Yesteryear

The Story of Gunnar Kaasen and His Lead Dog Balto, Who Delivered Diphtheria Antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, Saving the City From an Epidemic, 1925

by editor@creativeunderworld.com | Yesteryear | 0 Comments

In January 1925, a severe outbreak of diphtheria struck the isolated port town of Nome, Alaska. With the town’s supply of antitoxin expired and the port blocked by frozen sea ice, the local children faced certain death. Deep sub-zero winter temperatures and severe blizzards made flying impossible.

To save the town, officials organized a relay of 20 mushers and over 150 sled dogs to transport the life-saving medicine, known today as the 1925 Serum Run to Nome (or the “Great Race of Mercy”). The serum was carried by train from Anchorage to Nenana, where the dog teams took over for a grueling 674-mile journey through the wilderness.

Gunnar Kaasen, a Norwegian-born gold miner and experienced musher, was assigned the final stretches of the relay. His team was led by Balto, a black Siberian Husky who was generally considered a slow “working dog” in the kennel of famed breeder Leonhard Seppala, rather than a prized racer.

Kaasen and his 13-dog team picked up the serum at Bluff, Alaska, intending to hand it off to the next musher at Point Safety. However, the weather conditions deteriorated into a blinding blizzard with hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions. The gale was so fierce that Kaasen could not even see the dogs closest to his sled.

Trusting his lead dog’s instincts, Kaasen gave Balto his head. Balto successfully navigated the frozen terrain, kept the team on the obscured trail, and even saved them from certain disaster in the drifting snow. When they reached the next checkpoint at Point Safety, the relief musher was asleep because he believed the storm had halted Kaasen’s progress. Knowing the urgency and with his team still running well, Kaasen made the decision to push through the final miles himself.

On February 2, 1925, at 5:30 a.m., Kaasen and Balto drove their team onto Front Street in Nome. The entire 674-mile relay had been completed in just over five days, a record-breaking pace that successfully delivered the antitoxin and halted the epidemic.

Because they were the team that crossed the finish line, Kaasen and Balto instantly became global media sensations. They toured the United States, starred in a short film, and were honored with a famous bronze statue of Balto in New York City’s Central Park, unveiled in December 1925.

Marina Berti: Elegant Star of Italian and Hollywood Cinema

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Marina Berti (1924–2002), born Elena Maureen Bertolino in London to an Italian father and English mother, was an Italian actress known for her refined beauty and expressive presence. She began her film career in the early 1940s and appeared in nearly 100 films over six decades.

Berti worked in both Italian cinema and major Hollywood productions filmed in Italy, including memorable roles in Quo Vadis (1951), Ben-Hur (1959), and Cleopatra (1963). Equally at home in dramatic and supporting parts, she brought elegance and intensity to the screen.

Married to actor and director Claudio Gora, Berti remained active in film until her final appearance in 2002. These captivating photos highlight the elegance, poise, and lasting screen presence of Marina Berti, a memorable figure of mid-century Italian and international cinema.

Vintage On-Set Portraits of Claudette Colbert From “The Sign of the Cross” (1932)

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These vintage on-set portraits capture Claudette Colbert during the filming of Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The Sign of the Cross (1932). In the film, Colbert plays the seductive and ruthless Empress Poppaea, wife of Nero, in one of her most memorable early roles.

The photos highlight her striking presence, glamorous costumes, and the dramatic atmosphere of the production. Shot during the making of this pre-Code spectacle, the images offer a rare and elegant glimpse of Colbert at the height of her early Hollywood stardom.

A Young Xi Jinping Posing in Front of the Golden Gate Bridge During His Very First Trip to the United States

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This photograph shows Xi Jinping in 1985 posing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California during his very first trip to the United States. At the time, Xi was 31 years old and serving as a county-level Communist Party secretary in Zhengding County, Hebei Province.

Xi traveled to the United States as part of a five-man agricultural delegation tasked with studying American farming, livestock, and local governance practices. San Francisco was his very first stop upon arriving in the United States. Following his brief time sightseeing in California, he traveled to the Midwest, where he famously stayed with a host family in Muscatine, Iowa, to learn about corn and hog farming.

