Julian Rose: London’s Forgotten Post-War Couturier

Julian Rose was a prominent but often underappreciated British fashion designer whose eponymous label flourished in London’s Mayfair district, particularly during the post-World War II opulence of the 1950s and early ’60s.

Operating from his fashion house at 52 South Molton Street, Mayfair, London, Rose was known for his glamorous and meticulously crafted evening wear, bridal gowns, and sophisticated day dresses. He was a significant figure in the London couture scene, frequently featured in the editorial pages and advertisements of British Vogue, where his collections were modeled by stars like Barbara Goalen. His designs often embraced the period’s extravagant silhouette, incorporating detailed embellishments like sequins and embroidery.

Although his name may be less familiar today than his contemporaries, Julian Rose was a highly sought-after couturier whose coveted pieces were famously worn by stylish women of the time, including reports of them being seen on Audrey Hepburn.

Barbara Goalen in silk ombré chiffon evening dress by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar, September 1950

Barbara Goalen in an "all occasion" suit from Julian Rose, Vogue UK, February 1951

Barbara Goalen in beautiful velvet and tiered taffeta dress by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar UK, November 1951

Barbara Goalen in cocktail suit in gold and black brocade by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar UK, September 1951

Barbara Goalen in evening dress by Julian Rose at Dickins & Jones, Harper's Bazaar UK, October 1951

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30 Publicity Photos From the Set of the 1954 Classic “White Christmas”

White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Filmed in Technicolor, it features the songs of Irving Berlin, including a new version of the title song, “White Christmas,” introduced by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn.

Norman Krasna had written the original story, which was intended for Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. When Astaire was ultimately replaced by Danny Kaye, comedy writers Melvin Frank and Norman Panama were hired to add special material for Kaye. Panama and Frank felt that Krasna’s entire script needed rewriting, and director Michael Curtiz agreed. “It was a torturous eight weeks of rewriting,” said Panama. Frank said that “writing that movie was the worst experience of my life. Norman Krasna was a talented man but ... it was the lousiest story I’d ever heard. It needed a brand new story, one that made sense.” They rewrote the screenplay themselves at $5,000 a week.

Principal photography took place between September and December 1953. The film was the first to be shot using Paramount’s new VistaVision process, with color by Technicolor, and was one of the first to feature the Perspecta directional sound system at limited engagements.

Made on a budget of $2 million, White Christmas earned $12 million in theatrical rentals (equal to $140 million in today), making it the highest-grossing film of 1954. It was also the highest-grossing musical film at the time, and ranks among the top 100 popular movies of all time at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation and the size of the population in its release year of 1954. Between the original release and subsequent revivals, the film grossed $30 million at the domestic box office.

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Adorable Photos of 13-Year-Old Britney Spears From 1995 Show the Pop Princess as You’ve Never Seen Her

Before she became a pop phenomenon, Britney Spears was just a fresh-faced teen from Louisiana with huge hopes and dreams, and these amazing pictures prove that Britney was destined to be a star. In the photos, which were shot in 1995 by fashion photographer David Baren, 13-year-old Britney posed in a variety of cute ensembles, including a truly ’90s-era denim vest and ripped jeans, and showed off her now-famous dance moves in an abandoned warehouse.

One look consisted of a schoolgirl skirt and tied-up tee, giving a nod to the outfit that would catapult her career just five years later. Alycia Lerer, the artist development manager who worked with Britney in the early 1990s, spoke out about helping her style the look on the set that day, saying, “It’s a good sign because it means I did something right with my styling of her! The whole photo shoot was absolutely the inspiration to her music video.”

Lerer also reflected on the first time she met the young singer, saying, “She was a very sweet girl and very innocent but still very much on the ball. She was a good kid.” She went on to reveal that when she’d be talking business with Britney’s mom, Lynne, “Britney would be singing or dancing,” adding, “Brit was very involved in her own styling too, and was aware of what she did and didn’t like, even at 13.” She went on to describe Britney’s singing voice, saying, “She had the voice of an angel. She sang a Whitney Houston track, ‘The Greatest Love of All,’ and blew me away. I had tears in my eyes.”

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Sue Lyon: The Iconic Lolita

Sue Lyon (1946–2019) was an American actress best known for her unforgettable, breakthrough role as the title character in Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1962 film adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, Lolita.

