Life in Atlantic City During the Late 1910s and ’20s Through Fascinating Photos

In the late 1910s and 1920s, Atlantic City was alive with energy, drawing crowds from nearby cities who came seeking sun, entertainment, and escape. The Boardwalk was the city’s centerpiece — lined with candy shops, photo studios, and music pavilions — where people dressed in their finest strolled beside the sea.

Men wore straw boaters and linen suits; women embraced the latest flapper styles and dared to show more skin in modern bathing suits. Families posed for seaside portraits, children rode carousels, and couples danced to jazz on the Steel Pier. It was a moment of freedom and fun, as Americans embraced new fashions, looser social norms, and the simple joy of a summer at the shore.

Take a look at these fascinating photos to see what life was like in Atlantic City during the late 1910s and 1920s.

See more»

40 Amazing Studio Portraits of a Young Tom Hanks in the 1980s

Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. His numerous awards include two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards; he has also been nominated for five BAFTA Awards and a Tony Award.

Hanks started his career in the late 1970s, but the 1980s marked a significant period of growth. He gained attention for his role in the television series Bosom Buddies where he played one half of a pair of men who dress as women to live in an all-female apartment building.

Hanks made a guest appearance on a 1982 episode of Happy Days where he met writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel who were writing the film Splash (1984), to be directed by former Happy Days star Ron Howard. Ganz and Mandel suggested Howard consider Hanks for the film. At first, Howard considered Hanks for the role of the main character’s wisecracking brother, a role that eventually went to John Candy. Instead, Hanks landed the lead role in Splash, which went on to become a surprise box office hit, grossing more than US$69 million. He had a sizable hit with the sex comedy Bachelor Party, also in 1984. In 1983–84, Hanks made three guest appearances on Family Ties as Elyse Keaton’s alcoholic brother Ned Donnelly.

With Nothing in Common (1986), Hanks began to extend himself from comedic roles to dramatic. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hanks commented on his experience: “It changed my desires about working in movies. Part of it was the nature of the material, what we were trying to say. But besides that, it focused on people’s relationships. The story was about a guy and his father, unlike, say, The Money Pit, where the story is really about a guy and his house.” In 1987, he had signed an agreement with The Walt Disney Studios where he had starred to a talent pool in an acting/producing pact. After a few more flops and a moderate success with the comedy Dragnet (1987), Hanks’ stature in the film industry rose.

The broad success of the fantasy comedy Big (1988) established Hanks as a major Hollywood talent, both as a box office draw and within the industry as an actor. For his performance in the film, Hanks earned his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Big was followed later that year by Punchline, in which he and Sally Field co-starred as struggling comedians. Hanks then suffered a run of box-office underperformers: The 'Burbs (1989), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). In the last, he portrayed a greedy Wall Street figure who gets enmeshed in a hit-and-run accident. Turner & Hooch (1989) was Hanks’ only financially successful film of the period.

See more»

“We Are the Girls That Kill the Rats” – Girls of the Women’s Land Army Were Employed as Rat Catchers During WWII

Pests such as rats posed a serious threat to supplies of food and animal fodder on British farms. During wartime, there were thought to be over 50 million rats in Britain. To help counter this threat, teams of land girls were trained to work in anti-vermin squads. Two land girls are reputed to have killed 12,000 rats in just one year. Land girls in anti-vermin squads also were also trained to kill foxes, rabbits and moles.

This was just one of many vital and often physically demanding tasks undertaken by the Land girls, who stepped in to fill the agricultural labor gaps left by men serving in the armed forces. Their work ranged from plowing and harvesting to dairy farming and working in the Women’s Timber Corps (“Lumber Jills”).

See more»

Glamorous Photos of Nelly Nyad From the 1950s

Nelly Nyad was a fashion model active in the early 1950s, best known for her striking elegance and collaboration with renowned photographer Milton H. Greene. Though not as widely known today as some of her contemporaries, Nyad became a standout presence in high-fashion editorials during the postwar era, embodying the refined glamour of early 1950s couture.

Nyad was featured in a celebrated series of photographs taken by Greene in 1952 for Life Magazine, with locations ranging from Madrid to Mallorca. In these images, Nyad modeled exquisite gowns and accessories by leading fashion houses such as Jeanne Lanvin, Jeanne Pottier, and Spanish designer Rodriguez, often set against dramatic backdrops like historic architecture and art museums. The series captured both her poise and Greene’s signature visual style — soft lighting, rich textures, and timeless composition.

Take a look at these glamorous photos to see portraits of Nelly Nyad as a model from the 1950s.

