Rare Photos Remind Us Of Our Nostalgic Past
By | July 31, 2017
It’s easy for any generation to feel nostalgic for what they consider the good old days. Looking back to a simpler time is comforting. Especially during the 1960s and 1970s, so much happened between those decades. We put a man on the moon, pop culture icons favorites were in their prime, and music actually meant something.
America gained and then tragically lost one of its most charismatic leaders, John F. Kennedy. We had the hippie movement, family television was actually wholesome, and the rise of rock ‘n’ roll gave birth to some of the most talented musicians of the modern era– like The Beatles. Take a stroll down memory lane with the rare photos collected in this slideshow.
Before Beyoncé there was Tina Turner (1971)
The similarities between these two fierce, leggy divas are not lost on modern audiences. Both women share an affinity for shimmery ensembles, picture-perfect locks, and the ability to sell out arenas. The pair may have even shared a stage together at the 50th annual Grammy Awards but there is only one Tina Turner. Beyoncé may have learned to emulate her stage presence but Tina Turner was one of the early trailblazers for black female entertainers.
Interestingly enough, Turner also got into Buddhism back in the 1970s, she found peace in the rituals of chanting and still adheres to the teachings of The Soka Gakkai International, (the largest Buddhist organization) today.
According to Turner, "The experience of singing prayers together allows us to deeply connect on an emotional level, a place of love and respect where worldly differences fade."
Before Donald Trump There Was John F. Kennedy (1963)
Jackie Kennedy was sitting right alongside her husband on that tragic day in Dallas. When the bullet struck him, blood sprayed all over her (now iconic) pink wool Chanel suit. She kept it on. After the chaos subsided and Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the new president, Jackie kept the bloody dress on. When asked if she’d like to change she replied,“Oh no, I want them to see what they’ve done to Jack.” The suit is now kept in the National Archives.
Before Justin Bieber there was Michael Jackson (1960s)
Justin Bieber may have tween girls swooning nowadays but let us not forget who the real king of pop is; Michael Jackson. First as a child performer in"The Jackson Five" with his family. Then in 1971, he moonwalked into a solo career that propelled him into pop icon status.
The Jacksons formed in 1964 first under the name the Jackson Brothers, then eventually The Jackson 5. The founding members were elder brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine. Soon younger brothers Marlon and Michael joined in.They did talent shows and club performances before finally entering the professional music scene in 1967.
Before Angelina Jolie there was Diana Rigg (1965)
Sultry on screen seductress Angelina Jolie, whose love life is notorious tabloid fodder, has a predecessor by the name of Diana Rigg. The gorgeous smokey eyed beauty was most famous for her role in the 1965 “Avengers” series and was often described as the most desirable woman in the world.
Like Jolie, her love life was just as public as her award winning career. Shamelessly dating a much older (married man), and boldly stating she had no desire "to be respectable". Nowadays Diana Rigg can be seen in Game of Thrones, as Olenna Tyrell.
Before Kate Upton there was Cheryl Tiegs (1983)
Model and actress Kate Upton became known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Appropriately named “Rookie of the Year” in 2011, Kate Upton doesn’t hold a candle to legendary supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. Tiegs was the first American Supermodel who appeared on the cover of multiple Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and TIME. Her 1978 "Pink Bikini" poster became an iconic image of pop culture.
Tiegs' had her big break at 17-years old after the editorial staff at Glamour saw a Cole's bathing suit ad she did. Tiegs was booked almost immediately on a shoot in Saint Thomas with Ali MacGraw, which resulted in her first Glamour cover. That same year she had also made the covers of Seventeen and Elle. She went on to make the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, among many others over the years.
Before Will Farrell There Was Robin Williams (1980)
Before Pamela Anderson There Was Joi Lansing (1950s)
Despite those similarities, there was an air of class Joi Lansing and her contemporaries possessed that Anderson did not. Perhaps it was because Joi played the part but didn’t become it. She never drank, smoked, or posed in the nude while managing to hold the male gaze for her entire career.
Before cost of living skyrocketed salaries were pretty proportionate
Nothing makes you want a time machine more than a cost of living comparison. Sure average salaries were lower than they are now but if you break it down, today’s cost of living is not as proportionate to average salary as it once was. One person working was enough to maintain a household, now it takes two. An average salary $7,844 seems low with today’s average of $48,098, but look at the cost of everything else. The average cost of a house was about two years salary. Now a modest house is about $300,000; that’s six-years salary.
