The Story of Buster, the Rooster Who Can Skate in the 1950s

If you’re strolling along the sidewalk and a big red rooster whizzes past on roller skates, don’t rush to the nearest eye doctor. It’s only Buster, out for his daily spin.

In 1952, Times photographer Leigh Wiener was sent to the scene of a reported hit-and-run car crash on South Alvarado Street, Los Angeles. He found little of note at the scene, only a man who asked him to take his photo, a relatively frequent occurrence. Wiener later wrote that he joked to the man, “Sure, I’ll take you picture, Mister, if you have a dog that can roller-skate.”

The man didn’t have a dog, but he did have a rooster — specifically, a skating rooster. Wiener agreed to meet the bird, named Buster, on his day off, August 17, 1952. When he arrived, Buster wore “a clean pair of “You Can't Bust ’Ern” overalls, and his custom-made roller skates simply shined.” Wiener took Buster’s photo and later photographed him again at an ice rink. Buster could apparently ice skate, too.

Buster, whose owner was teaching him to be a roller-skating rooster, glided under a playmate’s legs during a practice run on a Los Angeles sidewalk.

Billy Lehr has put Buster on ice skates, and he glided along clad in his special skating trunks to the amused astonishment of Cathy Henderson at Pasadena, California.

Buster the Rooster

A lively potful of Rhode Island Red, Buster was one of several chickens owned by William Lehr, a retired circus clown. The August 22, 1952 issue of The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California, reported:

“Buster uses five-inch long baby skates, made of aluminum and taped to his big feet. Lehr usually gives Buster a push to get him started. Once under way, the bird makes out all right. He uses his wings to push himself forward and to keep his balance.

“Buster, who is three years old, has been skating for six months. Lehr is grooming him for a stage debut. The ex-clown figures his pet has a great theatrical career ahead of him. While Buster may get the bird, at least he can’t lay an egg.”

30 Gorgeous Portrait Photos of a Young Lea Thompson in the 1980s

Born 1961 in Rochester, Minnesota, American actress Lea Thompson moved to New York at age 20, she performed in a number of Burger King advertisements in the 1980s along with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elisabeth Shue, her eventual co-star in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III.

Thompson made her home-media screen debut in 1982 as Cecily “Sissy” Loper in the interactive live-action video game MysteryDisc: Murder, Anyone? and her movie debut in 1983, with Jaws 3-D. She followed this with All the Right Moves (1983), Red Dawn (1984), and The Wild Life (1984).

Thompson is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines in the Back to the Future trilogy and as the title character in the 1990s NBC sitcom Caroline in the City. Other films include Howard the Duck (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). From 2011 to 2017, she co-starred as Kathryn Kennish in the ABC Family-turned Freeform series Switched at Birth.

Take a look at these gorgeous photos to see the beauty of a young Lea Thompson in the 1980s.

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20 Fascinating Black and White Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II in the 1940s

When Elizabeth was born in April 1926, she wasn’t destined for the throne. Her father Albert, known as “Bertie” to his family, was the second son of King George V. Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret were doted on by their parents, with her father dubbing the family, “we four.” It was a comfortable but strictly confined upbringing.

Elizabeth’s world was turned upside down in 1936, following George V’s death and the abdication of Elizabeth’s uncle Edward VIII just months later. Edward’s decision to cast aside the crown to marry Wallis Simpson left her father, now King George VI, on the throne and 10-year-old Elizabeth as heir presumptive.

George VI struggled to find his footing after assuming the throne. Tentative, nervous and prone to both ill health and a relentless stutter, he found public speeches and appearances agonizing. But, as the war began, he found his footing. Bolstered by his wife and government officials, including Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the king helped rally the morale of the British people, refusing to leave London despite repeated aerial attacks by Nazi planes that left cities in ruins. He and the queen regularly visited those most devastated by the attacks, and when one bombing in September 1940 badly damaged a portion of Buckingham Castle, bringing the dangers of the war to the royal’s doorstep, the queen noted, “Now I can look the East End in the face.”

