Yesteryear

Martin Short’s Daughter Katherine Dies At 42

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For generations, Martin Short has made audiences forget their worries, if only for a moment. His gift for comedy defined an era, but his proudest role always existed away from the spotlight. As a husband and father, Martin Short built a life rooted in love, resilience, and quiet devotion. This week, that private world was […]

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Suzanne Pleshette: The Voice and Wit of Television’s Golden Era

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Suzanne Pleshette (1937–2008) was a quintessential star of American stage and screen, celebrated for her husky, sultry voice and a sharp comedic wit that made her a household name.

While Pleshette began her career as a serious dramatic actress on Broadway and in films like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, she found her greatest fame as Emily Hartley on the 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. As Emily, she redefined the “sitcom wife” by portraying a woman who was fiercely intelligent, independent, and an equal partner to her husband, all delivered with her signature dry humor.

Her career spanned five decades, earning her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and cementing her status as a versatile performer who could pivot effortlessly from high-stakes drama to sophisticated banter. Off-screen, Pleshette was beloved for her earthy personality and “tell-it-like-it-is” attitude, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most charismatic and enduring figures of the Golden Age of Television.

Daguerreotype Portrait of “Mona Lisa of the Deep” Found in the Wreck of a Ship That Sank in 1857

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In 2014, an extraordinary discovery emerged from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean: a hauntingly well-preserved daguerreotype of an unidentified woman, found in the wreckage of the SS Central America. The ship had sunk in 1857, resting about 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) deep off the coast of South Carolina. Alongside this enigmatic portrait, explorers recovered a staggering treasure valued at over $765 million in today’s currency.

As scientists worked to recover gold and other items from the ship in 2014, they found more than 100 photos, many in glass case holders. A majority were degraded beyond recognition, but 10 standouts are remarkably clear, including this striking daguerreotype portrait, which was found in a pile of the ship’s coal on the seabed. Because the deep ocean is cold, dark, and low in oxygen, and because daguerreotypes are made on metal rather than paper, the image was perfectly preserved.

Scientists dubbed it the “Mona Lisa of the Deep” due to the woman’s enigmatic smile and the hauntingly clear preservation of the image after 157 years underwater. To this day, the woman remains unidentified. Historians believe she may have been a relative of one of the miners, a “treasure” more personal and valuable to its owner than the gold that sank with it. In March 2023, the original daguerreotype was sold at auction for $73,800.

“She’s the Mona Lisa of the depths… staring up at the living from the seabed,” said Bob Evans, Chief Scientist of the recovery mission.

In September 1857, the SS Central America was traveling from Panama to New York City. It was carrying over 30,000 pounds (13.6 tonnes) of gold, much of it belonging to miners returning from the California Gold Rush, to help bolster New York banks during a financial crisis.

On September 9, the ship encountered a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of the Carolinas. For days, the crew and passengers fought to keep the ship afloat. On September 12, 1857, the ship’s boilers failed, leaving it powerless. Despite rescue efforts by passing vessels, the SS Central America sank roughly 160 miles off the coast of South Carolina.

The sinking of the SS Central America remains one of the most significant maritime disasters in American history. Of the 578 people on board, 425 lost their lives. The loss of the gold cargo was so massive that it directly contributed to the Panic of 1857, the first global economic recession.

The wreck was located in 1988 at a depth of 7,200 feet (1.3 miles), but the “Mona Lisa of the Deep” wasn’t recovered until a later expedition in 2014.

Small Hats, Big Impact: The Visionary Craft of Michael Chanda

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Born in Czechoslovakia and brought to the United States as an infant, Michael Chanda (1920–2004), known simply by his mononym, Chanda, was a master milliner whose career was defined by youthful elegance and a keen understanding of the modern woman.

After honing his craft for three years at the prestigious salon of Hattie Carnegie and gaining experience with New York theatrical designers, Chanda launched his own business in 1944. He carved out a unique niche in the market by specializing in small, understated hats, recognizing that petite frames and comfort were often overlooked in mainstream fashion.

Chanda’s signature style transcended generational boundaries, his “trademark” youthful hats were designed to be worn by women aged 20 to 70 alike. He believed that a small, sophisticated headpiece did more than just fit well, it possessed a transformative power, making the wearer look both younger and effortlessly “right.” His legacy remains a testament to the idea that true style is not about age, but about the timeless grace of well-proportioned design.

Betty Threatt wearing a hat made up of gold surplus Navy braid by Chanda, silver faille dress by Charles James, Kislav gloves, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper’s Bazaar, November 1946

Inga Lindgren in beautifully cut gray flannel dress, gold threads lining the neck and sleeves by Jo Copeland, small gold braid hat by Chanda, jewelry by Verdura, photo by Richard Avedon, Harper’s Bazaar, October 1946

Bambi Lynn, star of “Alice in Wonderland”, in hat by Chanda, photo by Serge Balkin, Glamour, 1947

Dorian Leigh in a wrap coat sweeping from a lavish fox collar to a narrow swathed look at the hem by Carolyn, hat by Chanda, Vogue, October 1, 1947

Dorian Leigh in satin with crêpe dress ftrom Carolyn, hat by Chanda, Harper’s Bazaar, July 1, 1947

Candid Photographs of James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor During the Filming of “Giant” in 1955

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During the filming of Giant in 1955, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor formed a deep, legendary friendship. Their bond was built on late-night conversations and shared vulnerabilities while on location in Marfa, Texas. Taylor (23) and Dean (24) became inseparable during the grueling shoot. They were both young stars navigating the pressures of Hollywood, but they came from different worlds: Taylor was the polished product of the MGM studio system, while Dean was the volatile poster boy for Method acting.

