WWII Air Raid Shelters, Deluxe and Otherwise — 1939

As Britain entered the war, well-founded fears of bombings and gas attacks led citizens and communities to construct air raid shelters. More illustrations inside.

by High Shrink
Posted on July 18, 2017September 7, 2020
1910s

The motorcycle was first used in active service by the U.S. military by Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing in order to chase Pancho Villa across rugged terrain — some were outfitted with sidecars and Colt machine guns.

Movie poster for a saucy, pre-code spoof of late-’20s Hollywood. “Big-shots,” look out.

by High Shrink
Posted on July 17, 2017September 26, 2018
1890s

Miss Corinne Baker in her eye-popping windmill dress — perfect from the tip of her kooky hat to the bottom of her windmill-blade skirt. And everything else in between. See the full-length photo inside.

The Iceberg Cafe was a Route 66 fixture for years. Check out several great photos of the roadside attraction inside.

Camera setup for an early industrial film about the Larkin Factories in Buffalo, New York. More on the film inside.

Read about the woman who smuggled Cuban rum through U.S. Customs in a hollowed-out undergarment.

Fantastic mid-century woodcut depicting Cleveland, by artist and printmaker Doris Seidler. More inside.

Nine arresting covers from the long-running Nation’s Business magazine, illustrating the dynamism of industrial growth which was about to be challenged by the fast-approaching Great Depression.

Poor sad watermelon! This was one of a set of 12 Valentine’s Day cards featuring anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables (yes, it’s a Valentine’s card!). More at the link.