Polaroids of James A. Mahoney as Uncle Sam Taken by Andy Warhol in 1981

“I think the best thing we decided to do is have people come and dress up in the costumes and we’ll take the pictures ourselves,” Andy Warhol told his Diaries on January 13, 1981 of his new Myths series. Commissioned by gallerist Ronald Feldman, the series depicts 10 imaginary characters from pop culture, including Uncle Sam. To represent this character from Americana, Warhol and Feldman hired James A. Mahoney, an actor known mostly for his work in advertising.

Warhol photographed Mahoney on December 1980 film stock at 860 Broadway, taking more than 70 Polaroids of the actor. Makeup artist Jac Colello was on hand to style his costume, which included a star-spangled top hat, a fluffy white beard and wig, and a suit that featured red-and-white striped pants.

While Warhol had multiple acetates made from different Polaroids and drawings, he ended up choosing a frontal image of Mahoney for both the prints and paintings. As was his style at the time, Warhol used a combination of line screens derived from a drawing and a halftone from a Polaroid to create the Uncle Sam paintings.

In a letter from Mahoney to Warhol and Feldman on August 15, 1981, he thanked them both for a silkscreen of Uncle Sam.

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Joey Heatherton: The Bubbly Blonde Bombshell of the 1960s

Joey Heatherton (born 1944) is an American actress, singer, and dancer who became a popular sex symbol and entertainer in the 1960s and ’70s.

With her striking blonde hair, long legs, and bubbly, energetic personality, Heatherton gained fame as a frequent guest on variety shows and for her roles in films such as Where Love Has Gone (1964) and My Blood Runs Cold (1965). She was known for her bold, flirtatious style and provocative dance routines, which made her a memorable figure on television.

Though her career had its ups and downs, she remains an iconic symbol of 1960s and 1970s American pop culture and youthful glamour. Take a look at these vintage photos to see the beauty of a young Joey Heatherton in the 1960s.

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32 Stunning Portraits of Maria Landrock, German Wartime Actress and Voice Actor

Maria Landrock (1923–1992) was a German film and television actress, best known for her leading roles in German cinema during the early 1940s under the Ufa studio system and her later extensive career as a voice actress and dubber.

Maria Johanna Elisabeth Landrock was born on July 3, 1923, in Köpenick, Berlin, Germany. She trained for acting at a national acting school in Berlin and performed on stage in various Berlin theaters before transitioning to film.

Landrock made her film debut in Pedro soll hängen (released 1941, directed by Veit Harlan; filming began in 1939). She appeared in other productions during the war years, including Aufruhr im Damenstift (1941) and An Old Heart Becomes Young Again (1943). She was a brunette leading lady prominent in Ufa films during this period.

A dark and significant historical footnote in Landrock’s wartime career occurred on July 18, 1944. As part of the Reich’s troop entertainment initiatives, Landrock and her band served as the headlining guest stars for a concert organized specifically for the SS garrison members stationed at the Auschwitz Concentration and Death Camp, performing in the SS kitchen and canteen complex near the main Auschwitz I camp. 

Following the collapse of the Nazi regime and the dismantling of the UFA studios, Landrock’s career shifted dramatically. Her opportunities for leading roles in post-war cinema dried up, leading her to successfully pivot to voice dubbing (Synchronsprecherin).

Throughout the mid-to-late 20th century, her expressive voice became highly recognizable to German audiences as she provided the German-language dubs for international icons like Sophia Loren, Eleanor Parker, and Eva Bartok. She eventually retired to Bavaria, passing away in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1992. 

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40 Stunning Fashion Portraits of Groovy ’60s Hairstyles

The 1960s was a revolutionary decade for hairstyles, as women broke away from the structured, voluminous looks of the early decade and embraced freer, more expressive styles. These stunning fashion portraits capture the essence of groovy ’60s hairstyles: from long, straight hippie locks and feathered shag cuts to bold bouffants, geometric bobs, and playful curls.

Reflecting the influence of the counterculture, mod fashion, and the emerging youth movement, these images showcase how hair became a powerful form of self-expression and rebellion. Shot in stylish studio settings, these portraits perfectly embody the vibrant, carefree, and creative spirit of the Swinging Sixties.

Model's 'geisha' coiffure by Kenneth Batelle, amazing canary diamond of almost 100 carats, brilliant and rare, by Van Cleef & Arpels, photo by Art Kane, Vogue, October 15, 1962

Monique Chevalier wearing the Cleopatra-craze make-up by Revlon, coiffure by Revlon Salon, brown and white beads by Richelieu, gloves by Meyers Make, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, April 1, 1962

Anne de Zogheb, Shades-of-Youth hair color by Dorothy Gray, coiffure by Marc Sinclair, Vogue, April 1, 1963

Beautiful Tilly for Charles of the Ritz make-up collection called "Cultured Pearl", coiffure by Mr. Thornton also of Charles of the Ritz, faux seed pearls by Trifari, photo by Bert Stern, Vogue US, March 1963

Celia Hammond's haircolor is Color Foam by Du Barry, chocolate-colored gloves by Hansen, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, June 1963

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30 Amazing Photos of a Young Jerry Hall in the 1970s

Jerry Hall (born July 2, 1956) was a breakout supermodel in the 1970s, known for her tall, statuesque figure, striking blonde hair, long legs, sharp bone structure, and glamorous, rock 'n' roll style. She was discovered as a teenager on a beach in Saint-Tropez and moved to Paris, where she quickly rose to fame.

