Wonderful Fashion Designs by Robert Piguet in the 1940s and Early ’50s

Robert Piguet (1898–1953) was a Swiss-born French fashion designer known for his elegant and refined haute couture collections. He opened his own fashion house in Paris in 1933, where he gained recognition for his sophisticated, streamlined designs. Piguet was influential in shaping Parisian fashion in the 1930s, and his creations were admired for their luxurious fabrics and feminine silhouettes.

Though his name is less well-known today, Piguet made a lasting impact on the industry, mentoring notable designers like Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy. The Piguet fashion house ran from 1933 to 1951; since then, the brand Robert Piguet has been associated exclusively with fragrances.

These vintage photos captured portraits of classic beauties wearing fashion designs by Robert Piguet in the 1940s and early 1950s.

Dorian Leigh in cocktail dress by Robert Piguet, photographed by Richard Avedon in Helena Rubinstein's apartment in Paris, Harper's Bazaar, October 1949

Model in black linen suit cut with a deep waving neckline and heavily embroidered in black, jacket fits snugly to the waist than smoothed roundly over the hips by Robert Piguet, photo by Jean Moral, Paris, Harper's Bazaar, June 1946

Doe Avedon in pale gray floral brocade dress with its matching little cape edged in fur by Robert Piguet, photo by Richard Avedon, Harper's Bazaar, Paris, November 1947

Model in gala evening gown of irridescent green satin with beaded and embroidered bodice by Robert Piguet, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1947

Barbara Mullen in a column of yellow chiffon, sculptured, knotted and swathed, with a black patent leather belt, by Robert Piguet, photo by Lillian Bassman at the Paris Opéra, Harper's Bazaar, May 1949

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Who Else Grew Up With NOMA Bubble Lights on Their Christmas Trees?

Bubble lights for Christmas decoration were first patented in the United States by Carl W. Otis in 1944 and introduced there in 1946 by NOMA, one of the largest American manufacturers of Christmas lights. While NOMA was the largest company to make these lights, other manufacturers included Raylite (Paramount/Sterling), Royal Electric Company, and Good Lite/Peerless. Bubble lights were very popular as Christmas lights from the 1940s through the 1970s, before miniature “fairy” lights became popular.

The company survived the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent economic contraction with clever marketing proposed by Propp. Their advertisements made Christmas lighting seem like an essential part of the holiday, and the holiday celebrations essential in such trying times. The campaign worked, and NOMA was successful from 1929 through the depression years, despite its product being previously viewed as a luxury item.

On Morris Propp’s death, Henri Sadacca became president. His family owned one of the original companies that formed NOMA. During World War II, NOMA sold wooden toys for the holiday season, switching its electrical manufacturing to the war effort. Sadacca bought a number of other companies, and focused manufacturing on incendiary devices.

In 1950, NOMA still had 35% of the holiday lighting marketing. In 1953, NOMA separated its Christmas light manufacturing operations into a subsidiary NOMA Lites, Inc. and enjoyed considerable success. Sadacca, by now chairman of the board, together with company president James Ward, formed a plastics company named TICO to vertically integrate manufacturing.

By the early 1960s, the company faced increasing competition from cheaper, imported miniature light sets. Ward was replaced by Morris Goldman for 1963. The company began a policy of reducing manufacturing and relying on cheap buyouts of stock from other companies in the industry as they failed in the face of the cheap imports. Sales still fell in the following two years, and NOMA Lites filed for bankruptcy in 1965, and started using cheaper components, while still assembling in the United States factory, under the name “NOMA Worldwide, Inc.” In 1967, this was renamed simply “Worldwide, Inc.”

In February 2007, Electrical Components International (ECI) purchased GenTek’s wire and cable assembly business known as NOMA Corporation. ECI owns the NOMA brand but is not involved in the design, sourcing or manufacture of these products.

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30 Fabulous Photos of Barbara Lawrence in the 1940s and ’50s

Born 1930 in Carnegie, Oklahoma, American actress and model Barbara Lawrence began her career as a child photographer’s model. She appeared in Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe (1945), her first film, as a night-club patron. A year later, she made a strong impression in Margie, in which she played outgoing flapper Marybelle. She was featured in the swashbuckler Captain from Castile (1947) with Tyrone Power.

