Amazing Photographs Captured Everyday Life of Navajo People in 1948

In 1948, LIFE magazine photographer Leonard McCombe spent weeks documenting the daily lives, struggles, and resilience of the Diné (Navajo) people. Published during a period of severe winter crises and ongoing federal neglect on the reservation, his photo-essay titled “The Navajo” became a landmark piece of mid-century photojournalism. McCombe’s approach focused intensely on individual human stories rather than detached landscapes, using intimate, unposed black-and-white compositions inside traditional hogans and across the high desert.

The late 1940s were an incredibly challenging time for the Navajo Nation. The combination of a devastating winter blizzard in 1947–1948, strict federal livestock reduction policies that decimated the local sheep-herding economy, and a lack of basic infrastructure left many families facing starvation and disease.

McCombe’s assignment was intended to put a human face on these systemic hardships. Rather than relying on sensationalism, his photographs captured a profound sense of dignity, community, and cultural endurance amidst poverty. Many of his most powerful frames were shot inside the low-light environments of log-and-earth hogans. He frequently used the soft, directional light coming from a central smoke hole or doorway to illuminate his subjects, highlighting textures of woven blankets, silver jewelry, and weather-worn hands. His photographs heavily featured the relationships between generations—elders holding traditional knowledge, mothers managing households under immense pressure, and young children navigating a changing world.

When LIFE published the essay on July 1, 1948, the public response was immediate. The intimate imagery shocked readers across the United States, prompting an influx of private donations, food drives, and increased political pressure that eventually contributed to the passage of the Navajo-Hopi Rehabilitation Act of 1950.

McCombe’s work remains a significant historical record of the era, illustrating both a difficult chapter in twentieth-century Native American history and the enduring strength of the Diné people.

A Navajo family living on a reservation.

The game of marbles, was explained by the boy at center to his brother and sister. This boy, who went to school, learned the game there.

A Navajo woman smoked a hand-rolled cigarette.

A Navajo young man.

This Navajo woman sported Navajo-crafted silver shirt collar caps, beaded earrings, and a beaded necklace complete with silver quarters and 50 cent pieces strung together like a tie.

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Wonderful Photos of Annette Bening as Merteuil on the Set of “Valmont” (1989)

Annette Bening’s portrayal of the Marquise de Merteuil in Miloš Forman’s Valmont (1989) remains one of the most intriguing, yet widely overlooked, period-drama performances of the late 1980s. Stepping into the role of Choderlos de Laclos’s master manipulator just as her Hollywood career was taking off, Bening brought a distinct energy to the set that contrasted sharply with Glenn Close’s fiercely cold, razor-sharp interpretation in Dangerous Liaisons just a year prior.

The behind-the-scenes reality of Valmont was defined by a classic Hollywood “production race.” Miloš Forman and director Stephen Frears were adapting the same 1782 epistolary novel (Les Liaisons dangereuses) at the exact same time. Frears’s version hit theaters first in late 1988, capturing the cultural zeitgeist, critical acclaim, and multiple Academy Awards. When Valmont arrived in late 1989, it was inevitably compared to its predecessor, causing Bening’s brilliant performance to be unjustly obscured.

Forman’s direction and Jean-Claude Carrière’s screenplay leaned away from outright melodrama and toward a lighter, colder, and more structural look at 18th-century French aristocracy. On set, Bening channeled this by infusing Merteuil with a deceptive warmth. She played Merteuil not as an overtly calculating villain, but with an air of sweet, radiant femininity and bright-eyed charm. Her malice was buried under a mask of superficial innocence, making her sudden shifts into ruthless strategic planning feel all the more jarring.

On set, Bening and a young Colin Firth (playing Valmont) established a playful, competitive rapport. Rather than portraying two bitter, aging sociopaths, they played the characters like brilliant, bored children playing a high-stakes game of emotional chess. Theodor Pištěk’s lavish, pastel-hued costume design was heavily utilized by Bening. She used the heavy silks, elaborate corsetry, and expansive wigs of the Rococo era to emphasize Merteuil’s confinement within societal rules, and how she used that very confinement to manipulate the men around her.

