Vintage Photographs From the Early Days of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade dates as far back as the 1920s, when Macy's employees, many of whom were immigrants, began this tradition in an attempt to connect with American culture by celebrating Thanksgiving.

Currently, the parade features enormous and impressive balloons, a variety of performers and paraders and a viewership of over 44 million every year, on television alone. Here's a collection of some of interesting vintage photographs featuring the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the early days in the 1920s.

The first Macy’s parade was held in 1924. In the beginning, this was a rather small, employee-run event. That first parade was mostly employees and animals from the Central Park Zoo. Around 250,000 people attended that first parade.

Macy's employees are shown dressed as clowns in 1924.

The 1924 Balloonatics float inspired famed puppeteer and Macy's window designer Tony Sarg to create inflatable upside down marionettes, otherwise known as Macy's giant helium balloons.

The star of the first and every Macy's parade, Santa Claus, is seen here on his first float in 1924.

The first few parades did have some major highlights: the floats. The biggest and the best was Santa’s float. Here he is being watched by the crowd in 1925.

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22 Interesting Vintage Photographs of Hollywood Actresses Ride Their Bikes in the 1950s

Here’s a collection of 22 interesting classic images from the 1950s featuring beautiful Hollywood actresses ride their bikes.

Peggy Dow, ca. 1950.

Rhonda Fleming, ca. 1950.

Rosalind Russell, ca. 1950.

Shelley Winters, ca. 1950.

Jan Sterling, ca. 1951.

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From Jimi Hendrix to Ozzy Osbourne, Here Are 11 Worst Mugshots of Rock Stars in the Past

Rock stardom is practically synonymous with a lifestyle of reckless partying and debauchery. Therefore, it’s no surprise that life in the limelight comes with a few stints in jail — along with accompanying mug shots.

Everyone from David Bowie to Kurt Cobain has a mug shot in their history. Some even have multiple arrests on their rap sheets, including the Doors’ Jim Morrison and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. Here's a list of 11 worst Rock star mugshots in the past and cause of arrest are included...

1. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was arrested at Toronto International Airport airport in May 1969 after customs inspectors found heroin and hashish in his luggage. Hendrix, who claimed the drugs were slipped into his bag by a fan without his knowledge, was later acquitted of the charges.

2. Axl Rose

An 18-year-old Axl Rose posed for the above Lafayette, Indiana police mug shot in July 1980. This was one of the first of many misdemeanor bust for the future Guns N’ Roses frontman.

3. David Bowie

Music legend David Bowie was arrested in upstate New York in March 1976 on a felony pot possession charge. The Thin White Duke, 29 at the time, was nabbed along with Iggy Pop and two other codefendants at a Rochester hotel following a concert. Bowie was held in the Monroe County jail for a few hours before being released. The above Rochester Police Department mug shot was taken three days after Bowie's arrest, when the performer appeared at City Court for arraignment.

4. Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin was arrested in November 1969 in Florida and charged with disorderly conduct after yelling obscenities at police officers during a Tampa concert. Charges were later dropped after it was ruled that the singer's actions were an exercise of free speech.

5. Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison posed for this mug shot following his 1970 conviction in Florida on misdemeanor indecent exposure and profanity charges. The singer was busted after he exposed himself during a March 1969 concert in Miami. As seen here, Morrison, who was photographed by Dade County's Public Safety Department, testified on his own behalf at trial.

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Concentration Camps for Dogs in 1966

In February 1966, LIFE published an article and a series of shocking photos that generated a huge outpouring of letters from the magazine’s readers. Many of the letters were among the most passionate that the long-lived weekly ever received. The subject of the article? Not the war in Vietnam. Not an attack on Civil Rights marchers by police. Not another frightening escalation of the already-frigid Cold War.

This time, the outrage was in response to an article on dogs. Or, more accurately, an article on the inhumane — indeed, the horrifying — treatment of dogs by men and women who, as LIFE put it, were “taking advantage of the growing demand for dogs for vital medical research” and, in the process, were cashing in on a “lucrative and unsavory business” built and maintained on the misery of man’s best friend.

