Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures

1960s

What Kind of Man is a Lounge Lothario

Today’s “me, me, me society” has led to a different type of man, a man who stands for little. A man who has a lot of unhealthy personal habits and very often is unattractive to women because of these self centered habits. Koop Kooper is a traditional man who is self confident and clear in his intentions in both love life, career and friendships. Today...

Let’s Play Swinging JiveCat Voodoo Lounge – A Retro Board Game

Game designer Seth Roback was raised in 1970s southern California and was considerably influenced by Disneyland, Googie architecture, and Jay Ward cartoons. Today, Roback resides in Seattle and has taken his love of mid-20th century pop culture and turned it into his first board game, Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge, which is currently crowd-funding on Kickstarter. Here’s what he had to say when he discussed his...

Luggage: From Ocean Liners to the 1960s International Jet Set

Look back at the 20th century and you’ll struggle to find a moment where the world was not in a state of flux. From the Titanic to the two biggest wars in human history; the invention of computers to nuclear fission, the 20th century is peppered with transformative events and technological developments which ushered in massive changes to our way of life. One of the...

Huddle Restaurants – Googie Symbols of California

Huddle was a chain of coffee-shops and restaurants primarily located around California. Designed around the ever so popular and playful Googie-type theme that was found all over the state in the 1950s and 1960s. Bold and colorful lettering, shapes and swirls and patterns that was meant to be a reference to space-age living. But, what happened to them? Huddle was the brainchild of entrepreneur Paul...

A Tour of the Time & Life Building in the 1960s

The Time & Life Building, located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, were designed by the Rockefeller family’s architects, Harrison & Abramowitz & Harris. The iconic building was completed in 1959, and actually serves as base of operations for fictional ad-agency Sterling Draper & Partners. Let’s explore further. It is evident by looking at these photos that the set designers of AMC’s Mad Men took...

Let Robert Drasnin Inspire You to Collect Vinyl Again

People still dig vinyl records. Of course, you, as a swinging Lounge Revivalist, knew that already. A big deal was made this year when Jack White cut a live version of the title track to his album Lazaretto, rushed it to press, and had the vinyl in-store for sale the same day. And fans, and a lot of the media, acted like they’d never heard...

A Tour of the Sterling Cooper & Partners Office

Ever wondered what it would be like to work at Sterling Cooper & Partners along Don Draper and Peggy Olsen? Are you an admirer of the mid-century furniture, wallpaper and design? Well, look no further. Ultra Swank has jetted off to New York to take a tour of the latest incarnation of the home of Mad Men… and women. Both the agency’s name, look and...

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