54 Rare Historical Photos
By | November 17, 2022
Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson and Patrick Swayze in the film, "Next of Kin" (1989
Rare, historical, and (some) just plain bizarre. That's the best way to describe these 54 very unique photos in this gallery. Have you ever wanted to see Alfred Hitchcock dressed up like Ringo Starr from Beatles? We can take you there. How about Robin Williams decked out as a Denver Bronco's cheerleader - during the height of his Mork and Mindy days? Yeah we got that and a lot of other hard-to-find visual oddities.
Take a gander of rare shots of young David Bowie, Jackie Kennedy, Elvis with his parents, and not one, not two - but three Elvira pics. So get ready to have your mind blown with some history factoids and your eyes dazzled with some very rare photos.
First of all, pretty great cast for this movie that I knew very little about: Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson and Patrick Swayze, as well as Ben Stiller and Helen Hunt in smaller roles. Simple movie fish-out-of-water premise: A Chicago cop, originally from some hillbilly town sets out to find the killer of his brother. Meanwhile, his other hillbilly brothers decides to find the killer himself. Action ensues.
Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Ray Liotta, John Malkovich, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Ron Perlman, and Tim Robbins were considered for roles in this forgettable movie.
Singer/actress Chris Noel hosted her own radio show for the GIs in Vietnam. She did (4) tours of Vietnam and her helicopter was shot down twice. (Photo from 1966)
Chris Noel was a Hollywood sex symbol who became a Vietnam War icon. She was a model who turned actress - who then turned to entertaining the troops in Vietnam. Noel worked on the Armed Forces Radio And Television Service. Her program "A Date With Chris" made her fondly known by vets as "the voice of a California dream girl" by many Viet vets - while her pin up pics were very popular with the troops.
Noel entertained four tours of Vietnam and her helicopter was shot down twice. For her work, she received the Distinguished Vietnam Veteran award in 1984 from the Veterans Network.
Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother Janet Leigh out together at Studio 54 in the 1970s.
How would you like to be a fly on the wall in this scenario? We have two generations of horror queens out on the town at the legendary Studio 54 in New York City. This scenario occured during the drug-fueled '70s. Janet Leigh is best known for classic her performance in Psycho - where she was stabbed in the shower by Norman Bates posing as his own mother in the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. The shower scene is considered one of the greatest moments in cinematic history
Like mother like daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis is also known as a scream queen - from her role in the original Halloween movie - where she fought off the sadistic Michael Myers.
Looking at Janet Leigh's expression in this photo - it seems like she just saw Norman Bates busting some moves on the Studio 54 dance floor.
David Bowie at age 14, back when 6 girls asked him out on Valentine's Day, 1961.
Bowie! Bowie! Bowie! Even as a 14-year old, David Bowie had that charismatic charm. Before he was a musical influential superstar, Bowie worked as a delivery boy for a local butcher in the town of Bromley in England. Bowie was not instantly seen as a musical prodigy. In junior high, the school choir teacher considered his voice "adequate. The upside, he did demonstrate an above-average proficiency in playing the recorder.
It wasn't until Bowie was 15 when formed his first band at the age of 15, called: The Konrads. Young Major Tom played guitar-style rock and roll at local youth gatherings and weddings. And the rest is Ziggy Stardust history.
Young female trying to get a reaction from a Royal Guard in Sweden, 1970.
So many sexual innuendos going on here - I don't even know where to begin. The obvious joke would be: "Is that a gun or are you happy to see me?" I think this young woman is trying to get a reaction out of this Swedish Royal Guard - but he's not having it; no matter how seductively she eats that ice cream cone.
The Royal Guards are stationed in front of the Stockholm Palace. Their job is to protect and serve the Swedish Royal Family. Talk about loyalty, the Royal Guard has continuously been guarding the Royal Palace since 1523. And they can't be stopped - not even by a sexy woman eating an ice cream cone.
Jayne Mansfield looks elegant as she tickles the ivories in white gloves.
Jayne Mansfield was considered a b-movie Marilyn Monroe. She was also one of the very early Playboy Playmates. Here she is in just a candid shot at home - tickling some ivories and showing off some cleavage.