"Lucky," an English pointer rescued from an Oklahoma fair in 1966.

This woebegone springer spaniel was one of only a handful of dogs in [dog dealer Lester] Brown's inventory of over 100 animals that appeared to be fit. Obviously he had just got there.

Aroused by early-morning raid on his animal compound at White Hall, Md., Lester Brown confronts Frank McMahon who represented the Humane Society.

Skin and bones and not much else is all that is left of this young beagle, staked out in [dog dealer Lester] Brown's yard. Beagles are rated by most dog dealers as a 'hot item.'

Too weak to crawl to the frozen entrails scattered in Mr. Brown's yard, this collie was not rescued. The humane society could fit only 28 of the worst cases in its truck.

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40 Beautiful Black and White Photographs of Elizabeth Taylor in Her Teen Years in the 1940s

Unlike most celebrities, Elizabeth Taylor lived nearly her entire life as a famous person. Following her turn in the equestrian epic National Velvet, her teen years brought her first taste of stardom – and her first studio contract.

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born on February 27, 1932, in London, England. One of film’s most celebrated stars, Taylor fashioned a career that’s covered more than six decades, accepting roles that have not only showcased her beauty, but her ability to take on emotionally charged characters.

Taylor’s American parents, both art dealers, were residing in London when she was born. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, the Taylors returned to the United States and settled into their new life in Los Angeles.

Performing was in Taylor’s blood. Her mother had worked as an actress until she married. At the age of 3, the young Taylor started dancing and eventually gave a recital for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Not long after relocating to California, a family friend suggested the Taylors’ daughter take a screen test.

She soon signed a contract with Universal Studios, and made her screen debut at the age of 10 in There’s One Born Every Minute (1942). She followed that up with a bigger role in Lassie Come Home (1943) and later The White Cliffs of Dover (1944).

Her breakout role, however, came in 1944 with National Velvet, in a role Taylor spent four months working to get. The film subsequently turned out to be a huge hit that pulled in more than $4 million and made the 12-year-old actress a huge star.

In the glare of the Hollywood spotlight, the young actress showed she was more than adept at handling celebrity’s tricky terrain. Even more impressive was the fact that, unlike so many child stars before and after her, Taylor proved she could make a seamless transition to more adult roles. And here, below is a selection of 40 black and white photos showing her beauty in her teen years, in the 1940s.

The 10-year-old Brit lit up the screen in her first film, "There's One Born Every Minute" in 1942.

Elizabeth Taylor, age 10

Elizabeth Taylor from "There's One Born Every Minute" in 1942.

Elizabeth Taylor, age 10 in 1942.

11- year-old Elizabeth Taylor is shown with Lassie around the time of her performance in "Lassie Comes Home" in Los Angeles, 1943.

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19 Amazing Vintage Photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Balloons From the Early Days

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade has been a tradition of Thankgiving for decades. It started out as a way for the employees of Macy’s to say thank you to New York. Macy’s started using balloons in their parade in 1927 and it has been tradition since. Here’s a collection of 19 amazing vintage photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloons from the early days.

Here's a floating dachshund. Image: Macy's Inc.

The only balloon to be modeled after a real person was this one, for entertainer Eddie Cantor. Image: Macy's Inc.

Father Knickerbocker floats through the streets. Image: Macy's Inc.

Ferdinand the Bull. Image: Macy's Inc.

A huge fish from 1938. Looks like something from a Guillermo del Toro movie. Image: Macy's Inc.

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Black and White Photos From the Hours After Americans Heard About the D-Day Invasion

Black and white photos from the Library of Congress show New Yorkers rallying, praying, on June 6, 1944.

Noon mass at Saint Vincent de Paul's Church on D-day.

Noon mass at Saint Vincent de Paul's Church on D-day.

Seven o'clock mass on D-day in the Lady Chapel, Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

D-day services in a synagogue on West Twenty-third Street, left, and noon mass at Saint Vincent de Paul's Church on D-day, right.

Noon mass at Saint Vincent de Paul's Church on D-day.

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