Yesteryear

Stunning Photographs of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin on Stage in the 1970s

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Robert Plant (born August 20, 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their break-up in 1980. In the 1970s, Plant defined the blueprint for the quintessential rock-and-roll frontman. Leading Led Zeppelin, his stage presence combined raw sexuality, Norse-god aesthetics, and mythic charisma.

He utilized a high-tenor belt, mixing bluesy moans with glass-shattering falsetto screams on anthems like “Immigrant Song” and “Whole Lotta Love.” A central concert feature was his live vocal dueling with Jimmy Page’s Gibson Les Paul, mimicking guitar bends note-for-note in real time. Tracks rarely matched their studio arrangements; Plant filled instrumental breaks with improvised vocal runs, blues riffs, and rhythmic chants.

Plant regularly wore unbuttoned or low-tied silk shirts, bare chest, ultra-tight denim jeans, silver talismans, and a voluminous mane of golden ringlets. His stage image fused late-1960s counterculture mysticism with high-glam rock spectacle, setting the visual template for hard rock singers for decades to come.

He commanded massive stadium stages with dramatic postures, frequently leaning back at sharp angles while holding the microphone skyward during long, sustained notes. Rather than staying tied to the mic stand, he paced the full width of the stage, working stadium crowds with fluid movement and theatrical hand gestures.

Suzy Parker: Iconic Supermodel of the 1950s

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Suzy Parker (1932–2003), born Cecilia Ann Renee Parker, was one of the most celebrated American fashion models of the 1950s. With her striking red hair, refined features, and elegant presence, she became a favorite of photographers such as Richard Avedon and a leading face of high fashion.

Parker appeared on dozens of magazine covers, including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and was the first model reported to earn $100,000 a year. She later transitioned into acting, appearing in films such as Funny Face (1957) and The Best of Everything (1959).

Widely regarded as one of the first true supermodels, Parker helped define the glamour and sophistication of mid-century fashion. These vintage photos capture the radiant beauty and timeless elegance of Suzy Parker, a true icon of 1950s fashion and style.

Suzy Parker in silk shantung dress with white embroidered detail by Cohama, photo by Genevieve Naylor, New York, 1951

Suzy Parker in slate-blue suit by Brigance, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1951

Suzy Parker in a summer dress of white linen by Mollie Parnis, photo by Clifford Coffin, February 1952

Suzy Parker in black crepe dress with finely pleated skirt by Larry Aldrich, jewelry by Verdura, photo by Irving Penn, 1952

Suzy Parker in gown by Jacques Fath, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, April 1952

Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Colleen Moore in the 1910s

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Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era and continued into the early sound film era. In the 1910s, she was an aspiring teenager taking her very first steps into Hollywood, sporting a completely different look than the iconic, short-bobbed flapper image that later made her famous in the 1920s. Throughout the 1910s, Moore still had her long, curly Victorian-style hair. She did not cut her signature “Dutch-boy bob” until 1923 for her breakthrough role in Flaming Youth.

Born Kathleen Morrison in 1899, she landed a contract with D.W. Griffith at age 15 in 1917. The deal was a favor to her uncle, a Chicago newspaper editor who helped Griffith get major films past local censors. Instead of playing the jazz-age rebels of her later career, her early roles from 1917 to 1919 cast her as innocent heroines, frequently starring in B-movie Westerns alongside cowboy stars like Tom Mix. She earned supporting roles in five films right after arriving in Hollywood. She quickly scored her first major title role playing Annie in the 1918 film Little Orphan Annie.

Legendary Sharpshooter of the American West: 30 Vintage Portraits of Annie Oakley in the Late 19th Century

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Annie Oakley (1860–1926), born Phoebe Ann Moses in Darke County, Ohio, was one of the most famous sharpshooters in American history.

Rising from a difficult childhood, Oakley developed extraordinary marksmanship skills that helped support her family. After defeating professional shooter Frank Butler in a contest, and later marrying him, she rose to international fame as a star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Known as “Little Sure Shot,” Oakley amazed audiences across America and Europe with her precision, grace, and showmanship, becoming a pioneering female performer and enduring symbol of the American frontier. These vintage photos capture portraits of Annie Oakley in the late 19th century.