A big claim to fame for Mansfield, she was the first major American actress to appear sans clothing in a starring role in a Hollywood movie. The 1963 sexploitation film is called: Promises! Promises! Much like Marilyn Monroe, Mansfield was said to be "intimate" with many men - including both Robert and John F. Kennedy. Happy birthday, Mr. President.
Delivery of a dinosaur to the Museum of Science. (1984)
So dinosaur replicas have to be delivered to museums in some sort of way. So, why not a helicopter? It makes perfect sense. Here is Dino in 1984 being delivered to the Museum of Science - as it graces the skies above Boston.
What were the people of Boston thinking? Is this part of some Godzilla takeover of Bean Town?
In reality, the dinosaur was flown in by helicopter as part of a publicity stunt for the opening of the Museum of Science’s dinosaur exhibit. The Museum of Science gave the city’s media an advance notice - so they could take the perfect shot - such as this.
Marilyn Monroe look-alike competition, 1958
There's so many body shaming issues going on with this 1958 Marilyn Monroe lookalike contest - especially with the inquiry, "Does your figure fit?" This contest actually took place in the U.K. seaside town of Hastings. Having a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like competition was not something out of the norm - though it would be tough for ordinary women to hold themselves up to the most beautiful woman in Hollywood. All the men wanted Marilyn - and all the women wanted to be her.
Not to be off topic, but at the height of his fame, Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest...and ended up winning 3rd place.
Pam Grier in "Foxy Brown" (1974).
Pam Grier is Quentin Tarantino's dream woman. So much so, that Tarantino had her star in his 1997 movie, Jackie Brown. Tarantino loved blaxploitation cinema of the 70s - and Pam Grier was the queen of the genre.
Her 1974 film, Foxy Brown, was written and directed by Jack Hill. Grier's character was described as "a whole lot of woman." For the role, Grier combined unrelenting sexiness while battling the baddies. The plot centered on Foxy Brown seeking revenge when her government-agent boyfriend is shot down at her doorstep by members of a drug syndicate. Hell ya!
U.S. soldiers pay tribute to the 8 million horses, donkeys and mules that lost their lives during World War 1. (1918)
Not only is this WW! tribute to fallen horses, mules and donkeys touching - but it's also a great piece of conceptual art. Way to go doughboys! These soldiers are paying their respect to the fallen animals that died by their side. This consists of roughly 650 soldiers standing in a formation which that perfectly resembles a horses head. Not in a creepy Godfather sort-of-way - but in a very loving sort-of-way.
Eight million war horses were killed during WW I; while one million horses left the UK for the Western Front and only 60,000 returned. The horses helped carry food, water, ammunition, and medical supplies to men on the front.
Claudia Lennear was the inspiration for the Rolling Stones song 'Brown Sugar' and David Bowie's 'Lady Grinning Soul'. She also performed with Ike and Tina Turner, as well as a back-up singer for Joe Cocker and Humble Pie.
Imagine having this reputation; Claudia Lennear not only inspired the Rolling Stones song, 'Brown Sugar' - but she also inspired the David Bowie tune, 'Lady Grinning Soul'. Lennear was a soul singer who performed with Ike and Tina Turner, and was back-up singer for Joe Cocker and Humble Pie.
Her career was interesting/ In 1973, she recorded a solo album entitled: Phew! Lennear also played a secretary in the 1974 Clint Eastwood movie, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. That same year she appeared in Playboy magazine in a photo spread titled: Brown Sugar.
Lennear ended up leaving the industry to become a French and Spanish teacher. She can be seen in the 2013 documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom.
A Scandinavian Stewardess examines a new uniform proposal for Scandinavian Airlines in 1958, strangely enough it wasn't approved.
Scandinavian Airlines made a bold suggestion in 1958. They proposed a short skirt uniform for their stewardesses. Strangely, in conservative 1958-era, this was not approved. A Swedish Airlines stewardess named Birgitta Lindman was called in to inspect the sexy uniform. Lindman was known back-in-the day. Just that year, her face graced the cover of Life Magazine. She had competed against 53 other stewardesses - from airlines around the world - to be Life's covergirl for a special issue. Lindman ended up winning the coveted cover laurels.
Ironically, in the 70s, Southwest Airlines had a stewardess uniform that consisted of short-shorts and knee high go-go boots.
