George Armfield: Master Painter of Victorian Dogs

George Armfield (c. 1808–1893) was a British animal painter best known for his lively and detailed depictions of dogs. Born George Armfield Smith, he was the son of portrait painter William Armfield Hobday and began exhibiting at the Royal Academy at a young age.

Specializing in genre scenes featuring terriers, hounds, and other domestic dogs, Armfield captured their energy, character, and everyday antics with broad, expressive brushwork. His paintings of dogs hunting, playing, or resting in barns and rural settings were highly popular with Victorian audiences and remain among the most recognizable examples of 19th-century British animal art.

These charming works showcase the skill and affection for animals that defined George Armfield, one of the most popular dog painters of the Victorian era.

Dogs

Dog with Puppies

Gun Dogs in the Long Grass

Gun Dogs

Spaniel Flushing Pheasant

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20 Photographs of a Young Glynis Johns as a Mermaid in “Miranda” (1948)

In the 1948 British fantasy comedy Miranda, Glynis Johns brought the playful, flirtatious mermaid Miranda Trewella to life. Her portrayal relied heavily on specialized practical effects, unique wardrobe designs, and her iconic personal charm to pull off the illusion of a creature from the deep.

One of the most notable aspects of her transformation was the construction of her mermaid tail. In a rare cinematic collaboration, The Dunlop Rubber Company was commissioned to design and manufacture the prosthetic tail, earning them a unique “Tail by Dunlop” credit in the opening titles.

Dunlop created two separate rubber tails for the production. One was specifically engineered for optimal movement and buoyancy during her swimming scenes in the water, while the other was designed for her “dry” scenes out of water. Because the rubber tail was incredibly heavy and completely immobilized her legs, Johns had to be physically carried around the studio lot by crew members and co-stars. Her co-star David Tomlinson frequently recalled how taxing it was to transport her from scene to scene.

Unlike modern mermaid movies where characters magically sprout legs when dry, Miranda keeps her tail for the entire film. To sneak her into a London household, the characters disguise her as a wheelchair-bound invalid named Miss Treeweller. The production hid her massive rubber tail by dressing her in beautiful, custom-made day and evening gowns that were intentionally tailored one foot longer than standard dresses. This completely obscured her tail while she was pushed around in her wheelchair.

Beyond the practical effects, Johns' performance sold the character’s enchanting nature. Critics and audiences raved over her striking look—featuring long platinum hair and a melodic, purring, breathy voice. She balanced the absurdity of the plot by acting like an endearing, slightly mischievous “fish out of water” who demanded a strict diet of raw fish and loved to lounge in water-filled bathtubs.

The film was a major box-office hit in the UK, making Glynis Johns an iconic face in fantasy cinema and prompting her to reprise the mermaid role years later in the 1954 sequel, Mad About Men.

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1956 Auto Union DKW F93: Distinctive Two-Stroke Classic of the 1950s

The 1956 Auto Union DKW F93, also marketed as the “Big DKW 3=6,” was a distinctive West German automobile produced by Auto Union.

Powered by a three-cylinder two-stroke engine that delivered 38 horsepower, the car was promoted with the slogan “3=6,” claiming performance comparable to a six-cylinder four-stroke. The F93 featured a wider body than its predecessor, an oval front grille, improved suspension, and front-wheel drive. Available in sedan, coupe, and limited cabriolet versions, it combined practical design with the unique character of two-stroke engineering.

Produced until 1959, the DKW F93 remains a memorable example of postwar German automotive ingenuity. These photos capture the distinctive style and engineering of the 1956 Auto Union DKW F93, a unique classic of the 1950s.

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Portraits of Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss in the 1975 Musical Comedy Horror Film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

In Jim Sharman’s cult musical comedy horror The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Susan Sarandon stars as Janet Weiss, delivering a breakout performance that bridges classic suburban innocence with decadent, liberation-filled camp.

Janet starts the film as a naive, wholesome suburban fiancée alongside her partner, Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick). After their car gets a flat tire during a torrential rainstorm, they seek refuge in a nearby castle to use the telephone. Instead, they stumble into the bizarre, sexually liberated world of the alien mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (played by Tim Curry).

Over the course of one wild night, Janet undergoes a radical transformation. She loses her innocence after being seduced by Dr. Frank-N-Furter. She breaks away from her strict, conservative upbringing and embraces her own sexuality, culminating in her passionate encounter with Frank’s creation, Rocky. This sexual awakening is perfectly captured in her standout musical number, “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” transforming her from a helpless damsel into a liberated cult icon.

