The Rudge-Whitworth Canoe “Sidecar” From the 1920s

In 1925 through 1927, the Rudge-Whitworth company introduced a line of touring accessories which have never been equaled by any other motorcycle manufacturer, even in these days of super-luxo three-wheel touring rigs with 1600cc flat-six engines, stereos, and GPS. Specifically, Rudge introduced a full touring caravan, complete with dining table and beds, which could be towed behind one of their new ‘4-valve, 4-speed’ models. Added to this, one could order a sidecar chassis carrying a quick-detachable canoe!

This was no ‘miniature’ boat, as some manufacturers produced in the 1950s for sidecar haulage; the Rudge canoe was fully 14 feet long. Yet, the company advertised that the “Canoe sidecar can be turned round in a circle of 20 feet diameter, which very few motor cars are capable of doing. To river lovers it gives great mobility and makes it possible to become acquainted with half the rivers in the country.”

To demonstrate the soundness of the whole combination (with the canoe, at least), Rudge Managing Director John Pugh arranged for G.E. ‘Ernie’ Nott, factory tester and racer, to enter such an outfit in the Birmingham Motorcycle Club’s ‘Victory Trial’ on March 7, 1925. Nott was a tough character, with a nose like a prize fighter, and was accustomed to the pounding of Brookland’s pavement. Nott won a Bronze medal in the Trial, with a little help from other Rudge team members on the really tight bits. The three fellow teamsters rode solo Rudges, and won a Gold and two Silvers as well, but clearly had time to help “manhandle the outfit sufficiently for him [Nott] to negotiate the more difficult parts of the course” [The Story of Rudge, Hartley, 1985]. Not many trials courses allow for a twenty foot turning radius!

Remarkably the Canoe was offered with either the 350cc (’10hp’ – £58) or 500cc (’15hp’ – £64.6) capacity machine, with Electric Lighting Set via an ML ‘Maglita’ an extra £5. The construction of the boat is clear, with steam-bent ribs and mahogany planking, held together with brass nails, and varnished to a high gloss. Salter Bros is still manufacturing wooden ‘Canadian’ canoes such as this; thus, if one is so inclined, a brand-new Rudge canoe might be arranged with the original manufacturer!

(via The Vintagent)

Fabulous Photos of Nina Wayne in the 1960s

Born 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, American actress Nina Wayne first appeared on The Tonight Show in October 1964. She started working in television in 1965, appearing in 12 episodes of the series Camp Runamuck (as Caprice Yeudleman) and in an episode of Bewitched.

Wayne’s first movie was Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round. Her breakthrough came when she starred opposite Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk in the 1967 romantic comedy Luv. She followed with The Comic (1969) with Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney. Her last appearance was in the 1973 TV supernatural drama The Night Strangler.

Take a look at these fabulous photos to see portraits of a young Nina Wayne in the 1960s.

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Impressive Posters Illustrated by Dudley Hardy in the Late 19th Century

Dudley Hardy (1867–1922) was an English artist and illustrator known for his iconic theatrical posters, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Influenced by Art Nouveau, his work featured bold colors, flowing lines, and dynamic compositions. Hardy created posters for major West End productions and musical shows. His skill in blending art with advertising made his posters both visually striking and effective, cementing his place as a key figure in early graphic design.

Here below is a set of impressive posters illustrated by Dudley Hardy in the 1890s.

A Gaiety Girl, 1894

A Brace of Partidges, circa 1890s

A Gaiety Girl", Mr. George Edwardes' Company, 1894

Cinderella, Fulham Grand Theatre, circa 1890s

Shamus O'Brien, Opera Comique, circa 1890s

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28 Amazing Photos of Madonna on the Set of “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985)

When director Susan Seidelman cast Madonna as the title role in her 1985 comedy, Desperately Seeking Susan, the pop legend was still virtually unknown. “Madonna lived down the street from me,” Seidelman told the New York Times in 2010. “We started to audition more up-and-coming actresses who had done some films — people like Ellen Barkin and Melanie Griffith and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kelly McGillis.” With negligible acting experience, Madonna was a surprising pick — yet Seidelman was captivated by her presence and personality, and perhaps even more important, her style. As the director tells it, casting Madge was a deliberate move to inject some authenticity into the film’s depiction of the gritty downtown scene of 1980s New York: “We didn’t want actors putting on costumes and playing downtown.”

Shot in lower Manhattan during the summer of 1984, the film brought audiences a taste of grimy downtown culture as personified by Susan: an irreverent, gum-snapping vagabond with a trail of enemies and admirers in her wake. She exudes easy confidence and charisma, but the real appeal of her character is that she does not give any fucks. She’s an unabashed freeloader, mooching off friends and strangers and disappearing unceremoniously, leaving them to pick up her mess. She’s transient and elusive — the kind of woman who makes men amorous and women envious.

The movie’s costume designer, Santo Loquasto, reportedly sought inspiration for Susan’s wardrobe in Madonna’s own closet, which isn’t surprising: Susan’s haphazard, blinged-out, heavily cropped ensembles seem right in line with Madonna’s ‘80s vibe. Susan’s style is impulsive and indulgent — she casually steals heirloom earrings and walks out of a thrift shop wearing the bedazzled ankle boots in the window. She embraces a mishmash of tastes, looking equally comfortable in a sheer lace blouse and an oversize men’s button-down. Aside from the floppy bow she wears in her hair, her style is not particularly feminine. She’s overtly sexy, but not overwrought: In one of her more memorable scenes, she lounges by the pool in a black lace bra and boxers, snacking on Cheese Doodles. Her outfits are shocking—  she visits a newspaper office wearing nothing but a button-down and lace stockings — but she seems utterly unfazed by the attention.