Sofia Loren - a woman with curves, 1950s.
Here's the Italian bombshell striking a sexy pose in black lingerie - back in the 50s. Born Sofia Villani Scicolone in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, Loren was the daughter of a construction engineer of noble descent. Early on, Loren was encouraged to enroll in acting classes and enter beauty pageants. She began her film career in 1950 when she was 16-years old. Her big break came in 1956 when she got a five-picture deal from Paramount Studios.
Her most notable films are: The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and It Started in Naples. Later she appeared in the 1995 flick, Grumpier Old Men.With a beauty like this in a movie - why would these men be grumpier?
Here's 'The Family Bicycle,' with a sewing machine included for dear old Mom. Invented by Charles Steinlauf in 1939 so the whole family can get out and enjoy some family exercise and catch up on some sewing, too.
Here's an activity that the whole family can enjoy on a nice Sunday afternoon. This peddling design was know as the 'Goofybike.' It first appeared in the 1930s on the streets of Chicago and was designed by one, Charles Steinlauf. Kinda of a hipster of the day, Steinlauf was known for building strange bikes and exhibiting them on the Chicago city streets. The amazing thing was, Steinlauf's crazy bike designs actually worked!
Why the Goofybike never took off is anyone's guess. Surely a carnation of this would've popped up at Burning Man by now? Note that 'mom' role in this family biking excursion is taking part in sewing while the rest of the family peddles away and powers the device - because, apparently, that's what women did back in the 1930s.
Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) and her 1958 T-Bird, customized by George Barris into The Macabre Mobile.
Check out one of the most collectable cars out there. The Elvira Macabre Mobile, was featured in the 1988 cult movie, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Elvira first gained fame in Hollywood when she hosted Elvira's Movie Macabre - a weekly horror movie show on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV. Her vampire appearance and quirky personality soon gained her a cult following.
The Elvira Macabre Mobile also became a celebrity after its movie appearance. The revamped '58 T-Bird convertible went on to appear in numerous publications and spawned a licensing deals for models from Revell/Monogram - and was featured in Elvira calendars and comic books.
Instead of hugging a tree....the 70s way of getting closer with nature!
Did you ever wonder where the term "tree hugger" came from? It came from hippies in the 70s actually hugging trees. Take the naked women in this photo for example. Look what she's doing - she's hugging a tree. But scientific evidence shows that hugging a tree can be very beneficial to people - it provides a connection to nature.
The term is actually coined “nature-deficit disorder.” It means that modern humans have become disconnected from nature through our daily city-life activities. This disconnect has negative mental and physical health consequences. Studies have shown that people with “modern” ailments, such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression feel better when exposed to nature.
So go out and hug a tree!
A zebra-drawn carriage parked outside of Buckingham Palace in London, 1900.
Those decadent Royals. There's always the stories of the Queen Mother, when she was alive, would dine on a meal where the main course was a swan. This photo from 1900 shows the linage of swan eating. Why just have a normal horse-drawn carriage - when you can be pulled in a cart by some zebra.
Zoologist and wealthy aristocrat Lord Walter Rothschild used the carriage to demonstrate that wild animals, such as zebras, could be tamed. And not only tamed, but also groomed to be used to pull rich people around- perhaps taking them to dinner where they'll dine on swan?
Emily Banks was 'Yeoman Tonia Barrows' on "Star Trek" in 1966.
60s hottie, Emily Banks, played the part of Yeoman Tonia Barrows in the original Star Trek series - on an episode called, "Shore Leave." - which first aired on Wednesday 19 October 1966, and was filmed at Desilu Stage 9. Judging by her coy looks - I boldly get the impression what a "shore leave" might entail.
Meanwhile, Banks got her start in 1960 when she appeared in a series of commercials and ads for Rheingold Beer. For the ad campaign, she held the title of Miss Rheingold, Banks also appeared as a model on the 1963 game show (with the awesome name): Say When!
Two years Say When! ended, Banks started getting regular film and TV roles - which included Star Trek as well as the Elvis Presley movie, Live a Little, Love a Little.
measuring this woman's swimsuit length in 1925. (hard job, but someone had to do it...)
Talk about uptight times. In old-timey days, in the early 1900s, sexually repressed society actually had to employ people to measure women's swimsuits to determine if they were in the bounds of being obscene or not-obscene. Basically, their job was to make women feel bad about their bathing suits.
