Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures

1950s

The World’s Creamiest Lipstick

For all you ladies out there, here are a few scans of retro Revlon advertisements for lipstick and makeup. Revlon was started back in 1932 and are most famous for their Dorian Leigh and Suzy Parker advertisements in the 1950s. ” Not a prissy pink… not a sissy pink” and “Fire and ice” are two of many memorable ads....

Atomic Age Wallpaper
Written by Christopher in Design

Atomic Age Wallpaper

Whether you are redecorating your living room, planing on buying a mid-century modern flavored house or want to make your kitchen look more groovy, Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpaper has what you need. Their series of Atomic Age and Mod Generation wallpaper range from 1950s styled Googie patterns to exotic tropical Tiki to the revolutionary and psychedelic flower power look – perfect for any bachelor...

Mark Shaw’s Lost Audrey Hepburn Photos

Here are a few samples of famed photographer Mark Shaw’s photographs of the lovely Audrey Hepburn. The photos were taken circa 1953 in miss Hepburn’s house in Los Angeles and on the back lot of Sabrina. This entire collection have lingered forgotten for more than fifty years in a box at the home of Mark’s first wife and were rediscovered again in 2008. For more...

New York to London in 6½ Magic Hours

Seeing it’s Friday – why not embark on a delicious weekend trip to Europe. Our friends at Pan Am will take us on a 6½ hours long transatlantic flight from New York to London on their new Boeing 707 – the biggest jet plane of the late 1950s – holding up to 150 passengers. With a wingspan that is longer than the entire distance of...

A Mid-Century Gem Exposed in Los Angeles

Located in Los Feliz, in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, this stylish 1953 house going under the name “The Chew House” was built by architect Eugene Kinn Choy and is now up for sale if you got a cool $1,850,000 to spend. What fascinates me about this property is that there are so many original elements still intact, from the the tiles to...

Video

More retro goodness from the Prelinger archives. This film sheds some light on the early 1950s standardized building processes using asbestos sidewalls which apparently raised no red flags concerning health issues back then. Funny how awareness can change so quickly....

Fashion Photography by Mark Shaw

Here are a couple of excellent early 1960s fashion and style photos taken by famed photographer Mark Shaw. If you recognize the woman on the boat, it’s no other than Jacqueline Kennedy her self. Mark Shaw is best known for his photographs of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, which he shot originally for LIFE magazine. He also developed a strong friendship with JFK and Jackie...

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