http://www.ultraswank.net Retro Living and Design from the 50s, 60s and 70s Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:56:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:24:37 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3454 Gone with the Wind, Spartacus, Pillow Talk, To Have and Have Not… these are some of the films that comes to mind when we think of “Classic Hollywood” today. But what of the actors and actresses who appeared in them, the men and women who defined glamour and romance during Hollywood’s golden age… where are [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/a-visit-to-london-in-1957/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/a-visit-to-london-in-1957/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:38:42 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3185 A trip to yesteryear London in 1957, about a decade before the height of “Swinging London” with its youth oriented fashion, music, art and culture scenes. Places depicted are among others Cambridge Circus, Palace Pier and Trafalgar Square. What do you prefer, London in 1957 or 2011? Photos by Kai Krog Halse (Via)]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/a-visit-to-london-in-1957/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/event/century-21-seattle-worlds-fair-1962/ http://www.ultraswank.net/event/century-21-seattle-worlds-fair-1962/#comments Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:44:38 +0000 Katharine Miller http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3004 Let’s climb aboard the Alweg Monorail in Downtown Seattle and take a trip back to the 1962 World’s Fair: Man in the Space Age. The Century 21 Exposition brought the first World’s Fair in North America since 1940 and the United States was eager to demonstrate its new ideas and advancements in technology, science and [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/event/century-21-seattle-worlds-fair-1962/feed/ 3 http://www.ultraswank.net/stores/shopping-spree-part-10/ http://www.ultraswank.net/stores/shopping-spree-part-10/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:15:46 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2983 Let’s kick off the new year by spending some of that hard earned money at the local shopping center. Perhaps a new color television, that black suit that’s now on sale or why not a new kitchen appliance for the wifey? There is something for everyone. Where shall we go first? Montgomery Ward, SS Kresgne, [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/stores/shopping-spree-part-10/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/stockholm-street-scenes-then-and-now/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/stockholm-street-scenes-then-and-now/#comments Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:16:03 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2818 Time for some more nostalgia, this time from Stockholm, Sweden. I always find it amazing how quickly things can change, usually it’s for the better – but anyone who reads this blog knows that’s not true at all. Depicted are a bunch of street scenes from the capital of Sweden, taken between 1945 and 1978. [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/stockholm-street-scenes-then-and-now/feed/ 7 http://www.ultraswank.net/readable/50-years-of-the-playboy-bunny/ http://www.ultraswank.net/readable/50-years-of-the-playboy-bunny/#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 06:56:06 +0000 Baron von Swankenstein http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2780 In the mid-20th century, lounges and nightclubs served up large doses of fantasy to American adults weary of the recent realities of World War II. Primarily, this was done in two ways: One way appealed to exoticism and escape from modern society while the other reveled in modernity and urban sophistication. If one wanted exoticism, [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/readable/50-years-of-the-playboy-bunny/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:49:15 +0000 Amy Thyr http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2771 The recent exhibit of Deborah Aschheim’s drawings and architectural installations at Edward Cella A+A focused attention to the iconic modernist landmarks of Southern California that once represented the future. Aschheim’s works documented these structures, once the symbols of Southern California’s utopian dreams, which are now forlorn, crumbling commercial towers, buildings, and centers. Treated for the [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/memories-modernism-and-our-concepts-of-a-misremembered-future/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swingin-london-street-scenes/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swingin-london-street-scenes/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:42:34 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2735 Various photos, scans and stills from London in the mid 1960s, when the term “Swingin’ London” was in full effect. Love how even the rainiest, gloomy day in London can look beautiful back then. Photos via SwingingLondon on Flickr.]