Interestingly, Sarandon came into the audition almost by accident while visiting actor Tim Curry, a friend from previous theatrical circles in London. Director Jim Sharman asked her to read for Janet, and her comedic timing and singing ability landed her the role. The film was shot at Oakley Court in Berkshire, England, during a wet, freezing autumn with no indoor heating. Sarandon famously caught pneumonia during production due to filming scenes in wet clothing and lingerie.

Janet Weiss remains one of Sarandon’s most recognizable early roles, establishing her versatility as an actor before her dramatic breakthroughs in Atlantic City (1980), Thelma & Louise (1991), and Dead Man Walking (1995).

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28 Rarely Seen Photos of Buster Keaton as a Kid From the 1900s

During the 1900s, Buster Keaton lived an extraordinary, highly unusual childhood as a major star in American vaudeville. Born Joseph Frank Keaton in 1895, he spent his entire youth touring the country. His unconventional early life laid the physical and artistic foundation for his later career as a silent film pioneer.

By 1900, at just five years old, Buster became a professional fixture in his parents’ traveling show, forming the wildly popular act “The Three Keatons.” The routine was a brutal, fast-paced “knockabout” comedy. His father, Joe Keaton, would violently throw young Buster around the stage, drop him down stairs, and even hurl him into the audience or through windows. To handle the physical impact safely, Buster had a hidden suitcase handle sewn into his costumes so his father could grip and fling him with precision.

Because the act looked incredibly dangerous, it regularly alarmed authorities and child welfare agents from the Gerry Society, who frequently investigated the family for child abuse. However, Buster was never injured. During these performances, he discovered that if he cried or smiled, the audience didn’t laugh. But if he took a massive fall and stared back with a completely blank, expressionless face, the crowd went wild. This gave birth to his legendary “Stone Face” deadpan persona.

Buster had almost no formal schooling. Instead, the theater circuit served as his classroom. He spent the 1900s learning magic and juggling from family friend Harry Houdini (who allegedly gave Buster his nickname after seeing the toddler survive a tumble down the stairs). He also learned to dance from the legendary Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. By the time he was 10 years old, critics openly singled out the young boy as the true "breadwinner" and star of the family act.

While his winters were spent on train cars and theater stages, Buster’s favorite part of the 1900s took place during the off-season. In 1908, his father built a summer cottage in an actors’ colony in Muskegon, Michigan. Buster later recalled these lakeside summers as the absolute best times of his life, filled with outdoor fun, fishing, and temporary relief from the grueling physical demands of the stage.

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Beautiful Portraits of Shirley Patterson in the 1940s and 1950s

These beautiful portraits capture Canadian-born actress Shirley Patterson during the peak of her Hollywood career in the 1940s and 1950s.

Known for her roles in B-movies, westerns, and serials, including her memorable appearance as Linda Page in the 1943 Batman serial, Patterson brought a fresh, glamorous presence to the screen. Later billed as Shawn Smith, she also appeared in cult science-fiction films of the late 1950s.

The photos highlight her classic beauty, elegant style, and the polished studio glamour of the era. They offer a charming visual record of a lesser-known but distinctive face of mid-century Hollywood.

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French ‘Ladies of the Night’ in 1920, Making a Rare Appearance in Daylight Hours

These vintage photographs offer a rare, intimate glimpse into the lives of French les dames de la nuit (the ladies of the night), captured as they step briefly into daylight on Rue Radeau in Marseille. Taken during a time when photography itself was still finding its form, the images hold a quiet poignancy. The women, clad in modest but unmistakably work-worn clothing, seem suspended between two worlds: the silence of the early morning and the shadows of the night they left behind. There is no artifice here, just an honest record of lives lived in the margins.

Marseille, with its bustling harbor and rich mix of cultures, has always been a city shaped by movement and survival. Rue Radeau, like many alleys of the old port quarter, bore witness to lives often overlooked—sailors coming and going, merchants shouting over crates, and women like these who made their living in the shadows. The photographs don’t glamorize their profession; rather, it restores a measure of humanity to them. These were not symbols or statistics, they were women navigating a difficult world with resilience and quiet strength.

Though their names are lost to time, their expressions endure, still speaking across the decades. There’s dignity in their posture, and a haunting grace in their presence. This fleeting moment in the light becomes a powerful testament to lives lived in the margins, unseen but no less worthy of remembrance. The photos invite us not only to look, but to recognize that history is shaped not just by those in palaces or parliaments, but by those who walked its backstreets with courage and untold stories.