Beautiful Jill St. John Photographed by Martin Mills in 1965

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These portraits of Jill St. John captured by Hollywood photographer Martin Mills are a classic representation of 1960s glamour. The photos were taken in Los Angeles, California, where Mills regularly documented top-tier Hollywood talent.

By 1965, St. John was establishing herself as a versatile presence in both feature films and television, appearing in high-profile projects like The Liquidator (1965) and preparing for her iconic television appearances in Batman (1966) as Molly, the Riddler’s moll.

Unlike standard promotional headshots of the 1950s that relied on rigid studio lighting and heavy makeup, Mills utilized soft, natural lighting and tight framing to highlight a relaxed, candid vulnerability typical of mid-1960s editorial portraiture. He was a prominent celebrity photographer during the 1960s and 1970s, frequently shooting cover portraits and behind-the-scenes feature spreads for major publications like Life, Look, and TV Guide.

Lupe Vélez: The Mexican Spitfire of Classic Hollywood

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Lupe Vélez (1908–1944), born María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was a vibrant and fiery actress known as “The Mexican Spitfire.” She rose to fame in Hollywood during the late 1920s and 1930s, first gaining attention opposite Douglas Fairbanks in The Gaucho (1927).

With her expressive features, energetic presence, and comedic talent, Vélez starred in a series of popular films, including the Mexican Spitfire comedies of the early 1940s. Though her career was marked by both success and personal turmoil, she remains remembered as one of the most dynamic Latin American stars of classic Hollywood.

These vintage photos capture the fiery charm, beauty, and unforgettable energy of Lupe Vélez, the legendary “Mexican Spitfire” of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

30 Photos of a Very Young and Cute John Deacon of Queen in the 1970s

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In the 1970s, John Deacon (born August 19, 1951) was the quiet, steady anchor of Queen who provided the essential musical, technical, and financial stability the band needed to achieve global superstardom. As the final member to join the lineup in March 1971, his calm presence perfectly balanced the fiery, larger-than-life personalities of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor.

Deacon graduated with honors in Electronics from Chelsea College in 1972. He immediately used these skills to build the legendary, homemade “Deacy Amp” out of spare radio parts. This tiny amplifier became a foundational element of Queen’s sonic identity, allowing Brian May to layer his guitar tracks to sound like an entire orchestra. In the early days, Deacon also acted as the band’s de facto technician, fixing gear and optimizing their live stage sound.

Though initially intimidated as the “new boy” and content to leave the songwriting to Mercury and May, Deacon slowly emerged as a powerhouse pop-funk songwriter. His first solo composition was “Misfire” on the 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack, introducing a softer rhythm style to the band. In 1975, he broke through globally by writing the massive hit “You’re My Best Friend” for the seminal album A Night at the Opera. He famously played the electric piano on the track because Mercury refused to touch the instrument. He closed out the decade by writing fan favorites like “Spread Your Wings” (1977) and “In Only Seven Days” (1978).

While his bandmates embraced the chaotic, lavish lifestyle of 1970s rockstars, Deacon remained grounded. Possessing a highly methodical mindset, he took over Queen’s business affairs and financial management after they severed ties with their early, exploitative management contracts. Freddie Mercury frequently noted that Deacon was the savior of Queen’s finances, keeping the band from going broke during their rise to fame.

Deacon purposefully stayed out of the limelight. He famously hated interviews, rarely spoke into microphones on stage, and used Mercury’s massive stage persona as a shield to protect his own privacy. While Queen conquered the world, Deacon quietly married his wife Veronica in 1975 and began raising a family away from the paparazzi.

25 Stunning Portraits of Catherine Deneuve on the Set of “Le Sauvage” (1975)

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These stunning portraits capture Catherine Deneuve at the height of her elegance during the filming of the 1975 romantic comedy Le Sauvage. Shot on set and in promotional sessions, the photographs showcase her cool beauty, refined features, and effortless sophistication that defined her screen presence throughout the 1970s.