Upon moving to MGM, Lawrence appeared with Gig Young in the 3D movie Arena (1953) and in Her Twelve Men (with Greer Garson). She played the role of Gertie Cummings in the film version of Oklahoma!. She starred in Man with the Gun (1955) that year. In 1956, she appeared as Lola McQuilan in the western TV series Cheyenne in the episode titled “The Last Train West.”

From 1958 to 1962, Lawrence made four guest appearances on the CBS-TV series Perry Mason. In 1958, she played Ellen Waring in “The Half-Wakened Wife” and Gloria Barton in “The Case of the Jilted Jockey.” In 1961, she played Lori Stoner in “The Case of the Envious Editor”, and in 1962, she played Agnes Theilman in “The Case of the Shapely Shadow”. 

Lawrence died of kidney failure in 2013, aged 83, in Los Angeles, California. She has a star at 1735 Vine Street in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960. Take a look at these fabulous photos to see portraits of young Barbara Lawrence in the 1940s and 1950s.

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30 Wonderful Found Slides of Children With Their Christmas Gifts From the Mid-20th Century

In the mid-20th century, Christmas mornings were filled with excitement as children eagerly unwrapped gifts beneath the tree. Toys in the 1950s and 1960s ranged from simple wooden blocks to the latest plastic creations, like Barbie dolls or Hot Wheels cars. Many gifts were designed to inspire imagination: board games like Monopoly or Clue, building sets like Legos, and puzzles that could challenge even the sharpest young minds. Some children found the thrill of something mechanical, like a toy robot, or the timeless joy of a Teddy bear to cuddle with.

For children in the 1950s and 1960s, Christmas was often a simpler affair, yet filled with a deep sense of wonder and gratitude. The magic of the season wasn't just in the gifts themselves, but in the warmth of being together as a family, the excitement of giving and receiving, and the quiet joy of a time that seemed to slow down, just for a little while, to let everyone savor the moment.

Here below is a collection of wonderful found slides that shows children with their Christmas gifts in the 1950s and 1960s.

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A Collection of 25 Ugly and Wonderful Christmas Trees From the 1950s and 1960s

Each holiday season is heralded by treasured traditions and decor that taps into cherished memories. And perhaps no item is more synonymous with the season than the Christmas tree.

While decorating homes with evergreens during winter actually dates back to the Romans, Druids, and Vikings, the Germans are credited with displaying the first Christmas tree in the 16th century. In 1846, the tree went viral when Queen Victoria of England decorated a tree as a nod to her husband’s German heritage. When an illustration of the royal family standing around the tree was published in newspapers, having a Christmas tree became the hottest new interior design trend. And soon, the practice was firmly planted in the American holiday tradition.

Optimism and color reigned in the post-war decade when many of the 16 million American men and women who served in the war returned home. Young newlywed couples drove suburbanization and a huge baby boom. Midcentury modern style and the bright colors (think pink, yellow, and turquoise) of on-trend interiors made their way to the Christmas tree, as well. Shiny Brite ornaments, first mass-produced in the 1940s and known for their colorful designs and shapes, hit peak popularity.

Soon, technology brought about a tree that sparkled, sans flocking, didn’t shed its needles, and didn’t even require watering. Introduced in 1959, the Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree was an instant hit and the pioneering company behind the sparkling trees manufactured more than one million in the decade that followed.

The 1960s were a time of modernism and the Space Race, but also a time of social upheaval, individualism, and self-expression. Home decor was mass-produced cheaply with the idea that items would be thrown away once there were no longer en vogue. Christmas decor was no exception.

While some families clung to freshly-cut Christmas trees, some embraced a modern look with aluminum trees, while others had a soft spot for the Charlie Brown tree. “Everyone has his own idea of how a Christmas tree should be decorated...” Better Homes & Gardens encouraged readers. “Some trees are hung with home-fashioned ornaments, strings of popcorn, cranberries, and lopsided paper trims cut with fumbling childish fingers. Others are glowingly color-schemed and laden with exquisite glass balls.”

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Elegant Fashion Designs by Edward Molyneux From Between the 1940s and ’60s

Edward Molyneux (1891–1974) was a British fashion designer known for his elegant, understated couture. He founded his own fashion house in Paris in 1919 and became famous for his sophisticated tailoring and refined, feminine silhouettes.

Molyneux was admired for his ability to balance luxury with simplicity, and his designs were favored by high society and royalty. He played a significant role in shaping 20th-century fashion, particularly in the interwar period.

