There are numerous times in my role as the self- appointed retro cultural historian for Boston that I feel just like Gloria Swanson in 1960 standing in that classic photo taken amidst the destruction of the once splendid crown jewel of cinemas, The Roxy Theater in New York City. Boston, like so many other American cities, has been pillaged… truly stripped bare of what made...
Here’s something for the bachelor (or bachelorette) pad that has everything. Michael Gillette is the creative genius behind these unique covers of Penguin’s Ian Fleming James Bond novels that have instantly became iconic classics with every retro lover. Much requested, they are now available as limited edition, signed and numbered prints in conjunction with Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. Printed to the highest standards by the...
Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, New York and Paris and London have provided lively settings for many popular films. But what of Berlin? With its combination of old world glitzy decadence and the stark deprivation of modernity, Berlin captured the imagination of many filmmakers throughout the...
Come fly with me… to fabulous and fantastic Las Vegas! Established in 1905, it was nowhere near the oasis of fun, sin and lost weekends as it is known for today. But when major developments and projectes surfaced in the 1940s, the city starting growing larger and larger. Shady organized crime personalties saw opportunities to be made in this new desert haven. Big hotel casinos...
“Shopping” is one of the first interior shopping center ever built. This mid-century gem is hidden away in the cold northern parts of Sweden. Designed and conceptualized by famed British-Swedish architect Ralph Erskine and completed in 1955. After visiting an open-air shopping mall in Canada with harsh weather conditions, Erskine wanted to create a place that would be enjoyable for everyone all year round, not...
From Retro Christmas Card Company, comes a handful of original, well designed retro Holiday Cards that trend with the popularity of 1950s and 1960s themes as seen in the television shows “Mad Men“, “Pan Am” and 2011 film “The Help“. Featuring fun, nostalgic images of 1950’s and ’60’s Retro American Christmas. Set up the aluminum tree, plug in the color wheel, and put Bing on...
Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, many filmmakers have been drawn to the old school majesty of London. Here are a few films where London—a city of striking contrasts— makes an appearance. Indiscreet (1958) “How dare he make love to me and not be a married man!” So...