Ultimately, it’s Madonna’s attitude that makes Susan’s haphazard ensembles memorable. The movie demonstrates this point explicitly: When the envious-yet-sweet Fort Lee housewife, Roberta (played by Rosanna Arquette) buys Susan’s iconic gold jacket at a vintage shop and inherits her hatbox of clothes, she looks ridiculous — an unconvincing imitator. Though the movie is farcical, Susan’s carefree style feels real — and inseparable from Madonna herself.

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22 Photographs of Jamie Lee Curtis With Her Famous Mother ‎Janet Leigh in the 1970s and 1980s

Jamie Lee Curtis is the product of Hollywood royalty, born the youngest daughter to movie stars Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis in 1958. Jamie is their younger daughter, following her sister, Kelly Curtis. Despite her parents’ divorce when she was young, Jamie maintained a strong relationship with her mother. Janet Leigh was a steady, loving presence in Jamie’s life, providing guidance and support.

Both women achieved stardom in the film industry, albeit in different eras. Janet Leigh’s iconic role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) solidified her as a Hollywood legend. Jamie Lee Curtis gained fame as a “scream queen” with her debut in Halloween (1978), and later diversified her career with comedies, dramas, and action films. They appeared together in John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980), marking a rare professional crossover that delighted fans of both actresses.

Jamie has often spoken publicly about her mother’s influence on her life and career. She admired Janet’s poise, elegance, and professionalism, which inspired her own work ethic. In interviews, Jamie has referred to her mother as a significant role model and acknowledged how Janet navigated Hollywood with grace despite the challenges of fame.

Beyond Hollywood, their relationship exemplified a close mother-daughter bond. Janet Leigh’s nurturing and grounded personality left a lasting impression on Jamie. Jamie has shared that her mother taught her resilience, kindness, and the importance of family, values that she continues to uphold. Their relationship not only reflects a personal family story but also bridges two generations of cinematic excellence.

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40 Vintage Photographs Capture Everyday Life in Fukuoka Just After Surrender of Japan

In late 1945, Fukuoka was recovering from heavy bombing during World War II. The city had been struck by multiple air raids, including a major attack in July, which caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes, and industries.

Following Japan’s surrender in August 1945, the country was under Allied occupation, with the U.S. military overseeing the rebuilding process. Fukuoka, like much of Japan, faced severe shortages of food and resources, and its economy was in disarray after years of war.

These fascinating photos from m20wc51 were taken by Lt. Krueger, who was in charge of a photo lab on a 38th Bomb Group airbase near Fukuoka, Japan in late 1945 and early 1946.

Fukuoka street scenes, Japan

Fukuoka street scenes, Japan

Fukuoka street scenes, Japan

Air raid shelter, Fukuoka, Japan

American Plymouth wrecked and junked by Japanese, Fukuoka, Japan

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Let’s Dance the Letkiss, the Scandinavian Bunny Hop Dance From the 1960s

The Letkiss is a 1960s novelty dance based on the Bunny Hop from a decade earlier. In the early 1960s, Finnish musicians composed modern arrangements of folk music for the Jenkka, a Finnish schottische. But instead of dancing the schottische, people danced a modified Bunny Hop (beginning with the left foot instead of the right).

This new genre of music was called letkajenkka (“line schottische”) based on the song “Letkajenkka” by Erik Lindström (first recorded by The Adventurers). In late 1963, Rauno Lehtinen composed another letkajenkka called “Letkis.” While in Finnish, this name is simply a diminutive form of “letkajenkka”, the English speaking world interpreted this as “Let’s Kiss.” This inadvertently suggestive title made this otherwise obscure genre of music popular around the world, along with the modified Bunny Hop that was danced to it.

The steps of Letkajenkka are like the steps of Bunny Hop, a novelty dance from the 1950s. It has been proposed that exchange students returning from the United States to Finland would have imported the steps of the Bunny Hop to Finland, as they had seen them on the TV show Bandstand. Whereas the Bunny Hop starts with a right foot lead, the Letkajenkka / letkajenkka transformed into a dance based on the same step, but starting with a left leg lead. This can be seen from the early recordings for TV and in some movies made during the hottest craze. Also many translated lyrics include advice on the steps: “left kick, left kick, right kick, right kick, forward jump, backward jump, hop, hop, hop.”

Steps:

The people participating in the dance form a Conga-like line (that can also be a circle) so that everyone holds the person in front of themselves by the shoulders or the waist. The steps go as follows (everybody does the same thing):

1. kick to the left with the left foot & step back into the middle,

2. kick to the left with the left foot & step back into the middle,

3. kick to the right with the right foot & step back into the middle,

4. kick to the right with the right foot & step back into the middle,

5. jump forwards with both feet together (for only a few inches),

6. jump backwards with both feet,

7. jump forwards three times with both feet,

(repeat).

1–4 may be enhanced by bouncing with the leg opposite to the kicking side.