Mary Pickford Before and After She Bobbed Her Hair

The transition of Mary Pickford’s hair from her signature “golden curls” to a short “bob” in June 1928 was one of the most shocking cultural events of the 1920s. For over a decade, her long, ringlet-styled hair had served as a global symbol of innocence and purity, earning her the title “the girl with the curls.”

Pickford’s iconic look consisted of roughly 20 thick ringlets that fell to her waist. This hairstyle was not just a fashion choice but a powerful branding tool. Her curls represented Victorian-style innocence and childhood. This allowed her to continue playing young girls and “Cinderella” roles well into her 30s.

Maintaining the style was labor-intensive. She spent a full day every two weeks washing her hair and used leather “curling rags” to set the ringlets. Her hair was famously valued at $20,000 per curl in contemporary press reports.

Following the death of her mother and the rise of “flapper” stars like Clara Bow, Pickford decided she needed a more mature image. On June 21, 1928, she secretly visited a New York beauty parlor to have her hair cut by stylist Charles Bock. She requested a “long bob” rather than a severe “shingle” to better suit her features.

“I had to take a courageous stand, once and for all... They’ve become a stumbling block to the future of my career.” As the barber snipped off the 20 long ringlets, she reportedly said: “Well, they’re gone and I’m glad.”

The news of the haircut made front-page headlines worldwide, with some fans writing her indignant letters as if she had “murdered someone.” She saved the cut ringlets, eventually donating some to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where they remain part of the collection.

Post-cut, Pickford debuted a trendy, wavy bob that aligned with the “sophisticated” style of the late 1920s.  She showed off her new short hair in her first “talkie,” Coquette, playing a reckless socialite.

“I wasn’t at all prepared for the avalanche of criticism that overwhelmed me from all corners of the earth,” she said. “You would have thought I had murdered someone, and perhaps I had, but only to give her successor a chance to live.”

“For weeks I told myself that I shouldn’t have done it. I thought it would free me... and I suppose in a way it did, because I began to feel a change in me personally, a sense of ease and liberation I hadn’t known before.”

While she won a Best Actress Oscar for Coquette, the transition was professionally difficult. The public struggled to accept her in mature roles, and she retired from acting only a few years later in 1933. 

Publicity Photos of Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams in the TV Series “The Addams Family”

Carolyn Jones portrayed Morticia Addams in the original 1964 television series The Addams Family, a role that became her most enduring legacy. As the first actress to bring Charles Addams’ cartoon matriarch to life, she defined the character's mix of gothic glamour, deadpan wit, and aristocratic poise.

Naturally a strawberry blonde, Jones kept her hair dyed black for the role and wore a long, center-parted raven wig. Her makeup featured pale foundation and lipstick so dark it appeared black under black and white filming. She wore a floor-length, skin-tight black hobble skirt with “octopus-like” fabric tendrils at the hem, designed to mimic Charles Addams’ original sketches. Jones eventually donated this costume to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Jones played Morticia as a calm, self-possessed woman who treated her family’s macabre interests as completely normal. She was known for her whispery, musical voice and her habit of trimming roses by clipping off the buds and keeping only the thorny stems. Her chemistry with John Astin (Gomez Addams) was a series highlight. Their passionate relationship, characterized by Gomez’s “Cara Mia” exclamations and Morticia speaking French to drive him wild, was groundbreaking for 1960s television.

Within the series, Jones also portrayed Morticia’s flighty, blonde older sister, Ophelia Frump, and the female version of Thing known as Lady Fingers.

Before finding television immortality, Jones was an Academy Award-nominated film actress, recognized for her work in The Bachelor Party (1957) and House of Wax (1953). Her portrayal of Morticia set the definitive blueprint for the character, influencing every subsequent adaptation, including Anjelica Huston’s performance in the 1990s films.

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London in the 1950s Through Hardwicke Knight’s Lens

Post-war London in the 1950s was a city of stark contrasts, transitioning from the gray austerity of the 1940s to the vibrant dawn of a new Elizabethan era. The decade began with the city still scarred by the Blitz, characterized by foggy “pea-souper” smogs and the lingering presence of ration books.