In this shot "Smokey" Buchanan, a member of the West Palm Beach police force got the call to measure the swimsuit of Palm Beach resident Betty Fringle. His task was to ensure that the bathing suit conformed to the regulations of the "beach censors."
Apparently, back then, society would become depraved and unhinged if women's swimsuits were too short.
Robin Williams as 'Mork' with the Denver Bronco cheerleaders in 1979 on an episode of "Mork and Mindy".
I miss Robin Williams :( On Nov. 11, 1979, the star of Mork and Mindy became the first male cheerleader for the Denver Broncos. The stunt was filmed as part of his hit TV show - as Williams ran out on the field with the Pony Express during an actual game against the Patriots. 74,000 fans at Mile High Stadium went absolutely nuts.
As Williams ran out to the field, dressed in skirt, halter-top, and go-go boots, the crowd went crazy and jumped to their feet screaming, “We Want Mork! We Want Mork!” And the rest is cheerleader history!
Just a sweet photo of Grandma watering her massive marijuana plants.
Ah, grandma. Nothing like the image of a sweet old lady in a nightgown watering her massive marijuana plants - which she grows in a wheelbarrow. (Is that for an easy escape for when the cops come?) If this photo was taken in modern times in California - there shouldn't be a problem for granny.
Under Proposition 64, California residents may grow up to six plants in their homes. Granny might be stretching it - but I doubt the California police would have the heart to lock of this sweet old lady. Just don't eat her cookies, officers.
Elizabeth Montgomery popping out of the trailer, 1961.
Elizabeth Montgomery looks very Bewitched in this photo - as she comes out of her trailer on set. The sit-com star was born into show biz. Her dad was screen actor Robert Montgomery Her mom was and Broadway actress Elizabeth Allen.
Montgomery was best known for her role as the suburban housewife, who was also a witch, on the ABC enchanted sitcom, Bewitched. The deal was her character Samantha was married to an advertising exec - who loved her despite her witch-i-ness.
In real-life, Montgomery charmed Hollywood - and was said to have a romantic tryst with Elvis.
The Vashon Island Bike Tree has been there since the 1950s and it belonged to an 8 year-old boy. He forgot the bike in that swampy acreage and never bothered to get it back.
This looks like something straight out of a dystopian sci-fi movie - where the planet ignors the signs of global warning. But it's not. This is the renown The Vashon Island Bike Tree. It's a bike that was literally eaten by a tree - sort of. A rusted, old-timey bike hovers 7 ft off the ground - suspended inside the trunk of a tree. The bike tree is off of Vashon Highway - which runs between the Seattle and Tacoma ferry ports.
Many legends are abound at the bike tree's origins. Easiest explanation; the tree was a sapling, and a forked branch weaved between the bike and lifted it up over the years. Or, it's an elaborate Banksy hoax - and we fell for it.
The braless days of 70s fashion.
Yup, the 70s were a time of liberation. And nothing says liberation more than for women to go braless. Sans bra started with the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 60s. Feminist groups not only went without bras as a sign of protest - but they went further and actually burned their bras. No bras for women was a political protest that symbolized freedom and rejection of traditional views of femininity.
And it was win-win because I'm sure men really enjoyed the no bra movement as well. By the time the 70's rolled around going bra-free was still a thing - but less political and more of a fashion statement.
Alfred Hitchcock impersonating Ringo Starr in 1964.
If only one thing will make you laugh today - let it be this photo. It's suspense film auteur, Alfred Hitchcock impersonating Ringo Starr from the Beatles from back in 1964. Or is he impersonating Mo Howard from the 3 Stooges? I guess Hitchcock, like everyone else at the time, fell victim to Beatlemania.
It's hard to pinpoint the source of this photo - but most likely it's from the TV show: Alfred Hitchcock presents , which ran from 1955-1965. On the show, Hitchcock would introduce each segment with his very dry humor.
Now, if we can only find a photo of Ringo Starr dressed like Alfred Hitchcock.
Apartment living in Hong Kong.
I've been to Hong Kong, It's pretty cool. You have the most modern, futuristic buildings in the world side-by-side with something that looks extreme third world. It's the clashing of cultures.
