practical mechanics and technology among generations of boys (and many girls) across the UK and the Commonwealth.

The magazine played a significant role in popularizing Meccano, Dinky Toys, and Hornby trains, making it a beloved piece of 20th-century British popular culture dedicated to inventive play and technical education. Here is a collection of Meccano Magazine covers from the 1930s.

Meccano Magazine cover, February 1930

Meccano Magazine cover, November 1930

Meccano Magazine cover, April 1931

Meccano Magazine cover, September 1931

Meccano Magazine cover, December 1932

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Amazing Photographs of People Posing With Giant Sponges in the Early 20th Century

In the early 20th century, “giant sponges” were primarily a focus of the lucrative commercial sponge industry, particularly in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Species considered giant by fishermen of that era were prized specimens for the bath sponge market, though modern science has since identified even larger sponges in deep, remote waters.

The natural sponge trade flourished in the early 1900s before collapsing due to disease and competition from synthetics. Greek divers migrated to the U.S., establishing major sponge harvesting operations in Florida, especially in Tarpon Springs.

Divers initially used surface-supplied air hoses to reach sponges at greater depths, which was more efficient than harvesting from shallow water. This allowed them to access larger specimens growing in deeper waters.

The Neptune’s Cup sponge (Cliona patera or a similar species) was a large, unique sponge known in the Indo-Pacific region. Overfishing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to its near-extinction, and it was considered lost for almost a century.

By the 1930s, the industry was already in decline due to overharvesting. This was made worse by a sponge blight and the introduction of synthetic sponges in the 1950s, which ended the golden age of natural sponge harvesting.

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Photos of Billy Idol of Generation X in New York City, 1978

In May 1978, Billy Idol was in New York City on a promotional tour for the debut Generation X album, though he came without the entire band. He was brought stateside by Chrysalis Records to promote the debut album Generation X, which had been released in March 1978 in the UK.

Idol made appearances at notable New York punk venues, including a stop at Max’s Kansas City on May 18, 1978. During this visit, these photos of Idol around New York City were taken by photographer Roberta Bayley. He was photographed with other figures in the punk and rock scene, such as Howie Pyro and possibly Debbie Harry, highlighting the cross-pollination of the London and NYC punk scenes at the time.

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Ringo Starr’s 1969 Mercedes 280SE After It Crashed in Fog in Surrey on May 19, 1980

May 19, 1980 saw Ringo Starr involved in a horrific car crash which nearly took the drummer and his wife Barbara Bach’s life. In eerie circumstances, the accident took place just half a mile away from the site of Marc Bolan’s fatal car crash just three years prior.

Bolan, who was also a close friend of Ringo Starr, made the coincidence even more bizarre. The former Beatle, so closely affiliated with the Bolan family, is even the godfather to his son, Rolan. Thankfully, however, Starr would not suffer the same fate but it could quite easily have been a completely different story.

The couple, who were were driving to a party in Surrey, attempted to navigate their way through the fog when the catastrophic incident would occur. As they approached a black-spot at the Robin Hood Roundabout on the A3, a terrifying collision which would completely write off Starr’s white Mercedes, Starr had to swerve, at 60 mph, to avoid hitting an oncoming lorry. His evasive action sent the couple on a fifty-yard somersaulting skid in the process which resulted in his supercar colliding head-on into two lampposts.

However, despite the leg injury that Ringo suffered, he heroically pulled Barbara safety. Removing her from the car, Starr then comically headed back into his wrecked car to retrieve a pack of cigarettes like a true rockstar. Both walked away from the crash, luckily, with only minor injuries.

The Mercedes was a total loss and written off. Following the accident, the couple had the wrecked car crushed into an artistic cube and converted it into a unique coffee table for their home, serving as a reminder of their lucky escape.

The near-fatal experience reportedly brought Starr and Bach closer together, and they married the following year.