However, the 1951 Festival of Britain acted as a “tonic for the nation,” injecting a sense of modernism and colorful optimism into the South Bank. As the years progressed, the soot-stained Victorian architecture began to share the skyline with the first flickers of glass-and-steel reconstruction, signaling a city reinventing itself.

The atmosphere of 1950s London was defined by the rhythmic clatter of red double-decker RT-type buses and the sight of gentlemen in bowler hats juxtaposed with the emerging “Teddy Boy” subculture in South London. It was a time of traditional tea rooms and smoky jazz clubs in Soho, where the old-world colonial influence met a new wave of Commonwealth immigration, forever enriching the city’s cultural fabric.

These fascinating photos were taken by Hardwicke Knight, showcasing the vibrant and evolving street scenes of London in the 1950s.

Drink stand, London

431 bus to Sevenoaks, Five Bells pub on the left, Chelsfield, South East London

Alan Ladd in ‘Desert Legion’, Piccadilly Circus, London

Albert Embankment, London

Barnet, London, showing gas holder

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40 Vintage Postcards That Capture the Motel Pools of Mid-Century America

In the mid-20th century, the swimming pool became the sparkling blue crown jewel of the American motel, symbolizing the ultimate dream of leisure and the post-war roadside escape. As the “Golden Age of the Highway” flourished, a motel without a pool was often seen as merely a place to sleep, while one with a pool was a destination in itself. These aquatic oases, often kidney-shaped or rectangular and surrounded by vibrant lounge chairs, offered a refreshing sanctuary for weary families traveling across the vast stretches of Route 66 or the burgeoning Interstate Highway System.

The motel pool was more than just a place to swim, it was a vibrant social hub of Americana, characterized by neon signs, concrete diving boards, and the distinct scent of chlorine mixed with summer heat. From the luxurious courtyards of the “Googie” style motels in Florida and California to the modest, family-run motor inns of the Midwest, these pools represented a newfound middle-class luxury that was accessible to everyone with a car and a map.

Dive into the nostalgic charm of the 1950s and ’60s with these vivid vintage postcards, showcasing swimming pools that defined the American motel experience.

Arizona. Vinton Manor Apartment Hotel, 3312 North Central, Phoenix

Arizona. 4th & Country Club Apartments, 3033 E. 6th Street, Tucson

Arizona. Aladdin Apartments, 705 North Alvernon, Tucson

Arizona. Alkay Apartment Lodge, 2238 East Thomas Road, Phoenix

Arizona. Arizona Ambassador Apartment Motel, 335 Maryland Avenue, Phoenix

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The Long-Lost Ferrari 512 TR Once Owned by Michael Jordan Has Resurfaced

The long-lost 1992 Ferrari 512 TR once owned by Michael Jordan, famous for its “M-AIR-J” license plate, was rediscovered in April 2025 by the Miami-based vintage supercar dealership CURATED. After vanishing from public view following an auction in 2010, the black-on-grigio supercar (chassis #091341) spent roughly 15 years hidden in a private garage in California.

The car was delivered to Michael Jordan on February 29, 1992, at his home in Highland Park, Illinois. It was finished in a rare “triple black” (black exterior, black interior) with the badges deleted for a stealthier look. The car became world-famous after a photographer captured Jordan stepping out of it before Game 5 of the 1992 NBA Playoffs against the Knicks. It wore the legendary personalized license plate: “M-AIR-J.”

In 1995, Jordan sold the Ferrari to Chris Gardner, the real-life inspiration for the film The Pursuit of Happyness. Gardner famously changed the plates to “NOT-MJ” to avoid being swarmed by fans. After Gardner sold the car at an auction in 2010 for roughly $100,000, it effectively vanished. For 15 years, car hunters and Curated (a Miami-based specialist dealership) followed dead ends, including false VINs and rumors that the car had been dismantled for parts.

In April 2025, the team at Curated finally tracked the car down to a garage in California. The story of its survival is almost as cinematic as Jordan’s career. The third owner had purchased the car in 2010 but was diagnosed with bone cancer shortly after. He stopped driving it, and the car sat untouched for 15 years.

In a near-miraculous turn of events, the car survived the California wildfires that leveled the owner’s entire neighborhood. While most of the street was destroyed, his house and the garage containing the Ferrari remained standing. When found, the car was covered in dust with curled leather and faded paint, but it was mechanically intact, retaining its original 4.9L flat-12 engine and gated manual shifter.