This shot was taken by World Press Photo Award winning German photographer Michael Wolf who captured Hong Kong high-rises in his kaleidoscopic series Architecture of Density. Wolf's collection reveals his fascination with life in mega-cities, such as Hong Kong. His goal was to capture the relationships between public and private space in the most densely populated cities on the planet. Well done!
A young 27 year-old Janis Joplin, 1970.
This is young 27 year-old Janis Joplin in 1970. Though she's young - this is also the year she died after an overdose - at which time she joined the infamous 27 Club - of rock stars who died tragically at the age of 27; which includs Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and more recently, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.
On Sunday, October 4, 1970, Joplin failed to show up at Sunset Sound Recorders for a recording session. Her producer became concerned. He saw Joplin's psychedelically painted Porsche in her parking lot, and upon entering Joplin's room he found her dead on the floor beside her bed.
Call of the wild...Bettie Page and a feline friend in 1954.
Betty Page was the ultimate bad girl, fetish pinup queen of the 50s and early 60s. But what would a pinup queen be without an amazing photographer capturing the images? This shot was taken by photographer Bunny Yeager - who jumped to fame from her photos of Page.
Yeager’s photographic career launched with a Playboy Magazine centerfold photo of Page, after which, she became Miami’s most sought after model photographer. Photography was still a sexist industry at the time. A 1954 cover issue of US Camera coined Yeager as “ The World’s Prettiest Photographer.”
An 18 year-old Jackie Bouvier (Kennedy), 1947.
Jackie O was a young hottie back in the day. Not to mention, born into a crazy rich family. Her dad was a Wall Street stockbroker - who went by the name: John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier III. Doesn't that sound like he'd look like that guy with the top hat from the Monopoly game?
Her mom was a socialite Janet Norton Lee. (I think that means you don't have to work because you're so filthy rich - and can spend your time going to parties.)
In 1952, Jackie met then-Congressman John F. Kennedy at a dinner party in Washington. One year later they were married in Newport, Rhode Island. And we kind of know how the rest of their married life went.
Behind the scenes on the "Batman" TV series, 1966.
This shot is awesome. The opening of the 1966 Batman series always had the Dynamic Duo scaling up the side of a building in Gotham City with a rope. On their ascend, they would encounter an assortment of amusing characters - who greeted the superheros from their windows. It was usually a celebrity cameo. Sometimes it was Jerry Lewis, while other times it was Sammy Davis Jr., Van Williams, Bruce Lee, Art Linkletter, Don Ho, Col. Klink from Hogans Heroes, or Lurch from the Adams Family.
As you can see, the montage was filmed with the camera turned on its side - as Batman and Robin walked upright.
The sexy Sophia Loren in the '50s.
The legendary Italian actress was all curves back in the day. And I mean that in a good way.
By her late teens, Sophia Loren was a superstar in Italian movies, playing lead roles in m such features as La Favorita, and Aida. In 1957, she set her sights on America - and headed off to the U.S. to make it big in Hollywood.
Loren hit it big in the 60s and 70s, as she made films on both sides of the Atlantic. She also costarred with some of the top leading men of the day, such as Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, and Charlton Heston. During the 70s, she received an Oscar nomination and won five Golden Globe Awards. Way to go Sophia Loren!
1st, 2nd and 3rd Place in the Miss Correct Posture Contest pose with trophies and their X-rays (1956)
OMG! Where can I see this internal/external beauty contest? All this took place in Chicago during a 1956 chiropractors convention. They decided to throw a beauty contest. And what a contest it was.
"All three were picked not only by their apparent beauty, and their X-rays, but also by their standing posture," reported the Tribune back in the say. "Each girl stood on a pair of scales — one foot to each — and the winning trio each registered exactly half her weight on each scale, confirming the correct standing posture."
In the end, a posture queen was crowned!
Elvis with his parents Vernon and Gladys Presley in 1958, he was on leave for the first time since joining the Army.
This looks like it should be on the site, Awkward Family Photos. Except, what makes it awkward is Elvis - the King of Rock and Roll dressed in a military uniform. Elvis' father, Vernon, was the driving force behind the legendary rock and roll career. Vernon had a huge influence on Elvis' life from an early age and into adulthood.