Chosen for the role at the age of 14, Lyon embodied the complex, seductive, and ultimately tragic character of Dolores Haze, instantly catapulting her to international fame. Her performance was critically praised, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

Despite the initial success and high-profile roles that followed, such as in John Huston’s The Night of the Iguana (1964), Lyon struggled to maintain her career momentum. Her early, intense association with the highly publicized and scandalous role often overshadowed her later work, defining her as an iconic, though often misunderstood, figure of mid-20th-century cinema.

Take a look at these beautiful photos to see portraits of a young Sue Lyon in the 1960s.

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Alfred Hitchcock With His New Bride, Alma Reville, at Their Wedding on December 2, 1926

Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville shared one of Hollywood’s most enduring creative and personal partnerships, a marriage that lasted over 54 years, and a collaboration that shaped the very foundations of Hitchcock’s filmmaking style.

Reville (1899–1982) was born in Nottingham, England, and began working in the film industry as a teenager, starting as a cutter and later becoming an editor, screenwriter, and assistant director. Hitchcock (1899–1980), also British, started in silent films at London’s Famous Players–Lasky studio as a title card designer. They met around 1923 while working at the same studio. Alma was already a skilled editor and continuity expert—her technical expertise and eye for story were invaluable to the young Hitchcock.

The couple married on December 2, 1926, at Brompton Oratory in London. Prior to the marriage, Reville converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism, reportedly at the request of Hitchcock’s mother. Their only child, Patricia Hitchcock, was born in 1928.

Reville’s expertise in filmmaking was invaluable to Hitchcock. She worked on nearly all of his films, often uncredited, as an editor, screenwriter, and story consultant. She was known for her keen eye for detail and her ability to spot inconsistencies and flaws in a plot, a talent that Hitchcock greatly admired. A famous example of her sharp eye is her spotting an error in the shower scene of Psycho where the actress Janet Leigh, playing Marion Crane, seemed to swallow after she was supposed to be dead.

Throughout his life, Hitchcock openly acknowledged his wife’s profound influence on his work. In 1979, when he received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award, he famously dedicated the award to four people who had given him “the most affection, appreciation and encouragement, and constant collaboration,” and said that all four of them were Alma Reville.

Reville’s contributions to Hitchcock’s success were immense and have been recognized by film historians. The phrase “The Hitchcock touch had four hands, and two were Alma’s” is often used to describe their collaborative relationship. She passed away in 1982, two years after her husband.

1935 Lagonda Rapier Sports Special: One of the Most Spirited British Sports Cars of the Interwar Era

The 1935 Lagonda Rapier Sports Special represents a highly sought-after chapter in Lagonda’s history, born from a period when the company was striving for competitive success in the small car segment. Although the standard Rapier was a compact model, the Sports Special designation refers to highly tuned or specially bodied versions built for speed and agility.

The Rapier was powered by a sophisticated, small-capacity 1,104 cc four-cylinder engine featuring a twin overhead camshaft (DOHC) design—an advanced engineering feature for its time—enabling it to produce impressive horsepower for its size, often exceeding 50 hp. These lightweight specials were known for their excellent handling and frequent use in pre-war racing and trials events.

Production under Lagonda lasted only until 1935 when the company entered receivership, with around 470 examples built in total. Today, the 1935 Rapier Sports Special is cherished by collectors for its elegant, compact proportions, advanced mechanics, and its place as one of the last true sporting Lagondas built before the company’s major reorganization.

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18 Photographs of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland in the 1940s

In the 1940s, both Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra were major stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, known for their exceptional singing and charisma. The two performed together on Sinatra’s radio show multiple times, including an episode on May 24, 1944. These collaborations were popular morale boosters during World War II, allowing Americans to escape the realities of war through their music. They were also part of the “Committee for the First Amendment” in 1947, which opposed the Hollywood blacklist.

They were romantically involved for a short time starting in 1949. This took place while Garland was married to director Vincente Minnelli and after Sinatra had separated from his wife, Ava Gardner. The couple would have a second, brief romantic relationship later in 1955 during a separation from her husband, Sidney Luft.

Sinatra was known for being very protective of Garland and was a constant source of support throughout her life. They remained close friends until her death in 1969.

According to vintagehollywoodstars, Sinatra paid for Garland’s funeral and interment, which was approximately $37,500 because Garland was deeply in debt at the time of her death. His offer to pay was initially turned down by Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, who felt she could raise the funds herself for a simpler burial, though she was ultimately unable to do so.

In 2016, a four-page love letter from Judy to Frank, written after a secret Hamptons meeting, was auctioned and sold for $5,897. Part of the letter read: “You said today that you’d been negligent. But darling—that’s so unimportant compared to the great amount of happiness you’ve given me. I shall not forget the hours we’ve spent together—ever!”

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