The two famously stayed up until the early morning hours in Taylor’s trailer or at the El Paisano Hotel, talking for hours. It was during these sessions that Dean reportedly confided his deepest traumas to Taylor, including the childhood abuse he suffered after his mother’s death. “We would sometimes sit up until three in the morning,” Elizabeth recalled, “and the next day he would just look straight through me as if he’d given away or revealed too much of himself.”

The set was often tense because Dean and co-star Rock Hudson famously disliked each other. Hudson found Dean’s “mumbling” and eccentric acting style unprofessional. Taylor, who became lifelong friends with Hudson, often acted as the emotional bridge between the two men.

The most poignant chapter of their friendship is its sudden end. James Dean was killed in a car accident just as the Texas portion of filming was wrapping up. Director George Stevens broke the news to the cast and crew while they were watching “dailies” (raw footage). Taylor was so devastated she reportedly had to be hospitalized for several days due to physical illness brought on by grief.

In a move Taylor never forgave, Stevens forced her to return to work the very next day to film reaction shots for a scene she had originally played with Dean. She had to act “in love” with the space where her deceased friend should have been standing.

The photographs of them from 1955 remain some of the most iconic images of the Golden Age. They capture a rare, unguarded moment of two icons who found a brief sanctuary in each other before one of them became an immortal legend.

106 Year-Old William Casby With His Great-Great-Granddaughter Photographed by Richard Avedon, 1963

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In 1963, Richard Avedon’s camera captured a moment that collapses time. William Casby, born in 1857, holds his great-great-granddaughter Cherri Stamps-McCray. He’s 106. She’s an infant. The contrast is jarring.

Captured on March 24, 1963, in Algiers, Louisiana, this photograph serves as a “living bridge” between eras of American history.

Born into slavery in 1857 in Algiers, Louisiana (or possibly Danville, Virginia, according to some records), Casby was among the last living Americans with direct memories of enslavement. He later worked as a longshoreman in Louisiana and lived to the age of 113, passing away in 1970.

Avedon traveled to the South after reading a newspaper article about Casby’s 106th birthday. The photo was taken on March 24, 1963, just months before the March on Washington. It was part of Avedon’s collaboration with writer James Baldwin for the book Nothing Personal (1964), which explored the state of American identity.

William Casby, one of the last living Americans born into slavery, surrounded by several generations of his family, Algiers, Louisiana, March 24, 1963. “It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere,” Baldwin writes in Nothing Personal. “To know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light. What the light reveals is danger, and what it demands is faith.”

Avedon utilized his signature minimalist approach to give the portrait a “forensic” intensity. By stripping away environmental context, Avedon forces the viewer to confront Casby’s physical presence, the “avalanche of age” reflected in his deep wrinkles and steady gaze.

This large-format camera captured immense detail, emphasizing the texture of Casby’s skin and the sheer size of his hands, which many viewers note look like those of a man who worked hard his entire life (he was a longshoreman for decades).

William Casby, Algiers, Louisiana, March 24, 1963.

The photograph is often cited by historians and critics (including Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida) for its ability to collapse time. When it was published, it served as a reminder that slavery was not “ancient history;” the man in the photo had personally experienced it, yet was alive to hold a child who would grow up in the space-age 20th century.

Going To Extremes

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1 9 9 2 – 1 9 9 3 (USA) 17 x 60 minute episodes “Welcome to Jantique, One Happy Island!” This odd mix of medical drama, eccentric characters, reggae music, beautiful scenery and fun in the sun was filmed on location in Jamaica and produced for ABC by the creators of St Elsewhere, I’ll Fly […]

Go Lucky

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1 9 5 1 (USA) 8 x 30 minute episodes Debuting on 15 July 1951, this Sunday evening comedy game show from CBS – the summer replacement for This is Show Business – gave contestants the challenge of identifying an activity (fishing, bowling, burping a baby etc) by asking questions of the host, Jan Murray. The […]

Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, The (1966)

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A Russian submarine runs aground off the American coastline and becomes stranded near Cape Cod. A nine-man team commanded by Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin) goes ashore to search for a motorboat to release the sub. The team arrive at the summer house of holidaying New York writer Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner), who is spending the […]

Leonard Campbell Taylor: The Master of Quiet Interiors

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Leonard Campbell Taylor (1874–1966) was a distinguished British painter celebrated for his quiet, meticulously crafted interior scenes that evoke a sense of timeless tranquility.

Greatly influenced by the 17th-century Dutch Masters like Johannes Vermeer, Taylor’s work is defined by its exquisite rendering of light and a profound appreciation for stillness. His compositions often feature solitary figures, frequently women, engaged in quiet domestic activities within elegantly appointed, sun-drenched rooms.

Beyond his domestic subjects, Taylor served as an official war artist during both World Wars, where he applied his disciplined technique to document naval and military life. Today, he is remembered as a master of the “New English” style, a painter who captured the dignity of the ordinary and the poetic beauty of the English interior with unparalleled precision and grace.

Arabella

Battledore

Contemplation

Far Away Thoughts

Intermezzo