One non-awkward thing the Presley family did do together was sing at church. Vernon was a deacon for the Assemblies of God and his wife sang. In leisure time they trio would gather around the piano and sing gospel songs.
Elvis served in the United States Army from March 1958 and March 1960. At the time, he was the most well-known name in showbiz. Concerned fans wrote letters - asking that the army wouldn't shave trademark sideburns.
Sissy Spacek posing for a poster in the 1970s.
Carrie is one of my favorite Stephen King horror movies. Here's a shot of Carrie star, Sissy Spacek, posing for a poster - 6 years before she would star as everyone's favorite Homecoming queen covered in pig's blood.
At the time of this photo, Spacek was a photo model who was represented by Ford Models. She was also hung around Andy Warhol's Factory - and was an extra in the 1970 Warhol movie, Trash. Spacek screen role was in the 1972 movie, Prime Cut. She played Poppy, a girl sold into sexual slavery
By the way, Spacek was born in Quitman, Texas - and is only 5'3.
Fashion for the hip guy (and at great prices) in this 1970s catalog!
Is this from a 70s fashion catalog - or is this the cover of the Village People's first album? Fashion of the 70's were a bit cringy - or kinda of flippin' cool. It just matters what side of the fashion fence you're on. It looks like a lot of rayon, polyester, and other man-made fibers were put into men's clothes. Lycra and nylon were having their moment in the sun as well.
The eclectic decade brought us flared trousers, big collars and outfits that would look good while taking part in roller disco - or wearing with a foot-high perm.
Feeding the crowd at Woodstock. (1969)
One think you had to do if you were at the 1969 music festival, Woodstock, is eat. After rolling naked in the mud, taking the brown acid, and listening to Jimi Hendrix - you're going to work up a hearty appetite.
Billed as “three days of peace and music” in the Catskill village of Woodstock, New York - the festival turned into New York state’s 4th largest city, attracting roughly 400,000 music lovers - who had to eat at some point.
Held August 15-18, 1969, the music festival is considered a pivotal moment in music history. So let's eat!
Helen Keller photographed with Charlie Chaplin at a Hollywood studio in 1919.
When Chaplin met Keller. Here's a meeting of the minds - a gathering of two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. This took place in 1919 - on the set of Chaplin's film, Sunnyside. Keller is famous for her part in creating Braille - while Chaplin was famous for creating The Little Tramp - his beloved screen persona.
Keller, who was blind and deaf since infancy, was in Hollywood on a speaking tour - so to speak. She stopped by First National Pictures studio to meet Chaplin - who was already known for his support of the deaf. He enacted with hearing impaired individuals to help improve his silent film pantomime skills.
Elvira Cassandra Peterson
Before she was the scream-queen host, Elvira was known to her family by her given name: Cassandra Peterson. She was born in Manhattan, Kansas. As a kids, young soon-to-be Elvira was more fascinated by horror-themed toys than Barbie dolls. During her teens in Colorado, she worked as a go-go dancer in a local gay bar - before graduating from General William J. Palmer High School in 1969.
Upon graduating, she drove to Las Vegas and became a showgirl in a review called: Viva Les Girls at The Dunes. The future horror icon met Elvis Presley - and the two ended up briefly dating.
Viva la Elvira!
Jack Kirby, the co-creator of Captain America, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther and many more comic book characters was a WW II veteran. 1945
Jack Kirby got a little bit of a bum rap from Stan Lee at Marvel Comics - for taking full credit with the creation of some of the most iconic comic book characters in pop culture history.
Born Jacob Kurtzberg - Kirby grew up in the Lower East Side of New York. After serving in the World War II, Kirby produced artowrk for DC, Harvey Comics, Hillman Periodicals, and other publishers of the day.
His partnership with Stan Lee produced: the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the original X-Men, Doctor Doom, and the Black Panther. Kirby initially was assigned to pencil the first Spider-Man. Stan Lee in the end took all the credit and got pretty much all the money. Boo.
Joe Cocker getting into the groove while onstage at Woodstock, 1969.
If you've ever seen John Belushi on Saturday Night Live imitate Joe Cocker - he's taking it from this performance at the 1969 music festival, Woodstock. Cocker completely nailed the Sunday-afternoon crowd with their intense performance of the Beatles: 'With a Little Help From My Friends.'