With the looming threat of a German invasion, the British government urged the queen to leave for Canada with her daughters. She refused, stating, “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.” But, like thousands of other children who were evacuated from British cities, Elizabeth and Margaret did leave London, spending much of the war at Windsor Castle. In 1940, the two sisters made one of their first public addresses, recording a radio broadcast to their fellow children in Britain and British colonies and dominions around the world. 

With the British people rallying to cause, Elizabeth, like many other young Britons, yearned to do her part. But her protective parents refused to allow her to enlist, noting that no female member of the royal family had ever joined the military. Elizabeth was a dutiful daughter, but she was also strong-willed. It took more than a year of debate before her family finally relented in early 1945, giving the now 19-year-old permission to join up.

That February she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territory Service (similar to the American Women’s Army Corps or WACs), registered as inductee No. 230873, under the name Elizabeth Windsor. The ATS provided key support during the war, with its members serving as anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, mechanics and drivers.

Here, a gallery of 20 fascinating vintage photos of a young Queen Elizabeth II during the 1940s:

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Madonna Photographed by Steven Meisel for Versace in 1995

Born 1954 in New York City, American fashion photographer Steven Meisel studied at the High School of Art and Design and Parsons The New School for Design where he attended different courses but, as affirmed in an interview with Ingrid Sischy for Vogue France, he finally majored in fashion illustration.

One of Meisel’s first jobs was to work for fashion designer Halston as an illustrator. He never thought he could become a photographer. Meisel currently works for many different fashion magazines, most notably Interview and US and Italian Vogue.

Meisel obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue. He is now considered one of the most successful fashion photographers in the industry, shooting regularly for both US and Italian Vogue, and lately W (also published by Condé Nast) and British Vogue.

These stunning photos are part of his work that Steven Meisel took portrait of Madonna for Versace in 1995.

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Stunning Portraits of Edie Sedgwick Photographed by Nat Finkelstein, 1966

Nat Finkelstein was the house photographer for the Factory from 1964 to 1967, he created spontaneous portraits not only of Factory regulars like Sedgwick and Gerard Malanga but also of the artists and celebrities who drifted in and out of the Warhol orbit.

Finkelstein was on hand when Warhol presented Bob Dylan with one of his Elvis “Flaming Star” silk-screen portraits, and took pictures of Allen Ginsberg and Salvador Dalí. He captured Sedgwick and Nico, of the Velvet Underground, at their most glamorous, and photographed the first Velvet Underground performances and recording sessions.

Here are some stunning portraits of Edie Sedgwick taken by Nat Finkelstein in Warhol’s Factory in 1966:

Photos of Glenn Close in the 1980s

Glenn Close is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Tony Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. She has also been nominated eight times for an Academy Award, holding the record for the most acting nominations without a win (tied with Peter O’Toole).

Close began her professional career on stage in 1974 with Love for Love and was mostly a New York stage actress until the early 1980s. Her work included Broadway productions of Barnum in 1980 and The Real Thing in 1983, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Her film debut came in The World According to Garp (1982), which was followed by supporting roles in the films The Big Chill (1983) and The Natural (1984); all three earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Close went on to establish herself as a Hollywood leading lady with roles in Fatal Attraction (1987) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), both of which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Take a look at the actress in the 1980s through 28 stunning vintage portraits:

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Inside the Frankfurt Main Train Station in the 1950s Through Amazing Black and White Photos

Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof, often abbreviated as Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and sometimes translated as Frankfurt central station, is the busiest railway station in Hesse, Germany. It is one of the largest train stations in Europe and is located just west of the city center.

The affix “Main” comes from the city’s full name, Frankfurt am Main (“Frankfurt on the Main”). Because of its location in the middle of Germany and usage as a transport hub for long and short distance traveling, Deutsche Bahn refers to it as the most important station in Germany.

More than 350,000 travelers use this station every day. To be able to manage this great volume of traffic, the central station has more than 25 platforms in five departure halls.

These amazing black and white photos from Mark Susina were taken by his dad, when he was stationed in the U.S. Army in Germany, that show inside the Frankfurt Main Train Station in the mid-1950s.

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