Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures

Design • advertising • interior • architecture

Future Forcaster Radebaugh
Written by James Vaughan in Advertising

Future Forcaster Radebaugh

“Closer Than We Think!” shouts the headline. It looks like a comic and probably ran in the funnies section of the Sunday Chicago Tribune and it’s affiliates. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s artist Arthur Radebaugh forecast a soon to be techno-future of magical and fantastic innovation. As a regular feature in widespread newspaper syndication, his cartoon like “Closer Than We Think!” may have...

Barbie Loves Mad Men
Written by Christopher in Design

Barbie Loves Mad Men

The first Barbie doll was launched in around the same period as the award winning television show Mad Men depicts. So what could be better than to combine the two and release a special Mad Men collectors series for adults. Here’s a fun chance to act out what adventures could happen with Don Draper, his wife Betty and ginger bombshell Joan Holloway in the same...

Return of the Retro Kitchen Appliances

American company Big Chill came up with the brilliant idea of launching a line of kitchen appliances that have modern functionality, efficiency and dependability but that look like they are straight out of the 50s. If you always wanted that pink retro kitchen, here’s your chance – with the added bonus that you don’t have to venture out on a long and slow quest to...

IKEA Design and Identity Through the Years

This book looks really swell! There are probably no one left in the world who hasn’t heard about IKEA with its affordable build-it-your-self-furniture concept. Ingvar Kamprad, the man behind IKEA was only seventeen when started his soon to be blooming enterprise in 1943. Ten years later he opened his first IKEA store in Sweden. Today there are over 200 stores worldwide and as much as...

LG Retro Television
Written by Christopher in Design

LG Retro Television

If you miss the old days when television was black and white and the television-sets were anything but dull looking, LG has a treat in store for you! They call it “The LG Serie 1 Retro Classic TV” and comes with a 4:3 ratio 14 inch display screen which can be tuned to either color mode, sepia or black and white – perfect for watching...

Retro Inspired Personal Computer – A 1950s Styled Design Concept

The ’50s are back and making its way into the design of everyday gadgetry. If you are a fan of Apple’s personal computers I bet you will dig this concept for a home computer. The “Philco PC” takes its inspiration from the 1954 design classic Philco Predicta, as well as an eclectic mixture of modern minimalism, the steampunk movement, and antiques. Sadly this is still...

Eero Saarinens JFK Terminal – Home of Trans World Airlines

The JFK Trans World Airlines (TWA) terminal was designed by the great Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. Built in a very modernist and expressionistic style it was completed in 1962 and set the standard for how modern jet travel was perceived back in its glory days. You might have seen the building in a handful of movies, everything from Hell up in Harlem, Death Wish to...

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