The most-remembered part was a few days he spent with local families. Xi and his translator stayed with Thomas and Eleanor Dvorchak at 2911 Bonnie Drive. Xi slept in the bedroom of their son Gary (then away at college), which still had Star Trek figures and sports-themed décor. Hosts and organizers (notably Sarah Lande of the Iowa Sister States committee) later recalled his politeness, curiosity, and lack of complaint. Xi later described the visit as his “first face-to-face contact with the Americans” and said the days spent with them were unforgettable. He specifically remembered seeing the Mississippi River (inspired by reading Mark Twain as a boy) and the address where he stayed

While the photo has been part of China’s official media archives for years, it made global headlines in November 2023 during the APEC Summit in San Francisco. During a high-stakes meeting at the Filoli estate, U.S. President Joe Biden pulled out his iPhone and showed this exact photo to President Xi. Biden jokingly asked him, “Do you know this young man?” to which Xi smiled and replied, “Oh yes, this was 38 years ago.”

See more photos from Xi Jinping’s first trip to the USA in 1985:

Historical Photos of the Deadwood Coach From the 19th Century

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The Deadwood Coach (or Deadwood Stagecoach) is one of the most famous and historic stagecoaches of the American West, celebrated for its perilous journeys during the Black Hills Gold Rush and its subsequent global fame as a star attraction in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows.

The iconic coach was built in 1863 by the renowned Abbott-Downing Company in Concord, New Hampshire. It was equipped with innovative thoroughbrace leather springs that allowed the carriage to sway instead of bouncing violently, making it uniquely suited for rugged frontier terrain. In 1864, it was shipped “around the Horn” of South America to San Francisco, California, alongside a fleet of other coaches. After operating for several years in the mountains of California, it was transferred east to Wyoming and the Dakota Territory to serve the newly booming gold mining settlements.

Beginning in 1876, the stagecoach became a vital lifeline for the region, transporting mail, gold, and passengers along grueling routes like the Cheyenne to Deadwood Trail. Because it frequently carried massive fortunes in gold dust and bullion out of the Black Hills, it became a prime target for notorious highwaymen like Pegleg Bradley and Dunk Blackbird. The coach’s history is filled with dramatic frontier lore.

The coach suffered its first major tragedy when driver John Slaughter was shot and killed by bandits in White Wood Canyon. The horses bolted, outwitting the outlaws and bringing the passengers and coach safely to the next station. To combat relentless ambushes, operators eventually constructed specialized, steel-plated “treasure coaches” equipped with portholes for shotgun messengers and bolted-down “salamander safes” designed to resist forced entry. Legendary Western figures, including Calamity Jane, spent time guarding or driving the Deadwood stage routes.

The stagecoach lines remained highly active until the arrival of the railroad in December 1890, which rendered horse-drawn stage transit obsolete.

The coach entered its second era of fame when William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody purchased it for his world-famous Wild West Show. For decades, the actual battle-scarred vehicle traveled across America and Europe. It served as the centerpiece for thrilling, theatrical reenactments of bandit ambushes and Native American attacks, performed for millions of spectators, including European royalty.

The legendary status of the coach inspired a 1924 silent Western film titled The Deadwood Coach, starring Tom Mix. Though the film itself is now considered a lost film due to the degradation of silent era film stock, the legacy of the physical coach lives on through surviving examples preserved in institutions like the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

30 Lovely Vintage Photos of Children With Their Cats in the Early 1900s

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These lovely vintage photos capture children posing with their cats in the early 1900s. The images show young boys and girls gently holding, sitting beside, or playfully interacting with their feline companions in simple home and outdoor settings.

Soft expressions, period clothing, and the quiet presence of the cats create a warm and intimate atmosphere. The photos offer a charming and nostalgic glimpse of childhood and the timeless bond between children and their pets more than a century ago.

Fascinating Photos of the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee

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Taken by Steven Martin, these fascinating photos capture the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, an international exposition themed around energy that drew more than 11 million visitors. The images show the distinctive Sunsphere, international pavilions, crowds exploring exhibits, and the lively atmosphere of the six-month event.

From futuristic architecture and cultural displays to everyday scenes of fairgoers, the photos preserve a vivid record of one of the last successful world’s fairs held in the United States. They offer a nostalgic glimpse of Knoxville at a moment when the city stood on the global stage.

China Pavilion, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville

Circus model exhibit, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville

Concert Pavilion, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville

Esplanade crossing over a street leading to the international pavilions. The Canada and Australia pavilions are visible, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville

The Father of Modern Knife Throwing: Amazing Photos of Signor Arcaris in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

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Signor Arcaris, whose real name was Gustavo Arcaris, is widely celebrated as the “Father of Modern Knife Throwing.” Operating during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he became one of history’s greatest impalement artists, transforming knife throwing from a martial skill into a premier circus spectacle.

