Everyday Life of the US During WWII Through Jack Delano's Lens

Born 1914 as Jacob Ovcharov in Voroshilovka, Podolie Governorate, Russian Empire (now Vorošýlivka, Ukraine) and moved, with his parents and younger brother, to the United States in 1923, American photographer Jack Delano worked for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and was also a composer noted for his use of Puerto Rican folk material.

After graduating from the Academy, Delano started working as a freelance photographer in Philadelphia and New York. He also developed an interest in films, and together with his future wife Irene Esser started making short documentaries.

Impressed by the work of famous photographers like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, Delano applied for a job with the historical section of the FSA (Farm Security Administration) in 1940. For the next years he traveled throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. All through this time Delano’s primary assignment was to document the social and working conditions of people in FSA projects. All of this was happening during the Second World War, and Delano was drafted in 1943.

Delano traveled throughout the South Pacific and South America before being discharged in 1946.

These amazing photographs Delano took for the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information that documented everyday life of the US during WWII.

Connecticut. 75¢ Thanksgiving. On a main street in Norwich, November 1940

Connecticut. A Glimpse of Thanksgiving. At the Crouch family Thanksgiving Day dinner, Ledyard, November 1940

Connecticut. A Woman window shopping on a rainy day in Norwich, November 1940

Connecticut. All Downhill. Children sledding in Jewett City, November 1940

Connecticut. Five & Dime. Main street intersection in Norwich on a rainy day, November 1940

See more»

18 Fascinating Vintage Photos That Show the Golden Age of the Cubicle Farm

Cubicles first entered our lives in 1968, when they were invented by Robert Propst, who wanted to improve upon the typical open bullpen office. He thought cubicles would increase productivity and give workers privacy.

At first, cubicles flopped. But when companies realized that using cubicles would increase the number of people that could be crammed into a space, they really took off. The 1980s and ’90s were a booming time for cubicles.

Now, many offices have abandoned them in favor of the original open office space.

See more»

The Face of Shrewsburys Trade: Amazing Vintage Photographs Captured Shropshire Shop Fronts in 1888

An extraordinary set of photographs from the Victorian era provides a glimpse into Shrewsbury’s rich history of independent retail, as entrepreneurs pose outside their companies. The photos shows every shop front imaginable selling everything from cheeses and chocolates to shovels and shoes.

Joseph (Lewis) Della Porta was from a family of shopkeepers. His father, also called Joseph, was an immigrant from Northern Italy. He settled in Shrewsbury in about 1848 and established a small shop on Princess Street. The business prospered and expanded into adjoining shops including Lloyds Mansion, the Tudor building which stood on the corner of the Square. The store sold a wide range of goods such as hardware, furniture, bedding, china and boots and shoes. By the time of Joseph senior’s death in 1904, it was an established and thriving department store, especially noted for its Christmas displays.

As well as being a partner in the family business, Joseph (Lewis) Della Porta was also a keen photographer. Architects plans show that his new house, to be built on the Mount in 1892, included a darkroom. These amazing photographs were taken by Joseph in 1888.

See more»

Just Before WWII, 45 Found Snaps Defined Fashion Styles of the '30s Ladies

The '30s fashion was the decade of elegance and glamour . It is often thought of as a rather boring decade, the bit in between the exciting, decadent 1920s Jazz age with its crazy flappers who had thrown away all their corsets, cut their hair off and dressed like boys and smoked, took opium and danced the Black Bottom.

The awful Second World War that began right at the end of the decade, where there wasn't any money for dresses but everyone knitted their own from recycled cushion covers and at least they were all brave and went out to work and had spirit.

In contrast, women in the 1930s abandoned trouser suits, grew their hair, permed it and dyed it a dizzy blonde, wore an awful lot of silk, fur and velvet, and looked up to very ladylike film stars. Femininity had returned to the scene in 1930s fashion – although women never did climb back into those corsets.

Take a look at these found snaps from Vintage Cars & People to see what ladies looked like in the 1930s.

See more»

Amazing Pics That Show Interior of a Chicago House During the 1960s

These amazing pics were found by Ryan Khatam that show interior of a Chicago house during the 1960s. This house was owned by the Sorensens who also owned a paint store and they lived in Logan Square, Chicago. Wife is Glenna Sorensen and husband is (?) Sorensen.

Living room, 1963

Bedroom, 1963

Girl's room, 1963

Girl's room, 1963

Kitchen, 1963

See more»

40 Fascinating Black and White Photographs of a Very Young and Beautiful Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s

Brigitte Bardot was known as one of the ultimate sex symbols of the 1950s and ’60s. Bardot shot to fame when she was only a teenager. After making her film debut in 1952 in Le Trou Normand., the iconic blonde bombshell made international waves, quickly grabbing the attention of Hollywood bigwigs.

In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer. In 1947 Bardot was accepted to the Conservatoire de Paris, and for 3 years she attended the ballet classes of Russian choreographer Boris Knyazev.

She later modeled for a fashion magazines and began a career as an actress. Her early films were generally romantic dramas, some historical, in which she was cast as ingénue or siren, often in varying states of undress. The film And God Created Woman (1956) with Jean-Louis Trintignant, about an immoral teenager in a respectable small-town setting, was her first international success.

And here, below is a gallery of 40 stunning black and white photographs of a young Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s.

See more»

This Is What ‘Gangnam Style’ Looked Like in 1904

Long before Psy made a certain district in Seoul famous, two ballers were representing:

(Collection: Willard Dickerman Straight and Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations, Cornell University Library)

Two middle-aged Korean gentlemen walking down the street. They wear a traditional Korean costume, echogorie and epajie with eturumagie that is tied with two long ekorume on the upper part of the coat. Their epajie are tied with etaenime at the lower ends of trousers. Both of them have echumonie, that contains money, under their waists. Their hat, called a ehukripe or commonly a ekate is made out of horsehair. Their shoes are ekomusine. The sunglasses reflect a modern attire among the upper-class Korean gentry.

Here are some more amazing vintage photographs that capture street scenes of Korea in 1904:

The exact nature of this photograph is unclear. A man beside a statue-like figure standing on an elevated place, probably delivering some messages to Korean civilians, with Korean soldiers looking on.

A rickshaw ('illyokko') is usually a light, two-wheeled hooded vehicle drawn by one or more persons. This picture shows a one-wheeled rickshaw with attendant. The rickshaw may look less luxurious, but possibly more comfortable to sit on than the ordinary palanquin which is hollow inside.

Photograph of Min Yong-hwan's state funeral procession (Dec. 16-18 1905). On this funeral procession, see the web site under 'Letters from Troubled Seoul', under the date Dec. 17, 1905.

Two artisans or farmers are at work to make straw shoes (chipsin). The finished shoes are displayed on the wall.

Korean boys and girls stand at attention to march in the field. They wear mostly white overcoat called eturumagie over the jacket (chogori) and trousers called epajie. Some wear shoes called ekomusine and the others wear shoes (echipsin'), made of plant fibers. Two children carry Korean and American flags.

Korean officials with arms tucked inside the sleeves, obviously on a chilly day. In the background, a woman wears a essugae chimae. The street setting appears to be related to the Royal Palace grounds in Seoul.

After the journey from her house, the bride arrives at her husband's house. The street around the bridegroom's house is crowded with wedding guests and spectators.

(Photos: Willard Dickerman Straight and Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations, Cornell University Library)