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swingin-london-street-scenes/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swank-mid-century-desert-pad/ http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swank-mid-century-desert-pad/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:31:18 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2596 The Brick House have visited a couple who have done a fantastic job of redecorating and restoring their home back to its original style and feel. Located in the high desert of Southern California, they invites us to a house tour. Jill and T.K. have been DIYing the crap out of their mid century pad [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/architecture/swank-mid-century-desert-pad/feed/ 3 http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/retro-offices/ http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/retro-offices/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:34:24 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=1803 Here is something for all you office / gadget geeks. Corporate environments used to be stylish, fun and zany a couple of decades ago, pre cubicle-land, Lumberghs and Hawaiian shirt day. Look at those big machines and the women who knows how to operate them, pretty sassy huh? There are a bunch of more retro [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/retro-offices/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swedens-oldest-amusement-park/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swedens-oldest-amusement-park/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:04:31 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=1692 Gröna Lund in Stockholm is one of a handful amusement parks in Sweden. It might not be the biggest one, but it is certainly the oldest. Built in 1883, on the seashore overlooking the masses of water that divides Stockholm into something that sometimes is referred to as the Swedish version of Venice. Over exaggerated [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/swedens-oldest-amusement-park/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/large-collection-of-audrey-hepburn-articles/ http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/large-collection-of-audrey-hepburn-articles/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:14:54 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=1149 Seeing it’s Monday and we all love Audrey Hepburn here’s a really swell collection of scanned Audrey articles from various magazines from all over the world. The creator of The Audrey Hepburn Library realized a long time ago that it was nearly impossible finding good source material that wasn’t already covered in biographies about her [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/large-collection-of-audrey-hepburn-articles/feed/ 6 http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/californian-vintage-photos-redux/ http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/californian-vintage-photos-redux/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:53:06 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=771 Digital painter Melvin Hale uses modern technology to make old black and white photos come alive again. Melvin’s studio is located in Palm Springs, California where he has been working on refining his technology of digitally colorizing and restoring vintage black and white images of mid-century America – including roadside attractions, portraits, buildings and a [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/inspiration/californian-vintage-photos-redux/feed/ 1 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/welcome-to-sweden/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/welcome-to-sweden/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:46:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/welcome-to-sweden/ Enjoy fine dining and lodging at our many motels, eateries, gas stations and… castles conveniently placed along highways stretching cross country.]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/welcome-to-sweden/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/helsingborg-in-the-1960s/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/helsingborg-in-the-1960s/#comments Sun, 27 Aug 2006 13:34:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/helsingborg-in-the-1960s/ I got a e-mail today from Lasse who has been a frequent visitor to my blog and really likes the postcards and music I post here. So he was nice enough to supply me with three scanned postcards from Helsingborg from the 1960s to help continue my Swedish 1960s marathon. Helsingborg was a major boat [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/helsingborg-in-the-1960s/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/halmstad-in-the-1960s/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/halmstad-in-the-1960s/#comments Fri, 25 Aug 2006 14:24:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/halmstad-in-the-1960s/ Looks like I am stuck in the 60s. I found some nice photos of how Halmstad looked back then. Halmstad is located on the southern westcoast of Sweden and is famous for its beaches, golf courses and tourists during the summers.]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/halmstad-in-the-1960s/feed/ 6 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/malmo-in-the-1960s/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/malmo-in-the-1960s/#comments Sun, 13 Aug 2006 22:15:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/malmo-in-the-1960s/ I have decided to continue posting old postcards from Malmö. Here are four more which depicts how the central parts of Malmö looked in the 1960s, notice how vibrant everything looks and feels. I lived there myself for almost two years between 2002 and 2004, can’t really say I appreciate the changes the city went [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/malmo-in-the-1960s/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/the-last-day-of-the-trams/ http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/the-last-day-of-the-trams/#comments Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:34:00 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/uncategorized/the-last-day-of-the-trams/ Trams are a thing of the past. Nowadays, they have been replaced by buses, subways or cars. Sweden have had its share of trams. I can name at least five major cities that had them. Stockholm was one of them, but the Stockholm transport authority decided to remove them when Sweden switched from left side, [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/roadtrip/the-last-day-of-the-trams/feed/ 8