When Rowan Atkinson Met Princess Diana in 1984

Rowan Atkinson and Princess Diana had a famous and somewhat humorous encounter in 1984 during the Royal Variety Performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. At the time, Atkinson was not yet “Mr. Bean” (that character wouldn’t debut on TV for another six years), but he was already a major star in the UK thanks to Not the Nine O’Clock News and the first series of Blackadder.

The meeting took place in the traditional line-up after the performance, where the Royal guests of honor—on this night, Princess Diana and Prince Charles—greeted the entertainers.

According to reports and recollections from the night, Diana shared a witty exchange with Atkinson. He was appearing in a West End play called The Nerd at the time. When Diana reached him, she reportedly joked, “Don’t you ever call me a nerd!”—referencing his play while flashing her famous charismatic smile.

Famous photos from the event show Atkinson looking uncharacteristically shy or “smitten” as he shakes her hand. Fans often joke that he looked like he was “experiencing bliss,” while Diana appeared genuinely delighted to meet the comedian.

Interestingly, 1984 was also the year Rowan Atkinson worked with a 10-year-old Christian Bale in the play The Nerd. Atkinson later became a personal friend of the Royal Family, particularly King Charles III. He was a guest at Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005 and Prince William’s wedding in 2011.

Frédéric Soulacroix: Painter of Elegance and Belle Époque Grace

Frédéric Soulacroix (1858–1933) was a prominent French-Italian painter whose exquisite works epitomize the elegance of high-society life in the late Victorian era and the first half of the 20th century.

Renowned for his breathtaking technical precision, Soulacroix possessed an unrivaled ability to capture the luxurious textures of fine fabrics: from the shimmering luster of heavy satin to the delicate transparency of lace. His paintings, often set in opulently decorated salons, depict domestic scenes of grace and quiet charm, featuring fashionable figures engaged in conversation or contemplation.

Beyond his mastery of light and shadow, Soulacroix’s work serves as a magnificent visual archive of the refined aesthetics and social etiquette of the European elite, making him one of the most beloved genre painters of his time. Indulge in this curated gallery of Soulacroix’s finest masterpieces, a timeless celebration of feminine grace and Belle Époque splendor.

Choosing the Finest

A Lady in Her Boudoir

A Merry Jest

A Musical Moment

A Pause in the Music

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André Wilquin: The Master of French Graphic Modernism

André Wilquin (1899-2000) was a visionary French graphic artist whose prolific career defined the visual landscape of advertising and publishing in the first half of the 20th century.

Renowned for his exceptional versatility, Wilquin was a master of the “L’affiche” (poster) art form, blending bold, stylized typography with striking imagery. His work for iconic brands and his legendary book cover designs, most notably for the Livre de Poche series, showcased his ability to distill complex narratives into a single, compelling visual.

Wilquin’s style sat at the perfect intersection of Art Deco elegance and modern minimalism, characterized by clean lines, vibrant color palettes, and a keen sense of balance. Browse through this collection to appreciate the genius of André Wilquin, whose bold designs and iconic covers shaped the aesthetic of an entire era.

Pernod Fils, circa 1920

Le cancer tue en France 60.000 personnes par an, 1920

Remington Portable Typewriter, circa 1925

Dans un Jardin Grenoville Parfumeur à Paris, circa 1927

Etrennes, jouets, mardi 3 décembre et pendant tout le mois, 1929-1930

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22 Stunning Portraits of a Very Young Liza Minnelli in the 1960s

Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Tony Awards. She is one of the few performers awarded a non-competitive EGOT having received an honorary Grammy Award.

In the 1960s, Minnelli transformed from “Judy Garland’s daughter” into a Broadway powerhouse and Academy Award-nominated actress. She moved to New York City in 1961 and quickly established herself as a versatile performer across musical theatre, nightclubs, and television.

She began her professional career at 17 in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward, winning a Theatre World Award. At just 19 years old, she became the youngest person ever to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her lead role in Flora the Red Menace (1965). This show also marked the beginning of her career-long collaboration with Kander and Ebb. Toward the end of the decade, she achieved critical acclaim for her dramatic performance as Pookie Adams in The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), earning her first Academy Award nomination.

Minnelli made frequent appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and recorded several albums with Capitol Records and A&M Records, including Liza! Liza! (1964) and There Is a Time (1966). 

During this era, her look was youthful and mod, a far cry from the heavily sequined, dramatic image she'd become famous for in the 1970s with Cabaret.

