As a treat today I thought you might like to see some taut buttocks, rippling muscles and incredible bygone bendyness. Enjoy! [4 photos] Portrait of strongman Don Athaldo
Vintage circus: strong men and contortionists
1900s
The Edwardian decade marked the last of corset-wearing fashions, a sleeker silhouette and the start of great social change.
Vintage ghost photos and the invention of spirit photography
I don’t know what to make of these vintage ghost pictures. Spirit photography was ‘invented’ in the 1920s and made possible by the long exposure needed to take a photograph at that time. It meant that if somebody walked into the photo briefly a ghostly shadow image was created. I’m assuming these photographs are fake(…)
Vintage tennis fashions
As I’m sitting here waiting for the Wimbledon final to start, I thought I’d browse around and look for some vintage tennis fashions. You can certainly why tennis has become a much more physical game when you look at what they wore to play in 1900! Which decade had the best outfits? I love the 1920s(…)
A very stylish outfit from 1912
Parisienne vintage winter fashion from 1912: A ladies walking costume consisting of a slender cut dress and a coat done up diagonally, trimmed with a fur collar and cuffs. Isn’t this stylish? I had no idea that pre-1920s fashion was this chic, I thought it was all bustles and corsets!
Criminal mugshots from the 1900s (some sexy, some creepy)
Criminal mugshots of men arrested in England in the early 1900s for a variety of crimes including Larceny (is this the same as theft?), False Pretences and Indecent Exposure (he’s a creepy one). I must admit that Andrea Laudano (above) is rather dishy, you can see he probably had a real way with the ladies(…)
Silent Movie star Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish, who was one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era and known as “The First Lady of American Cinema”, photographed c. 1915.
1920s movie actress Theda Bara as Cleopatra (in very risqué costumes)
Silent Movie actress Theda Bara in some of her famously risqué costumes from the 1917 film Cleopatra. I find it quite amazing how small and skimpy her costumes are (although they’re not all terrifically flattering!), but I suppose it was before the Hayes Code was enforced which clamped down on ‘indecency’… Sadly it seems that(…)
Is this a trick photo or does this girl just have amazing skills?
A girl standing on tip toe on a champagne bottle in a pleated costume and top hat from 1904. Is this even possible? My balance is absolutely terrible so it certainly seems impossible to me. Do you think this is a trick photo or just some acrobatic brilliance..?
Vintage wedding dress embroidered with pearls
American Eleanor Clay Ford, wife of Edsel Bryant Ford, in her beautiful beaded wedding gown and headdress, 1916. I like the way the pearl necklace reflects the pearls on the bodice and in her hair, isn’t it a beautiful outfit? And here she is (below) with her husband in 1924 wearing some very natty checked(…)
A surprisingly modern swimsuit from 1912
Mina Wylie, a Dutch Olympic swimmer photographed in 1912 wearing her surprisingly modern-looking swimsuit. I thought swimwear was much more modest at this time, perhaps its because she’s an athlete…?
1900s beauty Evelyn Nesbit with a Chrysanthemum headband
Evelyn Nesbit, 1900s beauty and muse, with 2 Chrysanthemums tied to her head… And fair play to her, she looks good! Not sure I could carry off this look though. Source and copyright: This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. Edited with BlogPad Pro
Mata Hari: from erotic dance to espionage
Paris, February 1917. Europe is at war, with England, France and Russia fighting against Germany, Austro-Hungary and Turkey. At the Hotel Elysee Palace on the Champs Elysee, authorities have arrested a 40-year-old woman and charged her with espionage. This woman is famous, a celebrity, known across the continent for her exotic burlesque performances, and her(…)
‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’: Evelyn Nesbit
For a few years in the early 20th Century, Evelyn Nesbit was considered the Most Beautiful Girl in the World. If you would like to find out more about her and her tragic life I would recommend this article by Caviglia’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Waist Training: a Visual History of Corsetry
I found myself wondering the other day about waist training and just how corsets and girdles have shaped women and fashions over the last century. The fashion for different body types has definitely changed with the decades, but what underwear was needed to help women achieve this? I hope we’re getting to an age where(…)
Vintage halloween outfits
Halloween is my favourite holiday of the year so I thought I’d get in the mood with some vintage Halloween inspiration! I love this Victorian bat costume! Source and copyright: This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Vintage ballet costume
Legendary ballet dancer Anna Pavlova in costume as a bacchante in The Seasons. C. 1900 Source and copyright: This work is in the public domain in Russia according to article 1256 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.