Outtakes of the Beach Boys at the San Diego Zoo in February 1966 for the Cover of Their “Pet Sounds” Album

Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was produced, arranged, and primarily composed by Brian Wilson with guest lyricist Tony Asher. Recorded largely between January and April 1966, it furthered the orchestral sound introduced in The Beach Boys Today! (1965). Seeking to expand Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique and surpass the Beatles’ Rubber Soul (1965), Wilson’s orchestrations blended pop, jazz, exotica, classical, and avant-garde elements, combining rock instrumentation with layered vocal harmonies, found sounds, and instruments not normally associated with rock.

The album cover for Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys

The album cover photo shoot took place at the San Diego Zoo on February 15, 1966. Photographer George Jerman (a Capitol Records staff photographer) captured the images. The Beach Boys members Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine posed in the Children’s Zoo petting paddock (also called the petting pen or enclosure), feeding goats and other animals. This playful setup tied directly into the album title Pet Sounds, with the goat-feeding photos as a literal pun.

This was part of promoting the groundbreaking album, known for its innovative production, harmonies, and emotional depth. The title Pet Sounds has multiple claimed origins (Brian Wilson’s “favorite sounds,” a Phil Spector tribute, etc.), but the zoo session made it visual. Contemporary reports described a fun, chaotic day with the band interacting with animals (giraffes, llamas, etc.). There was even rare CBS 8 video footage of the shoot that surfaced later. George Jerman recalled the group as energetic “cut-ups.”

In a humorous bit of rock lore, the San Diego Zoo later jokingly “banned” the Beach Boys, claiming they had mistreated the animals. In reality, the band was simply overwhelmed by the goats’ appetite for their costumes.

The final cover image shows the band with goats, and many outtakes exist (some including Bruce Johnston, who had recently joined for touring but wasn’t on the main cover for contractual reasons). These have appeared in anniversary releases, bootlegs, and articles.

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Rare Photo of Katharine Hepburn Taken by Howard Hughes, ca. 1937

Katharine Hepburn photographed by Howard Hughes. Some very personal and passionate love letters written by Kate as well as this framed photo are being sold from Howard’s personal belongings via Profiles in History.

“Certainly I felt that I was madly in love with him. And I think he felt the same way about me. But when it came right down to ‘What do we do now?’ I went East and he stayed West. We’d been together about three years. Ambition beat love, or was it like?” – Katharine Hepburn in Me: Stories of My Life.

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It is known that Howard asked Katharine many times to marry him and although she never agreed to it and the romance fizzled out by the time she met Spencer Tracy, it is extremely fascinating that in one of the handwritten letters she refers to herself as his fiancée!

Art Kane: Visionary Eye of American Music and Culture

Art Kane (1925–1995) was a highly influential American photographer renowned for his bold, cinematic style and iconic images that captured the essence of mid-20th century music and culture.

Originally trained as an art director, Kane transitioned to photography in the 1950s and quickly made his mark with powerful, conceptual portraits. He is best remembered for his legendary 1958 photograph A Great Day in Harlem, which gathered 57 jazz greats on a Harlem stoop — one of the most famous group portraits in music history.

Kane’s distinctive approach combined dramatic lighting, strong composition, and emotional depth, whether shooting jazz legends like Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, rock icons, or high-fashion campaigns. His work appeared in publications such as Esquire, Life, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar, cementing his legacy as one of the most creative and visionary photographers of his era.

These powerful and cinematic photographs showcase Art Kane’s extraordinary talent for capturing raw emotion, cultural significance, and timeless cool, cementing his place as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.

Yellow mask, photo by Art Kane, New York, September 1960

Dolores Wettach in floral slip by Hollywood Vassarette and black lizard shoes by Evins, photo by Art Kane, Vogue, September 15, 1962

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

Natalie Wood photographed by Art Kane, Vogue, June 1962

Red Bikini, photo by Art Kane, circa 1962

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Stunning Portraits of A Very Young and Beautiful Margot Fonteyn in the 1930s

Margot Fonteyn (born Margaret Evelyn Hookham, May 18, 1919 – February 21, 1991) was a young, rising British ballerina in the 1930s who became the leading figure in what would evolve into the Royal Ballet. Se began ballet lessons at age four. Her family moved to China (Tianjin and Shanghai) when she was about eight, where she studied with Russian émigré teacher Georgy Goncharov. She returned to London around age 14 to pursue a professional career.

In 1933–1934, she joined the Vic-Wells Ballet School (founded by Ninette de Valois, later the Sadler’s Wells Ballet and then the Royal Ballet). She initially performed under variations of “Margot Fontes” before settling on “Fonteyn.”