These vintage photos captured portraits of classic beauties wearing fashion designs by Edward Molyneux from between the 1940s and 1960s.

Model in wite chiffon chemise printed all over with a pale spray of flowers, the top is shaped into a brassiere and the skirt into a fan of pleats by Molyneux, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, December 1946

Model in a beautiful brocaded satin wedding dress shaped to look like the body of a butterfly, smooth in front and spread out in back like wings by Molyneux, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe at Versailles, Harper's Bazaar, October 1946

Model in fitted cloth coat with oversize pockets rounding the hip and an astrakhan collar by Molyneux, photo by John Rawlings, Paris, Vogue, October 15, 1946

Model in elegant wool houndstooth pleated day-dress by Molyneux, photo by Georges Saad, 1947

Model in pale grey satin evening gown by Molyneux, photo by Philippe Pottier, 1947

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Crossing the Equator: Interesting Photos of the Shellback Initiation Aboard the USS Princeton in 1957

A Shellback Initiation, also known as the Crossing the Line Ceremony, is a naval tradition for sailors who cross the equator for the first time. Those who haven’t crossed are called “Pollywogs,” and after the crossing, they undergo a ceremony led by a mock “Royal Court” with “King Neptune.”

The initiation involves playful and often messy challenges, like crawling through slime or performing embarrassing tasks, marking their transformation into “Shellbacks” — seasoned sailors who have crossed the equator.

This small set of amazing slides from m20wc51 taken by a US Navy officer aboard the USS Princeton, CV-37, in 1957.

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Amazing Photos of the 1958 Chevy Corvette ‘Fuel-Injected’

In 1958, the Chevrolet Corvette underwent a notable transformation by adopting a quad-headlamp arrangement, a simplified grille with nine teeth, a faux-louvered hood, and chrome trunk lid trip. These updates elevated the Corvette’s design and positioned it as a more upscale and contemporary sports car. This distinctive look remained until the end of the first-generation C1 Corvette production in 1962.

Despite its stylish appearance, the 1958 Corvette remained a serious performer thanks to its 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine, which generated between 245 and 290 horsepower. The highlight of the model was the introduction of the Rochester fuel injection system, which unlocked the engine’s maximum output. With this setup, the relatively lightweight 1958 Corvette could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under seven seconds—an exhilarating feat at the time and still impressive by today’s standards.

Here below is a set of amazing photos of the 1958 Chevy Corvette ‘Fuel-Injected’.

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36 Amazing Vintage Photos of a Very Young Little Richard During the 1950s

Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the “Architect of Rock and Roll,” Richard’s most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding backbeat and powerful raspy vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Richard’s innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk.

Richard was known for his over-the-top performances, flashy clothes, and makeup, including his trademark pompadour hairstyle and eyeliner. His stage presence was electrifying and broke many social norms of the era. His shows were high-energy spectacles, with him often standing up at the piano, pounding out melodies while shouting lyrics with unmatched enthusiasm. He took 1950s America and the world by storm with hits like “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Lucille.” The Beatles and The Rolling Stones supported him, and drew inspiration from his musicianship and stagecraft. He would go on to influence artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Prince, and he spent his career advocating for the rights of Black artists.

Despite his success, Little Richard faced significant racial discrimination during this era. He also experienced tension between his religious upbringing and his rock and roll lifestyle, which led him to temporarily leave the music industry in 1957 to pursue a career as a preacher.

By the end of the 1950s, Little Richard had established himself as one of the key architects of rock and roll. His influence can be seen in the evolution of popular music and the way he paved the way for future artists to embrace boldness and innovation.

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Jayne Mansfield: One of Hollywood’s Most Iconic Sex Symbols in the 1950s and ’60s

American actress and singerJayne Mansfield was known for her glamorous persona and blonde bombshell image. She gained fame in the 1950s and early 1960s, starring in films like The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957).

Mansfield was often compared to Marilyn Monroe due to her striking looks and sultry screen presence. In addition to her acting career, she was a pop culture icon, known for her larger-than-life personality and her infamous wardrobe malfunctions.

Tragically, Mansfield’s life was cut short in a car accident in 1967 at the age of 34. Despite her brief life and career, she remains a lasting figure in Hollywood history. Take a look at these stunning photos to see the beauty of Jayne Mansfield in the 1950s and 1960s.

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