The car is currently undergoing a meticulous factory restoration (some reports suggest it was sent back to Maranello, Italy) to return it to its “M-AIR-J” 1992 specifications. The restoration project aims to reunite the car with its history, with plans to involve Jordan's original photographer and Chris Gardner once it is back on the road.

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As a Martial Artist, Jackie Chan is Also Skilled in Multiple Forms of Kung Fu

Jackie Chan (born Chan Kong-sang; April 7, 1954) is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. With a film career spanning more than sixty years, he is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential martial artists in the history of cinema. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $6 billion worldwide.

Chan’s proficiency in Kung Fu is legendary, largely because his style is a fascinating blend of different disciplines forged during his grueling years at the China Drama Academy. While he isn’t a traditional competitive fighter, his mastery of movement is rooted in several core areas.

Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is the backbone of his training from the Peking Opera School. It emphasizes long-range techniques, high kicks, and extreme flexibility. Chan studied Wing Chun under the legendary Leung Sheung (the first student of Ip Man in Hong Kong). You can see the influence of Wing Chun’s close-quarters “trapping hands” and “sticky hands” in many of his intricate fight choreographies. He holds a black belt in Hapkido, which he studied under Grandmaster Jin Pal Kim. This added joint locks, throws, and pressure-point strikes to his repertoire.

Beyond the traditional forms, he is well-versed in several “flavor” styles of Kung Fu that he popularized on screen. Drunken Boxing (Zui Quan) was his most iconic cinematic style, requiring immense core strength and balance to mimic “stumbling” while delivering precise strikes. He has demonstrated proficiency in Snake, Crane, Tiger, and Leopard styles, often used to contrast different rhythmic patterns in his movies.

It is important to note that his background in Wushu and Acrobatics is what allows him to weaponize his environment. His “style” is often described as Comedic Kung Fu, where he uses the principles of traditional martial arts but applies them to ladders, chairs, or jackets with the timing of a gymnast and the precision of a master.

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Brigitte Bauer: A Face That Defined the Sixties

Brigitte Bauer was a striking German-born fashion model who became one of the most recognizable faces of the 1960s, embodying the transition from classic elegance to the playful “Youthquake” movement.

Discovered in the mid-60s, Bauer quickly rose to international fame, appearing on the covers of elite magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle. She was celebrated for her distinct, wide-eyed look and architectural bone structure, often captured by legendary photographers such as Bill King, Irving Penn, and Bert Stern. Her ability to switch between high-fashion couture and the rebellious, mod-inspired streetwear of London made her a versatile muse for designers like André Courrèges and Pierre Cardin.

Beyond her modeling prowess, Bauer represented the modern, independent woman of the era, athletic, chic, and effortlessly cool. She was part of a legendary wave of models who brought a new kind of energy to the runway, moving away from static poses toward a more dynamic and expressive style. Whether she was sporting a geometric bob or a futuristic minidress, Bauer’s presence was always magnetic and forward-thinking.

Take a trip back to the height of the 1960s fashion scene with these stunning vintage captures of Brigitte Bauer, a true visionary of the modeling world.

Brigitte Bauer in a yellow ribbed full length cotton dress topped by an organza fichu of blue and gold by Mademoiselle Ricci, coiffure by Kenneth, photo by Bert Stern, December 1, 1963

Brigitte Bauer in deep green jacket handsomely carved of chinchilla cloth over a black wool crêpe dress, jacket has polished leather belt and bone buttons, by Abe Schrader, bowler by John Frederics, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, August 1, 1963

Brigitte Bauer in severely beautiful gown of white satin princesse with a tiny long-sleeved bolero ablaze in Spanish red paillettes by Balenciaga, coiffure by Michael-Patrick of House of revlon, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, December 1, 1963

Brigitte Bauer in short evening dress of orange silk chiffon, the overblouse is slit on one side and edged in beaded fringe as is the skirt hem, by Leslie Morris, earrings by KJL, photo by Art Kane, Vogue, April 15, 1963

Brigitte Bauer in tunic of pale-gray satin worn over a simple sleeved sheath of darker gray wool, tied high at the waist with bow and pin, turban of darker gray satin, both by Galanos, pin by Hattie Carnegie, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, July 1963

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