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Outtakes From the Cover Shoot for James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” (1970)

Although James Taylor released his debut album for the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1968, it wasn’t until his second LP, 1970’s Sweet Baby James for Warner Bros. Records, that most audiences were introduced to the singer-songwriter. The album, featuring such Taylor songs as “Fire and Rain,” “Country Road,” “Blossom,” and the title cut, was a significant success, commercially, it reached #3 on the U.S sales chart, and critically, it received a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year from his peers.

By late 1969, folk musician and photographer Henry Diltz had been photographing many of the biggest recording artists in Southern California, in Los Angeles’ burgeoning Laurel Canyon music scene for several years, and had become a top choice for publicity pictures and album cover photos. In December, 1969, he was hired to shoot some black and white publicity shots of James Taylor, but he liked the colors that day.

“Peter Asher called me one day and asked if I could come to his house and photograph this guy that he was producing,” Diltz told Best Classic Bands. After experiencing success as one-half of the British pop vocal duo Peter and Gordon, Asher had become an executive for Apple Records and signed Taylor. He ultimately resigned his position with the label to become Taylor’s manager.

“I went over and as I walked into the living room,” said Diltz, “James was sitting on the far side, sort of behind the piano with his back to the window, finger-picking ‘Oh, Susannah’ on his guitar. And being a musician, it just absolutely blew me away to hear this music box version of the song. I couldn’t even believe it. It was angelic. I kind of sunk down in front of him and asked if he would play it again. The first pictures I took of him, he was sitting there.”

The photographer then suggested that they “go outside somewhere,” and they went over to a friend of Diltz’s who had a place called “The Farm.”

“It was kind of a musical commune,” he recalled. “There were little sheds, little outhouses and things. So we took pictures there. It was very quiet. We weren’t talking much. And at one point James leaned on this big post. He’s a tall guy and he leaned on it and it filled my frame… my horizontal frame… in a perfect way. I thought, ‘Holy cow… I’m taking black and white, because they wanted publicity pictures.’ So I said, ‘Wait a minute, James, don’t move.’ And I picked up my color camera because in my mind I was thinking I want to show this in my slide shows for my hippie friends and I wanted to show this picture that was blowing my mind.”

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The Chic Revolution: 30 Vintage Snaps That Define ’60s Women’s Styles

The 1960s stands as perhaps the most transformative decade in fashion history, marked by a shift from the polished formality of the fifties to a spirit of youthful rebellion.

In the early years, the “Ladylike” look prevailed, epitomized by Jackie Kennedy’s elegant shift dresses and pillbox hats. However, as the decade progressed, the London-led “Mod” movement took center stage, introducing the world to Mary Quant’s revolutionary miniskirt and bold geometric patterns.

From the sleek, futuristic silhouettes of the Space Age to the free-spirited, bohemian “Hippie” aesthetic that emerged toward the end of the era, 1960s fashion was all about breaking rules. It was a decade where women used vibrant colors, tall go-go boots, and daring hemlines to express a new sense of freedom and individuality that continues to influence the runways today.

Take a nostalgic journey through these vintage snaps and rediscover the iconic looks that continue to inspire the runways of today.

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In 1970, Berta Linson and Roger Mills Became Mississippi’s First Legally Recognized Interracial Couple

In August 1970, Berta Linson and Roger Mills made history as the first legally married interracial couple in Mississippi. Their union was a landmark challenge to the state’s long-standing ban on interracial marriage, occurring three years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision had already invalidated such laws nationwide.

Berta Linson, a 24-year-old Black student at Jackson State College, and Roger Mills, a 24-year-old white law clerk for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Although the 1967 Supreme Court ruling applied to all states, Mississippi had refused to comply, leaving its 19th-century anti-miscegenation law on the books. 

When the couple applied for a marriage license on July 21, 1970, they were denied by the Hinds County circuit clerk. They immediately filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the state's refusal. On July 31, 1970, U.S. District Judge Harold Cox, a judge known for his segregationist views, was forced by the Supreme Court's precedent to order the state to issue the license. 

They were married on August 2, 1970, at the Central United Methodist Church in Jackson. The event was attended by approximately 200 guests, including some who were reportedly armed for protection due to the high risk of violence. The wedding received significant media attention, which the couple found taxing; Berta later expressed that she “hated every minute” of the intense publicity.

The marriage was a landmark moment for civil rights in the South, effectively ending the practical enforcement of Mississippi's ban on interracial unions. The couple eventually moved to Washington, D.C., where Roger finished law school at George Washington University, a move Berta reportedly looked forward to as a reprieve from the tension in Mississippi.

They were married for approximately 18 years before eventually divorcing. They had two daughters; one of them, Demetria Mills, continued the family’s legacy of activism by fighting for marriage equality in the LGBTQ+ community.