★ Wonderful illustrated advert for Van Nelle’s Afternoon Tea (1927). Stylistically, this advert is so typical of the period. From the warm shades of apricot, blue and brown that make up the colour palette, to the highly idealized woman with the fashionable Marcel wave hairstyle, simple… Continue reading
★ Beautiful actress Vivien Leigh and co-star Mary Kerridge in a publicity still from the 1948 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel, ‘Anna Karenina’. I finally found the time to sit down and actually watch this film (it has long been on my ‘must see’ list), and I have to say, it was every… Continue reading
★ Today marks the 138th anniversary of French fashion designer Paul Poiret’s birth. So to honour the occasion, I thought I’d take a brief look at his legacy and one of his most famous creations. A leading couturier of the early 20th Century, he… Continue reading
★ Pictured here in the 1950s, American actress Jayne Mansfield was born on this day in 1933. A major sex symbol in the 1950s and early 1960s, she was as famous for her personal life as for her professional career, and at the height of her fame she was the world’s most photographed… Continue reading
★ I love the rich saffron yellow and warm tone of this beautiful ‘Portrait of Elsa’ by Victorian painter, Frank Bernard Dicksee (before 1928). Born in London in 1853 to noted artist, Thomas Dicksee, Frank was taught how to paint from a young age, and achieved success early in his career… Continue reading
★ Great watercolour illustration by prolific American artist, Irving Nurick, as featured in the January 1948 edition of Ladies Home Journal. I know that photographs tend to dominate magazines these days, but I think there’s so… Continue reading
★ Wonderfully vibrant Autochrome of a family on a day out, by George Eastman House (c.1915). I can’t get enough of early colour photographs like this, because they really show that the past wasn’t all drab shades of brown, black and… Continue reading
★ Seen here in a glamorous studio portrait from the late 1940s, American actress, dancer and singer, Ann Miller, was born on this day in 1923. One of the most talented dancers of her generation, she appeared in over 40 films and earned the admiration of audiences in both… Continue reading
★ I’m both under the weather and horribly busy at the moment, so I rather envy the languor of this ‘Young Decadent (After the Ball)’ by Catalan Spanish artist, Ramon Casas (1899). Such a gorgeous painting. While I love the intense contrast between her dark, sombre black… Continue reading
★ Sensational publicity shot of Russian actress, Alla Nazimova, as the title character in silent film ‘Salome’ (1923). Based upon Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name, and intended to mimic the visual style of Aubrey Beardsley’s accompanying illustrations, the film featured highly stylized… Continue reading
