Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures
Swank Style Surprise Discovered
Written by Guest Writer in Interior

Swank Style Surprise Discovered

I had the occasion this past summer to stay in a Motel 6 here in the U.S. for the first time in many years. I was most pleasantly surprised at the new look of the room. It was simple, utilitarian, but perhaps best of all, something new in that it reminded me of mid-century America with a bit of a nod to Deco, 1950s “Space-Age”...

Video
Written by Christopher in Kitsch

How to Date in the 1950s

How would you get into dating if you were a teenager in the suburbs of America in the 1950s? Ever wonder how social life was like for your mother, father, grandmother or grandfather? The video is taken from the Coronet collection, which features lots of fascinating vintage movies about growing up in the 1940s and 1950s. What are your thoughts on dating today versus 60...

1964 Vision of Man Exploring Mars

The weekend is around the corner and to inspire you here is artist Robert McCall’s vision of man exploring Mars, scanned from the October 1964 issue of Life Magazine. McCall did many illustrations for NASA in the 1960s as well the movie 2001 by Stanley Kubrick. Have a great weekend!...

1964 New York World’s Fair Futurama Ride

General Motors was (believe it or not) a pioneer exhibitor back in mid-century USA, often with the technical assistance of Walt Disney’s Imagineers. Their Futarama attraction, was created for the New York World’s Fair in 1939, and it was brought back and updated for the 1964 World’s Fair which offered its riders a glimpse into what life in the year 2024 would be like. Here we...

Welcome to Fabulous Los Angeles Jetport

This is Los Angeles International Airport (Jetport), it was built in the late 1950s and was at the time one of the biggest airports in America. They first envisioned it to be even bigger in the anticipation of the “jet age” with lots of terminals and buildings connected through a huge steel-and-glass dome building but the plan was deemed unrealistic and scrapped. Instead the famous...

Retro Cocktails For Your Pad
Written by Christopher in Drinkable

Retro Cocktails For Your Pad

Do you know who Tom Collins is? Ever tried a Old Fashioned? Here are a couple of ideas for drinks that will make sure that your next retro themed Mad Men cocktail party is one for the books. Which is your favorite retro cocktail? Bottoms up from Ultra Swank. Martini 2 oz. Gin or Vodka 2 drops Dry Vermouth (use less Vermouth for a drier...

Mr. Lucky Television Series
Written by Guest Writer in Music

Mr. Lucky Television Series

Mr. Lucky was a relatively short-lived (34 episodes) 1959-1960 television series. It starred actors John Vivyan as the suave professional gambler, “Mr. Lucky”, and Ross Martin as his sidekick, Andamo. Most of the action in this crime drama took place on or around Mr. Lucky’s floating casino/pad called “The Fortuna”. Possibly the most memorable thing about the show was the cool, jazzy theme and background...

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