Vintage | MONOVISIONS - Black & White Photography Magazine

Vintage: Lady Dancing With Skeleton by Franz Fiedler (1923)

20 September 2019 0

Franz Fiedler (1885 – 1956) was a German photographer. Fiedler was born in Prostějov, near Olomouc in Moravia. Fiedler was a pupil of Hugo Erfurth. He was regarded as an eccentric during his apprenticeship in Pilsen, and worked in 1905…

Vintage: Midwest (1910s) Glass photo negatives

16 September 2019 0

Collection of antique glass plate negatives found by William Creswell. Most of these supposedly date from around 1913 and originate in the Midwest. At least one clue places these images in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area.

Vintage: Our Modern Maidens (1929)

14 September 2019 0

Our Modern Maidens is a 1929 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conway. Starring Joan Crawford in her last silent film role, the film also stars Rod La Rocque, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Anita Page. Heiress Billie Brown (Crawford),…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Holy Land, Syria (19th Century)

10 September 2019 0

In 1516, the Ottoman Empire invaded the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, conquering Syria, and incorporating it into its empire. The Ottoman system was not burdensome to Syrians because the Turks respected Arabic as the language of the Quran, and accepted…

Vintage: Portraits of Norma Shearer – Silent Movie Star

4 September 2019 0

Norma Shearer (1902 – 1983) was a Canadian-American actress and Hollywood star. Shearer appeared in a few silent movies, but her time in Hollywood coincided with the transition from silent films to sound. She took the lead in MGM’s second…

Vintage: Paris by Émile Zola (1900s)

26 August 2019 0

Émile Zola (1840 – 1902) was a French novelist, playwright, journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of…

Vintage: Italy (19th Century)

22 August 2019 0

In many ways, the roots of several well known aspects of Italian culture find their origin in the 19th century. The land, the food and the people were all shaped by warfare, struggle and the desire for independence. Most of…

Vintage: R.M.S. “Mauretania” (1906)

18 August 2019 0

RMS Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Wigham Richardson and Swan Hunter for the British Cunard Line, launched on the afternoon of 20 September 1906. Mauretania departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on 16…

Vintage: Glass Plate Negatives of Norfolk, Virginia (1919)

6 August 2019 0

In the 1980’s 46 glass plate negatives were found in the attic of a Norfolk home. The plates measured 8.5” x 6.5”. Through the generous support of the Norfolk Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Old Dominion University, and Colorcraft…

Vintage: Portraits of Betty Bronson – Silent Movie Star

4 August 2019 0

Betty Bronson (1906 – 1971) was an American television and film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Bronson began her film career at the age of 16 with a bit part in Anna Ascends. At 17,…

Vintage: Midwest (1910s) Antique glass photo negatives

20 July 2019 0

Vintage: Queen Christina (1933)

14 July 2019 0

Queen Christina is a pre-Code Hollywood biographical film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1933. It stars Swedish-born actress Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in their fourth and last film together. The film was directed by Rouben Mamoulian in 1933, and written…

Vintage: Historic B&W photos of Benares (Varanasi), India (1890s)

10 July 2019 0

The Kingdom of Benares was given official status by the Mughals in 1737, and continued as a dynasty-governed area until Indian independence in 1947, during the reign of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. In the 18th century, Muhammad Shah ordered the…

Vintage: Portraits of Betty Compson – Silent Movie Star

5 July 2019 0

Betty Compson (1897 – 1974) was an American actress most famous in silent films and early talkies. Playing in vaudeville sketches with touring circuits, Compson got noticed by Hollywood producers. While touring, she was discovered by comedic producer Al Christie…

Vintage: Portraits by James Abbe (1920s)

17 June 2019 0

James Abbe (1883 – 1973) was an American photographer. His career as international photographer was first boosted by the Washington Post, which commissioned him to travel and take photographs of a 16-day voyage with the American battleship fleet to England…