These pictures of Las Vegas strip in the 1950s were taken by LIFE photographer Loomis Dean and capture the nightlife and the long-gone sights of Sin City. The 1950s were a defining era for Las Vegas. It was the decade that saw the rise of the Riviera, the S…
In the world of glamor and allure, where beauty reigns supreme, one name shines brightly: June Wilkinson. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Wilkinson captivated audiences with her exquisite looks and undeniable charm. She emerged as one of the era's…
These photos, taken from a book on phrenology, are packed with strange theories and a whole host of strange illustrations. Published by Chicago phrenologist L.A. Vaught in 1902, the book lays out the 42 known elements of human nature (including Acquisitiven…
Bettie Page ( born in 1923) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Popularly referred to as the Queen of Pinups, she was famous for her free-spirited demeanor and unabashed sensuality. Her trademark short bangs, …
This collection presents the most interesting advertising posters which were shown not only in the Soviet Union but also in other parts of the world. These types of advertising posters and cards were hung in offices, shops, hotels, and published in various …
These pictures show Les Halles, Paris' former fresh food market, which sprawled haphazardly over the center of the city and was known as "the Belly of Paris." Once alive with the cries of fruit-sellers, fish-vendors, butchers, and florists, the scent of bri…
The Kennedys had many pets during their time at the White House including several dogs, a cat, one canary, two parakeets, hamsters, a rabbit named Zsa Zsa, and a pony named Macaroni. Macaroni, a 10-year-old part-Shetland gelding, was given to young Caroline…
Advertising has always been an interesting way to trace how modern society has evolved. At the core, the marketing campaigns are based on what people want and what appeals to them. When you judge human history based on old advertisements, the past will …
Mississippi’s Tatum Salt Dome in rural Lamar County near Hattiesburg was the site of two nuclear test explosions in the mid-1960s. The Salmon test on Oct. 22, 1964 and the Sterling test on Dec. 3, 1966, were conducted to help determine whether and how nuc…
Television was introduced to Americans in 1939 and began to gain a foothold after the Second World War. In the 1950s, the sale of TV sets and the boom in programming made TV America's favorite source of entertainment. In 1950, just under 20 percent of A…
The term Dust Bowl was coined in 1935 when an AP reporter, Robert Geiger, used it to describe the drought-affected south-central United States in the aftermath of horrific dust storms. Historically, the Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that …
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, farms started to use new machinery and fertilizers that transformed them from small-scale enterprises into food factories. Entrepreneurs selling products designed to increase a farmer’s production were anxious …
Victorian mourning jewelry was popular during the late 1800s and was used as a tribute or memento to remind the wearer about their love for the person they had lost. Death was a regular occurrence in Victorian times, thanks to pervasive diseases like ch…
Godzilla, or Gojira, has been one of the most enduring and iconic kaiju (Japanese giant monsters) in popular culture. Undoubtedly, the monster created from the nuclear bomb blast has captured the imagination of people around the world. The rampaging ra…
Early automobile manufacturers used a wide range of tests to prove a car's strength, endurance, capability, and worthiness. These tests were often adopted as selling points and to highlight the car’s performance and prowess in advertising brochures. In …
Mug shot photography revolutionized crime investigations and enabled the police to keep visual records of the arrested criminals. Beginning in the mid-1800s, police photographed the faces of known criminals. Called "mug shots" (after the British slang w…
Mummy portraits have been found across Egypt, but are most common in the Fayum Basin, particularly from Hawara in the Faiyum Basin and the Hadrianic Roman city Antinoopolis. "Fayum portraits" is generally used as a stylistic, rather than a geographic, d…
Here's a weird relic from the past: a 1979 calendar dedicated to cocaine. Yes, you read it correctly, to cocaine. While the substance was illegal, it wasn’t considered all that bad (and it was normal to advertise cocaine gadgets in magazines). Each month…
The Sámi form an indigenous ethnic group that settled in wide areas of Norway, Sweden, northern Finland, and on the Kola peninsula in Russia. It is difficult to establish their number, because ethnic definitions may vary, and the choice of identifying o…
‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ (the original title in Italian: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo), is an Italian western film, released in 1966, and was the third and arguably best installment in director Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, which starred Clint Ea…