Though Valmont underperformed at the box office, Bening’s magnetic performance caught the eye of director Stephen Frears—ironically, the director of the rival Dangerous Liaisons. Impressed by her range, he immediately cast her as the grifter Myra Langtry in The Grifters (1990), which earned Bening her first Oscar nomination and launched her into permanent Hollywood stardom.

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40 Elegant Studio Portraits of African-American Women in the Late 19th Century

The late 19th century was a remarkable period for African-American studio portraiture. Despite facing significant social and economic challenges during the post-Reconstruction era, many African-American women sought to present themselves with dignity, pride, and elegance in front of the camera. These exquisite studio portraits showcase the grace, strength, and quiet determination of Black women during this transformative time.

Dressed in their finest Victorian and early Edwardian attire, with carefully styled hair and composed expressions, they asserted their humanity and beauty in images that remain incredibly powerful and moving today. These photographs serve not only as stunning visual records but also as important historical documents of resilience and self-representation.

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Girl in Russian Kokoshnik, Late 19th Century

The kokoshnik is a historic, crest-shaped traditional Russian headdress worn by women to accompany the sarafan (jumper dress). Originating as early as the 10th century in Veliky Novgorod, its name derives from the Old Slavic word kokosh, meaning a “hen” or “cockerel,” due to its resemblance to a bird’s crest.

Historically, the kokoshnik was strictly reserved for married women. Unmarried girls wore a similar but open-backed crown called a povyazka. In Orthodox Christian tradition, a married woman showing her hair in public was considered improper. The kokoshnik featured a back cloth that completely covered the hair. The specific shape, embroidery, and beads served as a visual biography, indicating the woman’s hometown region, wealth, and social status.

Outtakes of Kylie Minogue From Her 1990 “Rhythm of Love” Photoshoot

Rhythm of Love is the third studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released in the United Kingdom on November 12, 1990 by Pete Waterman Limited (PWL) and in Australia on December 3, 1990 by Mushroom Records. Recording sessions took place in London and Los Angeles during early-to-mid 1990. Minogue started to become more involved in the writing and production of the album; she was credited as co-writer for the first time, while Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) were the primary producers along with new producers and collaborations, including Keith Cohen, Stephen Bray and Michael Jay.

The album’s artwork was photographed by Austrian photographer Markus Morianz; it shows Minogue wearing a white, bare-midriff blouse and raising her hands behind her head. Christian Guiltenane of Classic Pop said the seductive pose offers “a freer—and, it was implied— more sexually liberated” nature than her earlier image.

Writing for Idolator, Robbie Daw commented that the cover “[takes] a drastic turn for the sexy.” English artist Nick Egan, who previously art-directed sleeves for Duran Duran and INXS, handled the design for Rhythm of Love with designer Eric Roinestad.

The photograph session for Rhythm of Love took place within Los Angeles in October 1990; Minogue wore a small, cropped leotard with chains and a white, feather costume while standing in a desert. Minogue donated the bikini costume with boots worn in the photoshoot, which was designed by Azzedine Alaïa, to the Cultural Gifts Program of the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2004.

A month before the album’s UK release, photographs from the session were featured in a six-page spread for Smash Hits, in which Minogue said of her “dramatic” new image, “I’ve grown up. I’m more womanly!... I think the outrageous me has been kinda subdued for a long time and now it’s coming out!”

Rhythm of Love was not as commercially successful as Minogue’s previous albums, becoming her first studio album not to reach number one in the UK, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart. In Australia, it was Minogue’s third top 10 studio album, peaking at number 10, while also attaining top 20 positions in Ireland, France, and Spain.

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Carrington Hotel, Katoomba: Beautiful Vintage Kodachrome Slides From 1970

The Carrington Hotel in Katoomba is one of the most iconic and historic landmarks in Australia’s Blue Mountains. Originally opened in 1883 as the Great Western Hotel, it was later renamed The Carrington in honor of Lord Carrington, the Governor of New South Wales. This grand Victorian-era hotel quickly became the premier social destination for wealthy Sydney residents and international visitors seeking the cool mountain air.