Before Justin Timberlake The was Patrick Swayze
His last role was the lead in an A&E TV series, The Beast. Sadly, Swayze was unable to promote the series due to his declining health. Swayze had been battling cancer and was hospitalized with a series of complications from 2009 until his death in 2014.
Before Queen Latifah There Was Pam Grier aka Foxy Brown
The award-winning singer Queen Latifah has long been considered one of hip-hop's pioneer feminists and an all-around badass. The queen of Jazz-Rap also made her mark in film and television while influencing a whole slew of African American performer.
When it comes to strong, influential, feminist entertainers, she’s in good company with cinema legend Pam Grier. Grier starred in a string of “blaxploitation” films back in the 1970s and was the first real female action star. Playing roles like “Foxy Brown,” “Sheba Shayne,” and “Jackie Brown” earned her the rating of second greatest female action heroine in film history.
Before games on the iPhone there was Cootie (1960s)
Before Juliette Lewis there was Ann Margret (1960s)
From Cape Fear, to What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and Natural Born Killers, actress Juliette Lewis is infamous for her ability to transition from “good girl” to “bad girl” roles seamlessly. She also switched her career focus to music and embraced the rock star life.
While there are parallels between Lewis and her rebellious predecessor Ann-Margret, there’s no topping the Hollywood legend. The onscreen chameleon has been the sweet brunette, the foxy redhead, and the blonde bombshell. Her sexy, throaty singing voice had the public referring to her as the 'female Elvis’ and her love for motorcycles earned her a daredevil reputation.
When Doctors would make house calls (1950s)
Before Google there were Encyclopedias
Before Ryan Gosling there was Steve Mcqueen (1960s)
No leading man in modern-day Hollywood exudes that down to earth "cool" like Ryan Gosling. However, Gosling isn’t the first of his kind. Once known as the “King of Cool,” actor Steve McQueen rose to fame throughout the counterculture of the 1960s. He was the highest paid actor and the biggest box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s.
One of the really cool things about McQueen was that he was an avid motorcycle and race car enthusiast. And whenever the opportunity presented itself, he'd do his own stunts including part of the car chase scene in "Bullitt" and he did the motorcycle chase in "The Great Escape".
Before George Clooney there was Sean Connery
Actor George Clooney, though recently married in 2014, was a long-time ladies man. In fact, he was a bachelor of epic proportions. However, as far as distinguished heartbreakers go none have ever topped James Bond himself, Sean Connery.
Funnily enough, Bond author Ian Fleming was against the idea of Connery playing Bod at first, he wanted Cary Grant (could you even imagine that). But he later admitted that Connery was ‘ideal’ for the role after seeing his performance in Dr. No - and then he went on to adapt future novels to give Bond a Scots background like Connery.
Connery had a certain charm that only seemed to get better with age. Even at 69-years old, he was voted "Sexiest Man of the Century." Sorry, Clooney, no one can out suave Connery.
Before virtual reality headsets there was View-Master (1960s)
The latest version of this old-school toy has become a collaborative effort between Google and Mattel. They teamed to create a new View-Master called the View-Master Virtual Reality Viewer. It is based on virtual reality using smartphones, instead of a cardboard VR platform it uses a mobile app built using its SDK. The content is displayed on the screen which.. the phone is what's inserted into the unit.
Before strip clubs of today there were Burlesque shows (1840s)
Both forms of adult entertainment have the same end result; a naked performer. It’s all about how they got naked that makes the difference between stripping and Burlesque. Strip clubs are focused purely on the nudity. Burlesque is performance art, combining elements of theater and the 'art of the tease' to create an actual show. Dating as far back as the 1840s, Burlesque shows were usually meant to mock serious works while elaborately dressed performers strip off their costumes throughout the run of the performance.
Before iTunes there were Record Stores
The ability to download any song instantly from iTunes is amazing however, it completely robs music lovers the experience of music stores. There is nothing like immersing yourself in stacks of records. Not to mention the ambiance; floor to ceiling original album cover artwork, quirky but knowledgeable staff, and fun novelty items. Over the years formats have changed; 8-Tracks, cassette tapes and eventually C.D.s filled the racks. Then boom; one by one they began to close up shop as music went digital.
Before The Shins there was The Beatles
The indie rock band “The Shins” has long been compared to “The Beatles” but let’s get real here, there are tons of bands who were influenced by “The Beatles” but it’s not just about their sound. It’s their message, their entire demeanor, and the effect they had on their fans– which is directly related to their era of origin. Perhaps it could be said about all artists that they are a product of their time, but this is especially true for “The Beatles” and it makes replicating them impossible.