So did Cocker take the brown acid before his performance?
"I was furious because all the band had taken acid and they didn't tell me," Cocker recalls. "I was the only one straight. I have been offered brown acid in my time, though. Even black acid – I took that. That was very weird. It was a very dark trip."
A three-hour downpour following Joe Cocker's Woodstock set.
KISS walking around New York City, 1976.
KISS had a strange origin story. The formed in New York City in January 1973 - with the original lineup of: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley.
KISS roots stem back to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's first band, Wicked Lester, who played two live gigs (one at a B'nai B'rith Youth Organization event) and recorded just one album that got shelved by Epic Records.
Stanley came up with the name KISS while driving around New York City with his new bandmates to a gig. Criss mentioned that he had been in a band called Lips. A lightbulb went off in Stanley's head and he said something to the effect of "What about Kiss?"
Frehley then created the now-iconic logo, making the "SS" look like lightning bolts, and the rest is KISSotry.
Late 19th Century advice on "Don't Marry or How, When and Who to Marry"
This an advice book on marriage from the 19th century. Sure there's some advice that still makes sense today - such as "Don't marry for beauty alone." Then, if you look closely, there some advice such as "Don't marry a dude." Or "don't marry a fop." The old-timey term means, "a man who is concerned with his clothes and appearance in an affected and excessive way; a dandy."
There were much different standards back in oldy times - where it was advice not to "marry in fun."
McDonald's menu in the early 1970s.
McDonald's signs now say "Over 99 Billion Sold." That's a lot of hamburgers. When the first McDonald’s opened on April 15, 1955, the sign read: “Hamburgers. We have sold over 15 million.” Which is kind of weird because Ray Kroc just bought the franchise.
In the 70's McDonald’s was overwhelmingly the largest fastfood franchise. Though in 1979, there were still no McDonald’s in Mexico, Spain, Italy, and Norway. Unlike today, there were very few options on a McDonald's menu. And by no means was their salad or a healthy option!
Robert Plant, of the group Led Zeppelin, with his family near their home in Wales, 1976.
Robert Plant was the lead singer of Led Zepplin. Plant was born in the north of England - and his dad was a qualified civil engineer who worked in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Plant's interest in singing and rock and roll music at an early age.
In his words: "When I was a kid I used to hide behind the curtains at home at Christmas and I used to try and be Elvis. There was a certain ambience between the curtains and the French windows, there was a certain sound there for a ten-year-old. That was all the ambience I got at ten years old... I think! And I always wanted to be a curtain, a bit similar to that."
Here is Plant with his family in Wales - looking like they are straight out of Lord of the Rings. In fact, the Zepplin song, Ramble On, makes reference to the book - showing that the group were actually nerds at heart.
Ron Howard and Cindy Williams in American Graffiti, 1973.
This is a really great movie - and the first breakout project for George Lucas. The 1973 flick was actually based on Lucas' teen experiences growing in Modesto, California in the 1950s. Ron Howard and Cindy Williams were cast as the leads - and it's not surprising that they both went on to star in sitcoms set in the 1950s. (Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.)
The cast of American Graffiti is a regular who's who of future Hollywood stars. Harrison Ford refused to cut his hair for his role - stating his part was too small. Instead he wore a hat.
The BMW R11 series was first made in 1929 and produced until 1935, with a total of 75,000 being manufactured.
OMG - this vehicle is like a quack-a-dile: half duck, half crocodile - except it's half car, half motorcycle. Why the hell didn't this machine catch on?
Only 75,000 of the BMW R11 series were .manufactured. Which was produced from 1929 until 1935.
The bike version of this was featured in the Wes Anderson film: Grand Budapest Hotel. Willem Dafoe’s character rides around on a a 1929 BMW R11. Outside of classic motorcycle circles, the bike is relatively unknown. Still, the R11 is one of the first bikes that BMW produced.
The coolest gadget of the 1970s, who used to record the sound of TV shows and music from the radio with one of these?
Let's get this straight, in the 70s, long before DVRs and back when VCR's cost thousands of dollars - you could enjoy listening to your favorite TV programs by dropping in a bulky cassette tape - and pushing a button. What a country! And the best part was - you could operate this device-of-tomorrow with batteries! Now everyone could listen to the latest episode of Charlie's Angels - and not be distracted from the plot.