Her defining feature was a massive mane of long, honey-blonde hair, typically styled in voluminous, cascading waves or dramatic side-swept curls that perfectly caught the lights of the runway or Studio 54. Standing at six feet tall, Hall popularized a tall, athletic, and athletic-yet-curvaceous silhouette. She effortlessly carried the fluid, draped designs of the decade.

As a fixture of the New York nightlife scene, her personal style was heavily intertwined with disco culture. She frequently wore slinky metallic dresses, silk halters, high-waisted trousers, and bold satin pieces by designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent.

She became a primary muse for fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez, designer Thierry Mugler, and rock stars alike, most notably Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music (appearing on their iconic 1975 Siren album cover as a blue mermaid) and later Mick Jagger, whom she met in 1976.

By the late 1970s, she had appeared on dozens of Vogue and Cosmopolitan covers, cementing the transition into the golden age of the jet-setting supermodel.

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Heartwarming Vintage Photograph Captured a Baby Lamb Snuggling Up Next to a Sleeping Boy, 1940

Taken during the onset of World War II, this image became highly recognized for its depiction of childhood innocence and serenity. Amidst the global turmoil and daily chaos of the era, the photograph provided a brief, comforting escape, reminding audiences of a universal longing for peace and gentle companionship.

It was published during the early months of 1940, just as Europe was entering the difficult years of the Second World War. The peaceful scene contrasted sharply with the anxieties of the era. The composition is unusually tender and natural, making it one of those photographs that has been repeatedly shared in books, magazines, and online collections of historical images.

In rural Britain at the time, children often helped with farm animals, especially during lambing season. Newborn lambs are known to seek warmth and companionship, so the behavior shown in the photograph would not have been unusual on a farm. The photographer simply happened to capture a particularly charming moment.

28 Amazing Photographs of the Prague Astronomical Clock From Between the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague Orloj, is a medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of the city’s Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square.

The clock mechanism has three main components – the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; statues of various Catholic saints stand on either side of the clock; “The Walk of the Apostles,” an hourly show of moving Apostle figures and other sculptures, notably a figure of a skeleton that represents Death, striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to local legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy; a ghost, mounted on the clock, was supposed to nod its head in confirmation. According to the legend, the only hope was represented by a boy born on New Year’s night.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a transformative era for the Orloj. During this time, the clock evolved from a neglected, semi-functional relic into a celebrated national symbol of Czech cultural revival, right before facing near-destruction at the end of World War II.

By the mid-19th century, the clock was in poor condition and frequently stopped working. A massive, milestone restoration completed in 1866 completely modernized the clock’s appearance and mechanical reliability. The distinct wooden figures of the 12 Apostles that parade every hour were newly installed in the upper windows during this restoration. Celebrated Czech painter Josef Mánes was commissioned to create a brand-new, intricately painted lower calendar dial. His design featured 12 medallions depicting rural bohemian life matched to the signs of the zodiac. In 1865, a golden crowing rooster was added above the Apostle windows to signal the conclusion of the hourly mechanical show.

Following the 1866 restoration, Prague authorities realized that exposing Josef Mánes’ masterpiece painting to the elements would ruin it. The original Mánes calendar dial was carefully removed and moved to the Prague City Museum for safekeeping. It was replaced on the tower by an exact structural copy. After another round of reconstructions on the Old Town Hall facade, the golden rooster mechanism was fully finalized and played for the public for the first time on New Year’s Eve on December 31, 1882. The local Prague clockmaking company L. Hainz officially took over the maintenance and regular repair of the clock in the 1860s, a stewardship role they proudly maintained well into the 20th century.

The early 1900s brought massive technological adjustments and political upheaval to Prague, directly impacting how the clock told time. In 1912, the astronomical dial was modified to formally integrate Central European Time (German Civil Time). This update divided the standard day into 12 equal hours mapped to standard European timekeeping, though the complex internal gear adjustments meant it didn’t run perfectly until decades later. Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Czechoslovakia declared its independence right in front of the clock tower. The clock was heavily embraced as a triumph of historic Czech engineering during this patriotic surge.

The darkest moment in the clock’s modern history occurred at the very end of WWII. On May 7–8, 1945, Nazi forces used anti-aircraft guns and incendiary shelling on the Old Town Square to suppress the Czech resistance broadcasting from the town hall. The building caught fire, the wooden Apostles and the calendar face burned to ashes, and the heavy medieval iron mechanism was severely warped by the extreme heat. The clock remained completely motionless and silent until a massive community-led restoration brought it back to life in 1948.

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