Vintage | MONOVISIONS - Black & White Photography Magazine

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Helgoland, Germany (1890s)

4 July 2022 0

In 1826, Heligoland became a seaside spa and soon turned into a popular tourist resort for the European upper class. The island attracted artists and writers, especially from Germany and Austria who apparently enjoyed the comparatively liberal atmosphere, including Heinrich…

Vintage: Cliff House in San Francisco (1900s)

1 July 2022 0

In 1896, Adolph Sutro rebuilt the Cliff House from the ground up as a seven-story Victorian chateau, called by some “the Gingerbread Palace”, below his estate on the bluffs of Sutro Heights. This was the same year work began on…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Tessin, Switzerland (1890s)

25 June 2022 0

In the early 19th century, the contemporary Franco-Danish scholar Conrad Malte-Brun stated that: “The canton of Tesino [Ticino] is the poorest, and the people the most ignorant of any in Switzerland. The finest silk in the district is obtained at…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (1890s)

14 June 2022 0

Contrary to the hopes of German Schleswig-Holsteiners, the area did not gain its independence, but was annexed as a province of Prussia in 1867. Also following the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, section five of the Peace of Prague stipulated that…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Towns in Scotland (1890s)

3 June 2022 0

Industrialisation, urbanisation and the Disruption of 1843 all undermined the tradition of parish schools. From 1830 the state began to fund buildings with grants; then from 1846 it was funding schools by direct sponsorship; and in 1872 Scotland moved to…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Anhalt, Germany (1890s)

22 May 2022 0

After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the remaining Anhalt divisions – Bernburg, Dessau and Köthen – were elevated to duchies by Napoleon while the Electorate of Saxony became a Kingdom; all were part of Napoleon’s Confederation…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Lubeck, Germany (1890s)

10 May 2022 0

Humans settled in the area around what today is Lübeck after the last Ice Age ended about 9700 BCE. Lübeck is famous for having been the cradle and the de facto capital of the Hanseatic League. Its city centre is…

Vintage: General Motors streetcar conspiracy

2 January 2022 0

Between 1938 and 1950, National City Lines and its subsidiaries, American City Lines and Pacific City Lines—with investment from GM, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California (through a subsidiary), Federal Engineering, Phillips Petroleum, and Mack Trucks—gained control of additional transit…

Vintage: Downtown Christmas Decorations

19 December 2021 0

Once reliant upon Germany for its ornaments, toys, and even its Christmas customs, America became self-sufficient in the post-War years with Christmas ornaments and toys being manufactured in the United States that were considerably less expensive than their German counterparts.…

Vintage: Christmas in New York City (1910s)

15 December 2021 0

The date of Christmas and some American traditions have pagan roots. In the Roman Empire, December 25th was the day of “natalis solis invict” (the Roman birth of the unconquered sun), and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian “Sun of…

Flying Train “Wuppertal Schwebebahn” in Germany, 1902

15 July 2021 0

Construction on the actual Schwebebahn began in 1898, overseen by the government’s master builder, Wilhelm Feldmann. On 24 October 1900, Emperor Wilhelm II participated in a monorail trial run. In 1901 the railway came into operation. It opened in sections:…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Brussels in 1908

30 June 2021 0

During the 19th century, the population of Brussels grew considerably; from about 80,000 to more than 625,000 people for the city and its surroundings. The Senne had become a serious health hazard, and from 1867 to 1871, under the tenure…

Vintage: Portraits by Ruth Harriet Louise (1920s)

28 April 2020 0

Ruth Harriet Louise (1903 – 1940) was an American professional photographer, the first woman photographer active in Hollywood; she ran Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s portrait studio from 1925 to 1930. Louise began working as a portrait photographer in 1922, working out of a…

Vintage: Three Eyed Cats by Weegee

20 April 2020 0

Arthur Fellig, known by his pseudonym Weegee was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white photography. The three eyed cat meaning relates to the symbolism of the mythical creature that appears in many ancient spiritual texts.…