In the mid-60s, Philips introduced the battery-operated compact cassette recorder, originally used for recording speech. This evolved in 1979 with the introduction of the Sony Walkman - bringing us to modern day and our iPhones.
The interior of an Imperial Airways plane back in the 1930s.
These seats don't look like the recline. Imperial Airways was a Britain Airline at the dawn of commercial air travel. Imperial was geared towards the rich and famous every corner of the British Empire. Their mission was to make the British Empire feel smaller. Well, now-a-days it does - being Britain now longer rules the world.
How it came about, After the World War 1, Britain had a surplus of warplanes that was used to jumpstart its commercial air industry. IN 1924, the government gathered together the few struggling British air companies to form Imperial Airways. They not only shuttled passengers but mail all over the globe.
The massive Titanic ship in dry dock, 1912.
You know you're in trouble when you label your ocean liner, "the unsinkable ship." That's just setting you up for some egg on your face - when the vessel ends up sinking on its maiden voyage. Kinda bad karma.
The RMS Titanic was build in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the Thompson Graving Dock on Queen's Island. Belfast was the world's leader in shipbuilding when the Titanic was build - between 1909 to 1912. An astonishing 176 ships were launched from Thompson Graving Dockin the first decade of the 20th century.
As you might have heard, it didn't end well for the Titantic. The unsinkable ship sank after hitting an iceberg on April 12th, 1912.
The original Sony Walkman in 1980. The pre-iPhone...
This is how people listened to music - long before the iPhone was invented. The Sony Walkman was introduced in 1979. This iconic cassette player sold hundreds of millions. The Walkman firs told for $150 - in 1979 money. Sony designer, Norio Ohga, built a prototype out of Sony's Pressman cassette recorder.
In 2010, Sony retired the classic cassette tape But the name lives on today in the form of new MP3 players and Sony's Walkman app. The device was a big breakthrough - because it was the first time people could listen to their own music on a portable device.
Vintage Spam recipe for the Holidays or Summer bbq!
Does anyone really know what Spam is exactly? Well I do. Spam was created for the military during WWII in 1937. Yes, it's military meat - canned cooked meat made by the Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin Minnesota. I know this, because I've seen their plant - and the air around it smells like Spam.
Spam's basic ingredients are pork, with ham meat added, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, sugar, and sodium nitrite as a preservative. Natural gelatin is formed during cooking to give it that Spam shape.
Monty Python sang about Spam. There's also a Spam museum in Austin that celebrates Spam. During the 50s and 60s people got creative with their Spam - and came up with such ridiculous recipes as Spam & Cheese Ribbon Loaf. Ug.
Kids reading comic books in 1947.
Before there was movies. Before their were iPhones. Before their were video games and Netflix - kids read comic books. The 1940s were the Golden Age of comics. This is the era that introduced Wonder Woman, Captain America, and the Justice Society of America.
Superman premiered in 1938 - which helped to launch the Golden Age. The success of Superman created a whole new genre of costumed crime-fighting characters with superhuman powers and colorful outfits.
Surprisingly, Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero of the 40s - outselling the adventures of Superman.
The grooviness of Dawn Wells in 1970.
Mary Ann was always the best on Gilligan's Island. A nice, wholesome girl next door - compared to Hollywood vamp, Ginger. Not to be a downer, but Dawn Wells and Tina Louise are the last surviving regular cast members from that series. Yeah, hate to break the news to you - but Lovey has past away.
Wells got her start when she was crowned Miss Nevada in 1959. She later went on to appear in such Hollywood TV shows as 77 Sunset Strip, The Cheyenne Show, Maverick, and Bonanza, before she took the role of Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.
Elvira
Holy crap, it's Elvira once again. This is the third time this gothic hottie is in this photo gallery.
What else can we tell you about Elvira?
Okay, this is pretty cool- before becoming Elvira aka Cassandra Peterson had a played a show a showgirl in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. She also posed for the cover of Tom Waits' 1976 album Small Change.
In a 2008 interview, Peterson said she lost her virginity to Tom Jones - though she needed stitches due to him being an aggressive lover. Yikes!
