Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures

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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...

What Airports Looked Like in the 1970s

I have always felt that there is something cosy and homey about the color schemes of the 1970s. Dark and powerful earth colors dominated the design of the corporate, home and commercial western world. From shopping malls, to the basement den to the airport. So, follow us as we visit some airports of the period to experience what checking in was like in the 1970s....

Rendezvous in Paris – Two Chic Boutique Hotels

Check into and discover two stylishly chic boutique hotels located in the enchanting French capital of Paris. Whether you prefer clean lines and designer chairs, or refined details and fabrics with a touch of 18th century charm, Le Général and Caron De Beaumarchais offer their visitors a unique diversity that will have any design lover clapping their hands in delight. For those of you who...

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Written by Christopher in Roadtrip

Las Vegas in 1962

Jeff Altman, who we have featured in a couple of other videos before returns with a trip to fantastic Las Vegas, Nevada. Shot in 1962 by his late grandfather, Jeff inherited his tens of thousands of feet of 16mm film years ago and he have only just found himself in the position to properly go through it all, which I am sure all retro lovers...

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Written by Christopher in Roadtrip

Look at Life – Taxi! Taxi!

Another fun, goofy and kitschy episode of “Look at life” from The Rank Organisation. This one is dated March 1960 at takes a look at London Taxi cabs and how the drivers learn “The Knowledge”. Look at Life was a regular British series of short documentary films of which over 500 were produced between 1959 and 1968 by the Special Features Division of the Rank...

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Join us as we take a look at Piccadilly Circus, London at the height of the Swinging Sixties! Picadilly Circus underwent some major changes to modernize it for a changing world at this time, which destroyed a lot of what you see here. We also take a look at the underground life of Piccadilly to experience some rare sights that few people have ever seen....

Save the Worldport – A Piece of Pan Am History
Written by Baron von Swankenstein in Travel

Save the Worldport – A Piece of Pan Am History

Every mid-century maven knows Pan Am. All swank jet-setting dreams began with the famed airline. The first to employ luxury jetliners (Boeing 707s in 1958 and Boeing 747s in 1970), Pan Am was one of the founders of the commercial Jet Age. With 86 destination countries on all six major continents at its peak in 1968, the Pan Am name was synonymous with style, luxury,...

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