A decade of Hollywood-inspired sophistication and grown-up glamour sandwiched in between the roaring 20s and the austerity of the 1940s.
Isn’t this a lovely outfit? The 1930s were so stylish with the slim fitting long and mid-length dresses. I love the sailor-styling and the bows on her shoes – so elegant! The lady is Miss Hera Roberts on board HNLMS Java, 10 October 1930. You can read more about her here.
Joan Crawford flashing her legs whilst dancing and gazing seductively at the camera in this 1930s publicity photo.
Isn’t this a stunning photo of Joan Crawford? It dates from the early 1930s and I love the dark lace-veiled hat and those wicked lips – isn’t she fabulous?
Marlene Dietrich photographed during the 1930s. It’s nice to see a photo of her in a day outfit rather than a vampy evening dress. Her manicure would have been quite a new thing too, as nail polish was only invented in the 1930s and started with by the kind of manicure you can see here(…)
When I first started finding out about vintage fashion I had a pretty good idea of the stereotypical fashions from each decade. There were flappers in the 1920s, smart suits with padded shoulders and neat little hats in the 40s, nipped in waists in the 50s, minidresses in the sixties (and so on). The one(…)
A very young Elvis Presley photographed in 1937 with his parents Gladys and Vernon Presley. Would you have recognized him..? I can quite confidently say I wouldn’t have guessed who this was!
1930s movie star Helen Twelvetrees photographed riding an elephant in 1936 at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney whilst filming the Australian film ‘Thoroughbred’.
Australian actress Mary Maguire (1919-1974), photographed some time around 1937. Does anyone know anything about her?
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(…)
Discovering that the big Hollywood stars of the 30s and 40s all had cocktails named after them has opened up a wealth of possibilities for summer drinks in the sunshine. How exciting! (apologies if I sound like an alcoholic, but it’s been years since I had a cocktail and I’m excited at the prospect!) Which(…)
Two very chic racegoers, I’m guessing from the fashions that this was taken in the 1930s. If this were today they’d be looking at their mobile phones instead of racing slips!
This advert from 1936 is from a Lucky Strike advert (hence the cigarette I suppose). I don’t know who the model is, but she looks like Marlene Dietrich wearing a fabulous orange saree (perhaps a wedding one – anyone know enough about bridal sarees to confirm?). I guess that was probably intentional, Dietrich was one(…)
Some awe-inspiring 1930s acrobatics – would you have enough confidence in someone to jump this high? I wonder where she was leaping from, she couldn’t have jumped that high off the ground surely?!
Isn’t this photo charming? The 1930s wedding dress is beautiful and it’s captured a really nice moment as the veil tries to fly away! The people in the photo are musical stars Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard who married at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney on 16 September 1935.
1930s Dutch advert for fur coats from 1938. Which is your favourite style?
These beautiful photo portraits of all of women photographed in the 1920s and 1930s in Sydney Harbour, Australia. Sadly all of the names have been lost and none can be identified. Aren’t they stunning photos? [6 photos]
Portable radio in a straw hat, made by an American inventor in 1931. Any why not?
Well that’s got your eyes open on this early Tuesday morning (or Monday night depending on where you are in the world)! These golden Parisienne dancers were photographed in 1955. I’m hoping that the gold body paint wasn’t lead-based! And in case you were wondering guys looked equally good in gold body paint too (see(…)