The Futuramic Oldsmobile, introduced for the 1948 model year, marked a significant departure from the company's previous offerings. Defined by its sleek lines, fastback rear end, and prominent chrome accents, the model embodied a futuristic aesthetic that r…
This unique photo collection features a stunning array of vintage cameras, some of which were ingeniously concealed in everyday objects. From a camera hidden in a matchbox to one camouflaged as a pocket watch for covert operations, these devices show the in…
During the 1950s, a distinct and trendy subculture emerged in Britain. Young men of this era embraced a revival of Edwardian fashion, a style that had faded away four decades earlier. These individuals were famously known as "Teddy Boys." Their distinctive …
In today's advertising landscape, there is no denying that certain contemporary advertisements have been criticized for objectifying women. However, when we cast our gaze back to the advertising of the mid-20th century, we're confronted with a startling rea…
The 20th century marked a significant period of evolution in the field of robotics, ushering in a transformative era of technological advancement. Starting with the term itself, coined by Czech playwright Karel Čapek in his play "R.U.R." (Rossum's Unive…
The act of saying goodbye is always an emotional one, especially when it's to loved ones who are going to war. The vintage photos of soldiers kissing their girlfriends, wives, or even kids before getting deployed or going to war capture the human side of war. …
The history of coal smoke in Pittsburgh is one of the most well-known examples of environmental pollution in American history. At its height, the smoke produced by the city's industries was so thick that it was said to block out the sun. The scale of the pr…
Before modern air travel and first-class suites, the grandest thing in luxury air travel was the German Zeppelin airship. The Hindenburg was designed to ferry passengers across the Atlantic in serenity, with the dirigible floating smoothly through the c…
From miniskirted hostesses to clear suggestive lines, companies have a long history of using women to sell air travel. This was the time when flying was both the literal and figurative height of sexiness. While “sex sells” is one of those universally-known …
These photos show bizarre vintage inventions that quite often never caught on, but sometimes, they actually did. The weird inventions demonstrate ingenious efforts from the first half of the 20th century (and later) that helped people manage the pressures o…
Genevieve Naylor, a photojournalist previously employed by the Associated Press and the WPA, was sent to Brazil in 1940 by Rockefeller’s agency to provide photographs that would support its need for propaganda wartime support from Brazil and adjacent countries…
Spurred by the instant nationwide success of blended cigarette brands such as Camel, Lucky Strike and Chesterfield cigarette companies spend millions on advertising and promotion to encourage smoking. Tobacco marketers featured healthy, vigorous, fun-loving…
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…
These photos include old advertisements that preyed on women’s need for marital security in order to sell products in the mid-20th century and are collected by Andrew Heisel. It’s no surprise advertisers pay attention to consumers’ emotions in order to …
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…
From the 1960s to the late 1980s, New York City’s iconic Times Square was a difficult place to be. Felony and crime rates were high, despite heightened police existence. A plethora of go-go bars, sex shops, peep show establishments, and adult theaters becam…
This collection of photographs shows some of the world's oldest and oddest vending machines. Nowadays almost anything imaginable can now be purchased from the vending machines, however, the trend for automated purchases is nothing new, as these vintage phot…
Advertising has become an integral part of our socio-economic lives and it’s carefully designed to speak to the hearts and minds of consumers. It taps into our psyche, hopes, dreams, goals, and fears. In this article, we will flip through the pages of h…
The history of women's workwear tells a unique story about the events of the twentieth century and the changing role of women. The amount of control that women have had over their clothes depended largely on what type of job she had. In domestic service…
Dressed in their finest suits and ties with their top hats cocked towards the camera, these men and women seem to be posing for expensive portraits. But behind their tidy appearances are guilty eyes that hide some of the most sinister crimes policemen of t…