by CU Newswire | Apr 30, 2026 | Yesteryear
Fashion for little girls in the mid-19th century was a charming reflection of Victorian societal values, blending innocence with a miniature version of adult elegance.
During this era, young girls typically wore “knee-length” dresses characterized by full skirts, puffed sleeves, and delicate lace trimmings. Unlike the somber tones of later years, mid-century children’s attire often featured cheerful ginghams, floral muslins, and rich velvets. A defining element of the period was the pantalettes: frilly, lace-edged drawers that peeked out from beneath the hemline, ensuring modesty while adding a playful touch.
These garments were not just clothing, but a rite of passage, as the lengthening of a girl’s skirt served as a visual marker of her journey toward womanhood in the Victorian world. These vintage portraits offer a precious window into a bygone era, where childhood fashion was an intricate art of lace, ribbons, and timeless grace.
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by CU Newswire | Apr 30, 2026 | Yesteryear
New York in the early 1900s was a city of breathtaking transformation, standing at the dawn of the American Century. It was a time when the skyline began its upward reach with the birth of the first skyscrapers, and the streets were a chaotic, vibrant symphony of horse-drawn carriages, early motorcars, and clanging streetcars.
From the bustling immigrant tenements of the Lower East Side to the opulence of Fifth Avenue, the city was a true melting pot of ambition and grit. This era captured the raw energy of a metropolis reinventing itself through the Industrial Revolution, the rise of Broadway, and the construction of the legendary New York City Subway.
Early 20th-century New York wasn’t just a place, it was a powerful vision of the modern world being built in real-time. Take a step back in time through these amazing photos to experience the grit, glamour, and grandeur of New York City in its most transformative era.
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| Cab stand at Madison Square, New York, circa 1900 |
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| Casino Theatre, Broadway, New York, circa 1900 |
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| Italian bread peddlers, Mulberry Street, New York, circa 1900 |
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| Prudential Building, Church and Pearl Streets. An early skyscraper, designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, Buffalo, New York, 1900 |
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| The Bowery near Grand Street, New York, circa 1900 |
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by CU Newswire | Apr 30, 2026 | Yesteryear
Michelle Pfeiffer’s role as Isabeau d’Anjou in the 1985 fantasy classic
Ladyhawke is often cited as the moment she became a true Hollywood icon. While she was already known for
Scarface, her presence on the set of
Ladyhawke was marked by a mix of ethereal beauty and a determined effort to be seen as more than just a “pretty face.”
Pfeiffer was initially hesitant to take the role because she didn’t want to play a “damsel in distress” or a “Disney princess romping through the woods.” However, her audition tape stood out for an unexpected reason: her sense of humor. She filmed a scene with a then-unknown friend named Kevin Costner (who read the part of Gaston). What truly won over director Richard Donner was a moment where she playfully mimicked a hawk on camera, providing her own “bird voice-over.” This showed a range and wit that convinced him she was perfect for the complex, tragic Isabeau.
The production was filmed almost entirely in central and northern Italy, moving through stunning medieval castles and the rugged Apennine Mountains. Despite the “ethereal” look of the film, the shoot was physically demanding. Scenes were filmed in locations like the Rocca Calascio (a ruined fortress 4,800 feet up a mountain) and the Dolomites. Famed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro used a specific lighting palette to emphasize the dawn and dusk transitions. Pfeiffer often had to be filmed in the “golden hour,” requiring precise timing and long waits on cold, high-altitude sets.
One of the film’s most famous elements is that the two leads, Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer (Navarre), are rarely on screen together due to the curse. On set, they had to maintain a “star-crossed” chemistry despite the logistical separation of their shooting schedules.
Pfeiffer worked alongside real red-tailed hawks (specifically one named Gift). Because she spent so much time with the bird handlers, she reportedly developed a great respect for the animals, even though she had to be careful; hawks are notoriously unpredictable on busy film sets.
The makeup and costume teams worked to give Pfeiffer a pale, almost translucent look to contrast with the dark, gritty medieval world. This “Audrey Hepburn-esque” quality was intentional, meant to make Isabeau feel like a creature not entirely of the human world.
The set dynamic changed significantly before filming began. Kurt Russell was originally cast as Navarre but dropped out during rehearsals. He was replaced by Rutger Hauer, whose European intensity changed the tone of the production and provided a more “knight-like” foil to Pfeiffer’s delicate but resilient Isabeau. Pfeiffer’s performance earned her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress, solidifying her status as a leading lady capable of carrying big-budget genre films.
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by CU Newswire | Apr 30, 2026 | Yesteryear
Tilly Losch (1903–1975) was a mesmerizing Austrian-born dancer, actress, and painter who epitomized the avant-garde glamour of the early 20th century. Celebrated for her ethereal beauty and “liquid” style of movement, she began her career as a prima ballerina in Vienna before taking the world stages of London and New York by storm.
Losch was a true muse of the Jazz Age, collaborating with legendary figures like Max Reinhardt and George Balanchine, and starring in opulent productions such as The Miracle and The Seven Deadly Sins. Beyond her technical brilliance, she was a cultural sensation whose life–marked by high-profile marriages and a later transition into evocative surrealist painting–remains a fascinating study of artistic reinvention and the haunting elegance of the Art Deco era.
These vintage photos capture the magnetic presence of Tilly Losch, a woman who moved through life with the same poetic grace she brought to the stage.
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by CU Newswire | Apr 30, 2026 | Culture Pop!
Rita Wilson has built a decades-long career in Hollywood while sharing a lasting marriage with Tom Hanks. Learn more about her here.