With its elegant architecture, sweeping verandas, ornate interiors, and luxurious ballrooms, the Carrington remains a symbol of Edwardian grandeur and old-world charm. Even today, the hotel stands as a living piece of history, offering visitors a nostalgic glimpse into the golden age of Blue Mountains tourism.

Taken in 1970, these beautiful Kodachrome slides offer a beautiful, nostalgic window into one of Australia’s most historic and atmospheric mountain hotels during the final years of its classic era.

Guests enjoying the pool and front lawn, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, April 1970

View from the balcony showing the pool and Katoomba Street. Also visible: Penfolds Wine Bar, Aroney's Cafe, Mercantile Mutual Insurance Co., ANZ Bank and St Hilda's church, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, April 1970

Hotel entry foyer with guests. The bronze statue was traditionally thought to be the Greek philosopher Diogenes with his lamp, looking for an honest man, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, April 1970

Hotel forecourt with pool and lawn facing Katoomba Street, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, April 1970

Twin room with bar, Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, April 1970

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Stunning Portraits of Carroll Baker as Jean Harlow on the Set of “Harlow” (1965)

Carroll Baker’s portrayal of Jean Harlow in the 1965 biopic Harlow was a heavily publicized but critically flawed performance that leaned more toward 1960s sex-symbol glamour than historical accuracy. While Baker brought her established screen presence and stunning physical beauty to the role, the film itself was widely panned for its sensationalized script and biographical inaccuracies.

The path to casting Baker was fraught with standard Hollywood melodrama. Originally, 20th Century Fox had planned a lavish biopic starring Marilyn Monroe, but following Monroe’s death, the rights shifted. Producer Joseph E. Levine purchased the rights to Irving Shulman’s highly controversial, sensationalized book Harlow: An Intimate Biography for $100,000.

Baker, who had just come off a successful collaboration with Levine playing a heavily Harlow-inspired character named “Rina Marlowe” in The Carpetbaggers (1964), was the natural choice. However, a bitter contractual battle ensued when Baker almost signed with a competing Columbia Pictures Harlow project. To settle the feud and secure her for the Paramount version, Levine famously presented Baker with a spectacular platinum and diamond necklace as a peace offering.

Adding to the chaos, a low-budget rival film also titled Harlow (starring Carol Lynley) was rushed into theaters via an early videotape-to-film process just weeks before Paramount's version premiered, resulting in a box-office clash that damaged both films commercially.

While the film’s narrative leaned heavily into melodramatic fiction, the visual production values were highly praised, anchored by the legendary costume designer Edith Head. Head faced the daunting task of capturing Harlow’s iconic 1930s silhouettes while catering to 1965 cinematic tastes and a widescreen color presentation. Rather than doing direct, historical duplications, Head reinterpreted Harlow’s signature “liquid lingerie” style.

A prime example of Head’s work in the film is the signature premiere gown. It is a bias-cut, floor-length evening dress constructed of ivory satin and entirely encrusted with white bugle beads to catch the studio lights. Head paired it with multi-tailed white fox fur stoles. In an expert nod to film history, Head deliberately reversed a technique from Jean Harlow’s classic 1933 film Dinner at Eight. In that original movie, Harlow wore a famous satin bias-cut gown and a beaded bed jacket. For Baker, Head chose to bead the evening gown itself and construct the bed jacket from pure satin.

Carroll Baker approached the role with a striking platinum coif and a performance that balanced vulnerability with the brassy, tough-talking demeanor Harlow was famous for. The film tracked her rapid ascent under the gaze of a Howard Hughes-like mogul (played by Leslie Nielsen), her guidance by agent Arthur Landau (Red Buttons, who earned a Golden Globe nomination), and her tragic, ill-fated marriage to producer Paul Bern (Peter Lawford).

Though the film did not achieve the box-office heights Paramount hoped for and was criticized for its historical inaccuracies, it remains a beloved artifact of 1965 cinema. It successfully launched the classic jazz standard song “Girl Talk” by Neal Hefti and continues to be studied by costume historians as a masterclass in how one Hollywood era retroactively styled another.

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