Franz Laskoff: Master of Belle Époque Poster Art

by | Jul 4, 2026 | Yesteryear

Franz Laskoff (1869–1921) was a Hungarian-born artist and illustrator who became one of the leading figures in early 20th-century poster art and graphic design.

Working primarily in Italy and France during the Belle Époque period, Laskoff was known for his elegant Art Nouveau style, characterized by graceful figures, flowing lines, vibrant colors, and decorative sophistication. He created numerous beautiful posters and advertisements for fashion houses, luxury products, theaters, and cultural events, often featuring ethereal, idealized women and a strong sense of harmony and ornamentation.
Though his career was relatively short, Laskoff left a significant mark on the golden age of poster art. These elegant and beautifully composed posters showcase his exceptional talent for blending graceful figures, flowing lines, and decorative sophistication, securing his place as one of the most refined illustrators of the Belle Époque era.
Exposition Rétrospective Alsacienne et Lorraine, Pavillon de l’Orangerie, Strasbourg, 1895

E. & A. Mele & Ci., Oggi Occasioni, 1897

Paletots per Uomo, Eleganti-Perfetti, E. & A. Mele & Ci., circa 1898

S. Petrus, Oratorio Sacro del Padre Hartmann, 1899

Avanti!, circa 1900

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20 Photos of a Very Young Tom Cruise on the Set of “Losin’ It” (1982)

by | Jul 4, 2026 | Yesteryear

Before his breakout roles in Risky Business and The Outsiders made him a household name, a 20-year-old Tom Cruise starred in the teen comedy Losin’ It (1982). Directed by Curtis Hanson, the film follows a group of teenagers who take a road trip to Tijuana, Mexico.

In the film, Cruise plays a shy, clean-cut kid named Woody. In a rare twist for a Tom Cruise movie, his character actually loses a quick bar fight against his co-star John Stockwell. After Cruise’s character tries to defend Shelley Long’s character, Stockwell’s character promptly slugs him, and Cruise is forced to walk away.

On the set of the film, Cruise experienced a massive learning curve that fundamentally shaped his ultra-disciplined approach to his future film career. He later described the set of Losin’ It as a major wake-up call. Coming off the highly intense, well-organized set of Taps, he found the low-budget, non-union production of Losin’ It disorganized. He realized for the first time that “some people didn’t know how to make movies” and lacked a shared passion for quality. The experience was so jarring that he vowed never to work that way again, prompting him to seek out highly structured, rehearsal-heavy projects like Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders immediately afterward.
The film was shot mostly on location in Calexico, California. Because it was a low-budget production, the environment was highly chaotic. The crew worked grueling six-night weeks for over a month. The production was so strapped for cash that they had to cast at least ten crew members in acting roles and rely heavily on local townspeople as extras.

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Polaroids of James A. Mahoney as Uncle Sam Taken by Andy Warhol in 1981

by | Jul 4, 2026 | Yesteryear

“I think the best thing we decided to do is have people come and dress up in the costumes and we’ll take the pictures ourselves,” Andy Warhol told his Diaries on January 13, 1981 of his new Myths series. Commissioned by gallerist Ronald Feldman, the series depicts 10 imaginary characters from pop culture, including Uncle Sam. To represent this character from Americana, Warhol and Feldman hired James A. Mahoney, an actor known mostly for his work in advertising.
Warhol photographed Mahoney on December 1980 film stock at 860 Broadway, taking more than 70 Polaroids of the actor. Makeup artist Jac Colello was on hand to style his costume, which included a star-spangled top hat, a fluffy white beard and wig, and a suit that featured red-and-white striped pants.
While Warhol had multiple acetates made from different Polaroids and drawings, he ended up choosing a frontal image of Mahoney for both the prints and paintings. As was his style at the time, Warhol used a combination of line screens derived from a drawing and a halftone from a Polaroid to create the Uncle Sam paintings.
In a letter from Mahoney to Warhol and Feldman on August 15, 1981, he thanked them both for a silkscreen of Uncle Sam.

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