Back When Everybody Smoked…

More and more smokers are becoming social pariahs. They have to stand on the street in the rain outside restaurants,

The First Ever Miss Universe Contest, 1952

It was the lovely Armi Kuusela from Finland who won the first ever Miss Universe contest in 1952*, with Miss

Building Manhattan Bridge (Without a Safety Harness) 1908

Wow, you’d certainly need a head for heights to do this job!  Back in 1908-9 when the Manhattan bridge was

The Tragic Downfall of Olga Spessivtseva: From Great Ballerina to Electric Shock Therapy

Olga Spessivtseva was one of the foremost Russian ballerinas of the early 20th Century. She traveled the world to rave

Moving 1940s Photo Portraits by Costică Acsinte

I came across this amazing collection of photographs on Flickr yesterday and was totally captivated by them. The photographer was

A Moment in Time: Skirts Blowing in the Wind 1930

I thought this photo was delightful, there’s something delicious about seeing little glimpses back in time. It looks like neither

Snow Glorious Snow!

So, it’s Boxing Day and I’m sitting here (eating chocolates) waiting for it to snow. Apparently we are due to

1940s Chorus Girls Rehearsing

Choreographer Lee Sherman photographed rehearsing dancers at Radio City Music Hall, New York in  June 1947. I love the fabulous

Dinosaurs with Syphilis: Bizarre Public Heath Notices from the Past

Did you realize Dinosaurs had syphilis? Not only that but you mustn’t kiss your baby because it’s unhygienic and whatever

Astonishing Photos of a Klu Klux Clan Parade in 1920s America

Everything I’ve head about the Klu Klux Klan and their history has just served to reinforce what a vile and

Victorian Children Sentenced to Hard Labour

To try to reduce the number of criminals being sentenced to death the Victorians introduced Hard Labour as an alternative.

The Faces of the Men Who Fought in WW1

It’s Armistice and Remembrance day today, something which has had a particularly raised profile this year because 2014 marks the

What Hallowe’en Used To Look Like

I love the different Hallowe’en costumes in these photos, although being British I always find it strange to see people

What Women Really Looked Like during WW2

It was rather of a relief when I found these photos to realise that 1940s women didn’t all look as

Obscure Beauty Contests from the Past

Boy have there been some strange beauty contests over the years! These photos include the contestants for ‘Miss Psywar’ (doesn’t

Smiling Slum Children of the 1940s

Most of the children pictured here lived in the Surrey Hills slum of Sydney, Australia which was a notorious den

7 Astonishing Vintage Daredevils

There’s a lot to be said for the time when we weren’t all glued to our smartphones, but not everything

10 Vintage Clowns Guaranteed to give you Nightmares

Did you think clowns couldn’t get more disturbing than ‘Cho-Cho the health clown‘ who terrified young children into good dental