Before Digital Cameras there were Polaroids
Not that digital photography doesn’t offer gorgeous results instantly, (not to mention all the editing possibilities) but there’s just something about an old-fashioned Polaroid. The snap of the shutter, the whir as the photo spits out, and the anticipation as you wait for the haze to clear away. There’s no beating it.
Polaroid also created an instant movie camera system, called Polavision. You bought a kit and in it was a camera, some film, and a movie viewer. You'd shoot the movie, then take it out of the camera and slide it into the viewer where it would be developed. After that, you had yourself a groovy little Super 8 mm film.
The biggest issue was the low film speed (ASA 40), which meant you'd have to overcompensate with really bright lighting. It also didn't capture sound so the novelty of these things wore off fast. Especially once VHS came out and the Super 8 format became outdated. It was a neat idea though.
Before Lady Gaga there was David Bowie
There is literally no singular artist that could truly compare to David Bowie. The only way to adequately attempt a modern approach to Bowie’s style would be to create a Trent Reznor-Bjork-Lady Gaga hybrid. However, Lady Gaga has consistently taken on the role of reinventing the “artistic mega pop star” at an extreme level, much like Bowie did. But of course, the truth remains, she’s no David Bowie. His innovation with music, performance art, and visual presentation as a whole are unmatched.
Before Cameron Diaz there was Farrah Fawcett
Actresses Cameron Diaz and Farrah Fawcett may both be gorgeous blondes with legs for days and former “Charlie’s Angels,” but only Farrah has reached official pop-culture icon status. In addition to every woman in the U.S. begging stylists for “Farrah hair,” it seems every man in the country was pretty obsessed with her too. Fawcett's iconic red swimsuit poster sold an astounding 20 million copies.
Farrah Fawcett was one of the most successful actresses of her time. Strutting through the 1970s as one of Charlie’s Angels not only cemented her sex-icon status in Hollywood history, but it also earned her four Emmys and six Golden Globe Awards nominations. And her iconic swimsuit poster became the best-selling pin-up poster in history!
Before Gigi Hadid there was Brigitte Bardot
The French model, actress, singer, and original blonde bombshell; Brigitte Bardot’s charms and immense talent won the world over. Despite her distance, her style, grace, and eventually her passion for animal rights heavily influenced style and culture as a whole. Fashion designs were named after her, her hair and makeup style has been emulated across the world, and she even has a signature pose models try to reproduce to this very day.
Before Courtney Love there was Janis Joplin
Before event planner theatrics there were at-home birthday parties
Kid’s birthday parties have become nothing more than displays of PTA showmanship. Nowadays it’s completely normal for a 1-year-old to have gourmet catering, a video arcade, pony rides, face painters, and contortionists. None of which they’ll remember or even get to participate in because… they’re only one.
What ever happened to simple birthday parties? Playing ring-toss, pin-the-tail on the donkey, and Twister. Then pigging out on ice cream and mom’s homemade cake because let's face it, they may not be as elaborate as store-bought cakes, but they taste better.
Before M. Night Shyamalan there was Alfred Hitchcock
Director M. Night Shyamalan is heavily influenced by Hitchcock as can be seen in his use of symbolism, twist-endings, and his tendency to appear in his own films. However, as Shyamalan’s career went on, his “twists” became less impactful and more predictable. Alfred Hitchcock invented the techniques many filmmakers use today. Hitchcock pioneered the suspense and thriller genres, no one can compare to the "Master of Suspense".
Oddly enough, Hitchcock never won a "Best Director Oscar" Award in his lifetime... even though he is now widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time. Although his contributions to cinema did not go unnoticed, he'd received nominations and won other awards. Perhaps the coolest honor bestowed on him was when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth just a few months before his death.
Before "Netflix and chill" there were Drive-Ins (1960s)
Netflix may have improved the quality of life for the masses, however, it’s put a damper on date night for long-term couples. What about the good ol’ days of drive-in dates? It's always nicer to put in the effort to look nice for the guy/gal you’re ‘going steady’ with (which won't happen if you're home on the couch). And with drive-ins, you still get some privacy because you're in your own car. Drive-ins were at their peak in popularity during the late 1950s and early 1960s. They were a favorite date spot for teens and eventually dubbed "passion pits" because of the excessive make out sessions.