Advances in technology strive to make our devices lighter, faster, and more powerful, but it seems that just as many companies hark back to the days of vinyl, cassettes, and other vintage mediums. We want speed, but can’t let go of the styles from the past. Polaroid photos are a physical medium — our memories in the palm of our hand, captured on tiny paper and plastic sheets. Before we start sounding like a Mad Men advertisement, take a look at the work of German photographer Bastian Kalous — an artist we discovered on Photojojo. He experiments with expired film and various instant photo mediums to create hazy landscapes, blurred portraits, and otherworldly snapshots. We think they’re beautiful. … Read More
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Hyperrealistic Paintings of Vintage Summertime Kitsch
We can practically feel the plastic lawn chairs sticking to the backs of our thighs while looking at the hyperrealistic paintings of Leah Giberson, an artist we discovered on Booooooom. Her fascination with suburban kitsch — Airstream trailers, boats, and other shiny middle-class trophies — may have developed since she was “raised by artists deep in the woods of New Hampshire.” Giberson’s attention to the reflections in the leisure behemoths and surrounding environment offers a quiet and curious narrative. Take a closer look in our gallery. … Read More
Delightful and Hilarious Vintage Library Videos
We haven’t stopped giggling over the hilarious 1987 workout video for librarians that we told you about earlier this week. Seeing Betty Glover and her team of aerobicizing bookworms do the “horizontal drawer pull” and “Coke machine kick” to Van Halen and Paul Lekakis’ “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room)” inspired us to seek out other vintage library clips. Find out what happens when pop culture and books join forces for literary raps, a Stevie Nicks reading, Captain Kirk confessions, and more. … Read More
Vintage Photographs of Swanky Nightclub Interiors from the Rat Pack Era
Gangster Squad, a star-studded noir crime drama set in 1940s Los Angeles, opens in theaters today. The film is based on the true story of an undercover “Magnificent Seven“-style crew assembled by the LAPD to hunt down and kill celebrity mob king Mickey Cohen, who’s played by Sean Penn. A confidant of Bugsy Siegel, and a friend to everyone from Frank Sinatra to Richard Nixon, Cohen was a fixture on a then swanky Sunset Strip scene, home to now infamous nightclubs like Slapsy Maxie’s and Ciro’s that drew the likes of Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Marilyn Monroe. From the world-famous Coconut Grove night club in the since demolished Ambassador Hotel to Tony Duquette’s Latin American-themed interiors for The Mocambo featuring glass cages holding live cockatoos, pigeons, and parrots, click through to check out the haunts of the rich and the infamous in a time when gangsters ran our cities. … Read More
Vintage Album Cover Art Inspired by ‘Homeland’
If the Claire Danes cry face meme has worn out its welcome for you, check out these fantastic “vintage” record covers that give a nod to the gripping drama, Homeland. California-based designer Ty Mattson created the LP artworks that replicate the jazzy tone of the series soundtrack. Mattson even went to the trouble of creating all the creases and seam splits that every well-worn album cover contains. We love it. See more in our gallery, and thanks to Inspiration Grid for the tip. … Read More
Hilarious Vintage Celebrity Tintypes
Have you ever sat around wondering what Lil Wayne and Will Ferrell looked like in vintage duds? Of course you have. Celebrity Tintypes Tumblr creator Steve Dressler, whose work we learned about on Design You Trust, satisfies your need to see Hugh Jackman with mutton chops large enough to conquer his entire head and the stars of Breaking Bad in their extra fancy finest. Dressler takes celebs’ mugs and transposes them over old tintypes for hilarity. The image of Johnny Depp proves why the actor is so often cast as period gents, while Pearl Jam’s Eddie Veder is a strong contender for Depp’s replacement. See more vintage-style celebrity tintypes in our gallery. … Read More
10 of the Weirdest Vintage Workout Videos
It’s the dawn of a new year, which for many people signals a time to restructure their routines, reorganize their lives, and lose the weight they vowed to get rid of last year. With New Year’s resolutions on the brain, we’ve been spotting some unusual workout regimens taking advantage of this moment, like the 50 Shades of Grey-inspired routine we told you about yesterday. We felt compelled to dig up weird workout videos from the past — surreal, awkward, and disturbing moments in fitness history. Delight in VHS glitches, questionable wardrobes, and complete confusion after the jump. If you have a favorite video, drop it in the comments section. … Read More
Mythical Photomontages Uniting Vintage Figures with Contemporary Settings
We spotted Roslyn Rose’s Past As Prologue series on Faith is Torment and fell in love with her whimsical, imaginative photo manipulations that blend figures from the past with interiors and objects from the present. The colorful montages allow viewers to uncover possible connections and histories between the modern and vintage. “My interest is in the results of the juxtaposition of the past with the present, using digital technology to interpret my personal perspective of the impact of previous generations on the viewers of my illusions,” Rose writes on her website. She uses fragments from slides, photographs, and found pictures to create her digital collages. See more of the artist’s mythical photomontages in our gallery, and visit her website for more great works. … Read More
Outrageous Vintage Photos of Wannabe Weathermen
Photographer Michael Jang took these amazing portraits of aspiring weathermen and weatherwomen in 1983 when he was working for a local television station in San Francisco that was holding auditions. Thirty years later, he’s dug them up for our viewing pleasure. Summer Weather is a testament to broad smiles and bad blowouts. Some of these look quite pro. Others? Not so much. Spotted by It’s Nice That, check out some of these amazing portraits in our gallery. Please, do not judge them with mockery or mean guffaws. Look at their gleaming, hope-filled eyes, their ambitious postures, their… trucker hats, priest collars, and very, very thick glasses. Such character! Hey, you gotta dream big. … Read More
Fascinating Photos of Life in China During the 1920s and 1930s
During the early 19th century, Louis-Philippe Messelier left France for China and settled in Shanghai. He was a photojournalist for the French Journal of Shanghai — when he wasn’t engaged with his business in the wool trade. There, he witnessed eccentric street performances, film studios at work, the untouched countryside, and the local aristocracy. During the 1920s and 1930s, China saw a rapid modernization influenced by the west. Messelier managed to capture a rare view of the country and its unique traditions juxtaposed with modern life. See more of Messelier’s lovely photos after the jump, which we spotted on Retronaut. … Read More
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