Whether posing in stylish period costumes or captured in candid moments between takes, Deneuve radiates the timeless allure that made her one of the most iconic actresses of French cinema. These images offer a captivating glimpse into her work and style during one of the most memorable periods of her career.

A Young and Handsome Robert Redford Photographed by Ron Greene in New York, 1959

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Ron Greene first met Robert Redford in 1959 when Redford was a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and Greene was working as a photographer. Redford contacted Greene for head shots, and they had several photo sessions. Greene described Redford as a “natural before the camera” who required very little direction. Greene also mentioned visiting Redford and his wife, Lola, and believed a friendship had developed between them.

However, after a family tragedy where Redford and his wife’s infant son died, the contact between them was lost. Years later, when Greene saw Redford on a film set, he attempted to reconnect, but Redford did not remember him. Greene then recalled that Redford had not paid for a photograph he had ordered and was glad he had brought a copy with him, which Redford immediately recognized and paid the seven dollars he owed.

“Robert Redford was my friend. Or maybe he wasn’t. Time has a way of shifting the narrative.” Here’s the story as told by Greene:

“I met Redford in 1959 when he was a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I had come to New York earlier in the year hoping to become a fashion photographer. That ambition faded quickly when I realized I was more interested in the models than the clothes. Not quite ready to give up photography, I drifted into theater work.

“I was living in my second floor photo studio in Hell’s Kitchen, just scraping by, when Redford phoned about head shots. I had never heard of him, few people had. He came by a few days later and we started what would be the first of several photo sessions.

“I noticed immediately that he stood out from the other acting students who passed through my studio. He seemed more intense, more intelligent, and more introspective than most. I liked him immediately, I think because he was totally devoted to his career but not in the least pretentious. There wasn’t anything “theatrical” in his manner.

“But what a natural before the camera! Over the years people have asked how I got Redford to pose as he did. The answer is that I did very little directing; I just pointed the camera and he did the rest. People have also asked about the cigarettes. He didn’t inhale.

“Redford returned to the studio two or three of times over the next few weeks and I visited him and his wife Lola once or twice in their Upper East Side apartment. A friendship developed (at least in my mind), but was interrupted by a terrible family crisis. Lola and Robert’s month’s-old child, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome.

“I wanted to call to see how they were doing, but felt awkward and just couldn’t get myself to pick up the phone. It seems dumb now, but that’s the way it was.”

Greene’s story is a personal reflection on the nature of their relationship, questioning whether their connection was a true friendship or merely a professional one that he had exaggerated in his own mind.

35 Fabulous Photos of Shelley Winters in the 1950s

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Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress, whose film career spanned seven decades. In the 1950s, Winters underwent a massive career transformation, evolving from a Hollywood “blonde bombshell” into a highly respected, Academy Award-winning dramatic character actress.

At the start of the decade, Winters was under contract with Universal-International Pictures, where she was pushed into highly sexualized, “bombshell” roles. She frequently played femme fatales, barflies, and Western heroines in films like Winchester ’73 (1950) and Frenchie (1950). During this time, she was celebrated as a symbol of mid-century glamour and style.

Disenchanted with being typecast, Winters actively fought for serious roles. Her definitive turning point came in 1951. In George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun (1951), she deliberately shed her glam image to play Alice Tripp, a desperate, plain factory worker. The performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and redefined her trajectory. She delivered iconic performances in Charles Laughton’s cult noir thriller The Night of the Hunter (1955) as Willa Harper and in Robert Aldrich’s The Big Knife (1955).

Frustrated by Hollywood’s continued reliance on shallow roles, Winters temporarily left Los Angeles for New York City in the mid-1950s. She joined the prestigious Actors Studio to study method acting and reestablished her critical reputation on Broadway, starring in the acclaimed, drug-themed play A Hatful of Rain (1955).

Winters capped off the decade with the ultimate validation of her artistic shift. She won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her raw portrayal of Mrs. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959).