Nellie Nyad in black faille cocktail dress with deep décolleté by Paquin,adorned with two ruby and diamond clips from Boucheron, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Nellie Nyad wearing a bright red satin cocktail dress by Jeanne Lanvin, the wrapped skirt is held by diamond flower clip by Mellerio dits Meller, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Nelly Nyad in pink faille and embroidered gray tulle evening sheath by Balenciaga, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

Nelly Nyad in white satin evening gown draped diagonally across the hips, bodice features a wing collar, by Jeanne Lanvin, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1950

"The Embrace" Nelly Nyad, photo by Milton Greene, 1952

See more»

Judy Garland and Her Fifth Husband, Mickey Deans, Arriving at London’s Heathrow Airport on May 21, 1969

On May 21, 1969 Judy Garland, accompanied by her husband Mickey Deans, was at London’s Heathrow airport boarding a plane to the United States. Judy would stay in the States for a little less than a month before returning to her home in England in mid-June. She would die one month and one day after these photographs on June 22nd, 1969 at 47 years old, making them one of the last public photographs of the legendary star.

Amazing Posters by Henri-Gabriel Ibels in the Late 19th Century

Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867–1936) was a French painter, illustrator, and printmaker associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements, and closely linked to the avant-garde art scene of late 19th-century Paris. He is perhaps best known for his involvement with the Nabis, a group of young artists inspired by Paul Gauguin who sought to infuse modern art with symbolic meaning and decorative style.

Ibels studied at the Académie Julian, where he met key figures like Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, and Maurice Denis. Unlike some of his Nabis peers, Ibels leaned toward social realism and satire, often depicting scenes of everyday life, cabarets, the circus, and the working class. His work blended bold outlines, flat areas of color, and an expressive style influenced by both Japanese prints and the French caricature tradition.

Though less widely known today than some of his contemporaries, Henri-Gabriel Ibels played a significant role in the development of modern graphic art and helped bridge the worlds of fine art, illustration, and theater design during a vibrant and transitional period in French visual culture. Below is a collection of amazing posters illustrated by Henri-Gabriel Ibels from the 1890s.

Program for Le Grappin & L'Affranchie, 1892

Horloge, J. Mévisto, 1892

La Mort Des Gueux, 1892

Circus, 1893

Hamlet, circa 1893

See more»

35 Amazing Photos From the Set of “The Deer Hunter” (1978)

The Deer Hunter is a 1978 American epic war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives are upended by fighting in the Vietnam War. The soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and John Savage, with John Cazale (in his final role), Meryl Streep and George Dzundza in supporting roles. The story takes place in Clairton, Pennsylvania (a working-class town on the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh) and in Vietnam.

This was the first feature film depicting the Vietnam War to be filmed on location in Thailand. All scenes were shot on location (no sound stages). “There was discussion about shooting the film on a back lot, but the material demanded more realism,” said producer Barry Spikings. The cast and crew viewed large amounts of news footage from the war to ensure authenticity.

The wedding scenes were filmed at the historic St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. The wedding took five days to film. St. Theodosius' Father Stephen Kopestonsky was cast as the priest at the wedding. The reception scene was filmed at nearby Lemko Hall. The amateur extras lined up for the crowded wedding-dance sequences drank real liquor and beer. The scenes were filmed in the summer, but were set in the fall. To accomplish a look of fall, individual leaves were removed from deciduous trees.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond also had to desaturate the colors of the exterior shots, partly in camera and in the laboratory processing.

The production manager asked each of the Russian immigrant extras to bring to the location a gift-wrapped box to double for wedding presents. The manager figured if the extras did this, not only would the production save time and money, but the gifts would also look more authentic. Once the unit unwrapped and the extras disappeared, the crew discovered to their amusement that the boxes weren’t empty but filled with real presents, from china to silverware. “Who got to keep all these wonderful offerings,” wrote producer Michael Deeley “is a mystery I never quite fathomed.”

Cimino originally claimed that the wedding scene would take up 21 minutes of screen time. In the end, it took 51 minutes. Deeley believes that Cimino always planned to make this prologue last for an hour, and “the plan was to be advanced by stealth rather than straight dealing.”

The Deer Hunter received acclaim from critics and audiences, with praise for Cimino’s direction, the performances of its cast, its screenplay, realistic themes and tones, and cinematography. It was also successful at the box office, grossing $49 million. At the 51st Academy Awards, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, and won five: Best Picture, Best Director (for Cimino), Best Supporting Actor (for Walken), Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

See more»