In 1934, she debuted with the Vic-Wells Ballet as a snowflake in The Nutcracker. In 1935, at the age of 16, she had her solo debut as Young Tregennis in The Haunted Ballroom. Frederick Ashton created the role of the Young Bride in Le Baiser de la Fée specifically for her. When Alicia Markova left the company, Fonteyn quickly rose to take on principal and leading roles, sharing and then dominating them. She also studied in Paris during summers with Russian ballerinas like Olga Preobrajenska, Mathilde Kschessinska, and Lubov Egorova. She formed a key early partnership with Robert Helpmann, which lasted into the 1940s. Ashton and others created or cast her in notable roles, leveraging her lyricism, elegance, and graceful, somewhat “feline”quality.

By the late 1930s, she had danced principal roles in classics like Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty (including Aurora in a 1939 revival, later considered definitive for the era). She was effectively the company’s prima ballerina by 1939.

The company performed in a pre-WWII context, with emerging experiments in television broadcasts (e.g., her Polka from Façade in 1936). Roles in the 1930s included Apparitions (1936, as the unattainable muse), Nocturne, A Wedding Bouquet, and Les Patineurs.

The 1930s laid the foundation for her long career as one of the 20th century’s most iconic ballerinas, later partnering famously with Rudolf Nureyev in the 1960s. She danced until 1979 and was named prima ballerina assoluta.

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Portraits of Dennis Hopper in the 1960s

Dennis Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was a multifaceted figure in the 1960s: an actor rebuilding his career after early setbacks, a budding director, and an accomplished photographer who captured the era’s counterculture, art scene, and social changes.

Hopper started in the 1950s with notable roles alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). His reputation for being difficult (e.g., clashing with directors like Henry Hathaway) led to him being largely blacklisted by major studios for much of the late 1950s/early 1960s. He studied Method acting at the Actors Studio in New York and took on TV work and independent films.

The decade culminated with Easy Rider (1969), which he co-wrote (with Peter Fonda and Terry Southern), directed, and starred in as the hippie biker Billy alongside Fonda’s Wyatt. The low-budget counterculture road movie became a massive hit, symbolizing 1960s rebellion, freedom, and anti-establishment vibes. It earned Hopper acclaim for innovative editing and improvisation, a Cannes award, and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It also boosted Jack Nicholson’s career.

One of Hopper’s most enduring legacies from the 1960s is his photography. He received a Nikon camera as a gift from Brooke Hayward around his 25th birthday in 1961 and carried it everywhere from 1961–1967, shooting roughly 10,000+ images (mostly black-and-white). Collections like Taschen’s Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961–1967 and others highlight this work, showing his keen eye for the decade’s energy and flux. He largely stopped photographing after the late 1960s and stored much of it away for years.

Hopper embodied the 1960s transition from Old Hollywood to New Hollywood—rebellious, artistic, and restless. His photography often provides a more intimate, artistic portrait of the era than his acting roles alone. Books and galleries continue to showcase this side of his work today.

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Robert De Niro on the Set of “The Deer Hunter” (1978)

In 1978, Robert De Niro was at the peak of his powers, fully immersed in what would become one of the most intense and defining performances of his career. On the set of Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter, De Niro brought his legendary commitment and raw emotional depth to the role of Michael Vronsky, a steelworker turned soldier. These powerful behind-the-scenes photos capture the actor during filming: often quiet, focused, and visibly burdened by the weight of his character.

Shot across Pennsylvania, the Ohio River Valley, and the jungles of Thailand, the production was physically and emotionally grueling, pushing De Niro and the entire cast to their limits. The images reflect not only the making of a cinematic masterpiece, but also a pivotal moment in film history when De Niro solidified his reputation as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

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Michael Jackson With Fashion Designer Gloria Kim

Michael Jackson collaborated with and met numerous fashion and costume designers throughout his career, and photos of him with designer Gloria Kim around 1990 capture one of those behind-the-scenes creative interactions. While his primary, decades-long costume designers were Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, Jackson frequently worked with a diverse array of international stylists, tailors, and designers to craft his signature, boundary-pushing wardrobe.

Gloria Kim was a fashion and costume designer best known for her work with Jackson in the late 1980s to early 1990s, particularly during the transition from the Bad era to the early Dangerous period.

She collaborated with Jackson around 1990, creating costumes and accessories. Fans especially highlight the iconic belts she designed for him, which became notable elements of his stage and personal style.