Hailing from Naples, Italy, Arcaris was an exceptionally skilled marksman with blades and battle-axes. In the late 1880s, his extraordinary precision caught the eye of legendary American showman P.T. Barnum, who discovered him in Italy and brought him to the United States. Arcaris was integrated into the Barnum & Bailey Circus, instantly captivating American audiences who had never seen an impalement act performed with such theatrical danger and surgical accuracy. He later headlined for other massive entertainment operations, including the Ringling Bros. Circus around the turn of the century.

Arcaris’s acts were heavily marketed on their sheer peril. Billed as “The Great Arcaris,” his performance consisted of throwing large, heavy knives and combat axes at a human target girl who stood perfectly still against a wooden backboard. The success of the act relied entirely on absolute trust and synchronization. For much of his prime career, his primary assistant was his sister, Kate Arcaris (frequently billed on show posters as Miss Rose Arcaris). As he grew older, his sister retired from the board, and he was joined by his nieces from Italy, Rosina (often called Rosie) and Kate, who took over the perilous role of standing amidst his flying blades.

Before Arcaris, throwing blades was largely viewed as a practical martial art or an obscure skill. Through decades of touring the variety theater and circus sideshow circuits of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, he standardized the aesthetics, pacing, and mechanics of the theatrical “impalement act.” He permanently retired from show business in the late 1920s, leaving behind a legacy that inspired generations of circus performers.

30 Stunning Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Helen Hayes in the 1920s

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Helen Hayes (October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. During the 1920s, she established herself as a major Broadway star, transitioning from a rising young talent into one of the most respected leading ladies of the American theatre. Having just turned 20 at the start of the decade, the 1920s became a period of intense professional growth, critical challenges, and major personal milestones for her.

Hayes received her first starring Broadway role playing a flapper in Bab (1920). The show’s success made her the youngest actress to have her name in lights on Broadway. Her sudden ascendancy also prompted a distributor to release The Weavers of Life, the only silent film she made during that era, which had been shelved for three years.

Despite her popularity, early 1920s critics targeted her “shrill voice,” tense stage presence, and poor posture, with one critic dismissing her as merely trying to “get by on her cuteness.” Hayes systematically worked to correct these weaknesses by disciplining her posture and learning how to relax on stage.

Her performance as Maggie Wylie in James Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows (1926) restored her to the critics’ good graces, solidified her status as a top-tier actress, and became one of her definitive signature roles. Impressed by her depth, producer Jed Harris cast her in the tragic leading role of an aristocratic Southern belle in Coquette (1927), proving her immense range in serious drama alongside light comedy.

In 1928, Hayes married the prominent journalist and playwright Charles MacArthur. Their celebrated union lasted until his death in 1956. Because MacArthur was a divorced Protestant and Hayes was a devout Roman Catholic, the Catholic Church denied her communion for the duration of their marriage.

By the end of the 1920s, Hayes had laid the groundwork that would eventually earn her the title of the “First Lady of the American Theatre” and make her the first woman to win EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award).

Ulla Bomser: Elegant Face of 1960s Fashion

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Ulla Bomser is a Danish-born fashion model who rose to prominence in the mid-1960s, working in both New York and Paris. Known for her refined features and poised presence, she appeared in high-fashion editorials, including notable spreads for Vogue photographed by Gianni Penati.

Bomser modeled designs by leading couturiers of the era, such as Oscar de la Renta, embodying the elegant and sophisticated style of late-1960s fashion. After retiring from modeling in the early 1970s, Bomser later worked in film as an actress and assistant director, and co-founded a modeling agency in Milan.

These stylish photos capture the refined elegance and distinctive presence of Ulla Bomser, a memorable face of 1960s high fashion.

Ulla Bomser and Vidal Sassoon, photo by Francesco Scavullo, 1965

Ulla Bomser wearing a strapless corselet in lacy white nylon marquisette and Lycra net by Bien Jolie, hair by Vidal Sassoon, photo by Francesco Scavullo, Harper’s Bazaar, November 1965

Ulla Bomser wearing a thin bandeau in white nylon spandex with small bows and held in place by elastic bands by Rudi Gernreich for Exquisite Form, photo by Francesco Scavullo, Harper’s Bazaar, November 1965

Ulla Bomser in military two-piece dress in officer-green, tobacco or white by William pearson, hat by Emme, Vogue, December 1, 1966

Ulla Bomser in textured rayon and silk dress with demi-plastron bodice with twin buttons above side pockets by Louis Feraud for Saks Fifth Avenue, Vogue, March 1, 1966