20 of the Best Portraits of Grace Jones of the 1980s

Grace Jones, who turns 76 today, has always possessed an inimitable aesthetic vision. Meticulously crafted and ever-evolving in collaboration with French creator and ex-paramour Jean-Paul Goude, the singer’s Afrofuturist image is as integral to her character as her sultry contralto and subversive stage presence. And while her Cubist fashion, from her razor-sharp-shouldered suits to her architectural dresses worn with directional headpieces by Philip Treacy, has always been a vital part of the visual equation, her signature, shape-shifting close crop and fantastical makeup have made her a beauty icon for the ages.

Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and raised in upstate New York, Jones was living in New York City and cultivating her image as an up-and-coming Wilhelmina model when she radically shaved off all her hair in the late 1960s. “It made me look more abstract, less tied to a specific race or sex or tribe,” she once said. “I was Black, but not Black; woman, but not woman; American, but Jamaican; African, but science fiction.”

In 1970, she moved to Paris, where her unconventional look was met with applause, and so began her meteoric rise to fame. Modeling for Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo and posing for photographers such as Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, Jones treated her buzzed coif like a sculpture, casting it in geometric shapes with elaborate etchings, with her flattop fade styles becoming the most notorious of all. And while her hair, as well as her lithe yet muscular figure, often skewed androgynous, her makeup played up her almond gaze, pyramid-sharp cheekbones, and pillowy mouth to super-goddess effect.

From the cover of her debut album Portfolio (1977) to her fabled disco nights at Studio 54, her visage was perpetually awash in Technicolor pigments—swaths of midnight blue shadow on the lids, fiery rouge on the cheeks graduating up to brows—and punctuated by Cleopatra-esque winged eyeliner, hyperbolized arches, and dark bordeaux lips. And through the next decade, blurring New Wave, disco, and reggae with dance floor hits like “Pull Up to the Bumper” and “Slave to the Rhythm,” she kept pushing beauty boundaries—even on screen, as a fully decked out Bond girl with overt sex appeal in A View to a Kill (1985) and as a surrealist stripper with a flair for off-kilter visual statements (shocking red wigs! Silver-tipped talons! Metallic violet lips!) and mosaic body art painted by artist Keith Haring in Vamp (1986). Since her ’80s heyday, Jones hasn’t stopped serving up rapturous sounds and stylings from another universe.

Here, 20 photos of best looks of the 1980s:

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A Young Simon John Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious, at an Elton John’s Signing Session in London, 1973

January 20, 1973: John Simon Ritchie (Beverley), aka Sid Vicious, along with friend David Stevens (who confirmed this photo), visited the record signing of Elton John’s Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, at Noel Edmonds Record Bar in London. He was pictured to Elton’s left side, next to his glasses.

Here’s another photo of Sid Vicious on high right hand side of Elton John.

Beautiful Photos of the Jenolan Caves around 1900

The Jenolan Caves are limestone caves located within the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Blue Mountains, in Jenolan, Oberon Council, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The caves and 3,083-hectare (7,620-acre) reserve are situated approximately 175 kilometers (109 mi) west of Sydney, 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Oberon and 30 kilometers (19 mi) west of Katoomba (74 kilometers (46 mi) by road). Dating back to 340million years ago, it is the oldest known and dated open cave system in the world.

The caves are the most visited of several similar groups in the limestone caves of the country, and the most ancient discovered open caves in the world. They include numerous Silurian marine fossils and the calcite formations, sometimes pure white, are noted for their beauty. The cave network follows the course of a subterranean section of the Jenolan River. It has more than 40 kilometers (25 mi) of multi-level passages and over 300 entrances. The complex is still being explored. The caves are a tourist destination, with eleven illuminated show caves open to paying visitors.

The caves and conservation reserve are one of the eight protected areas that was inscribed in 2000 to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area. Here below is a set of beautiful photos from Powerhouse Museum that shows the Jenolan Caves around 1900.

'The Garden Palace', Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, circa 1900

'Madonna', Imperial Cave, Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, circa 1900

'Architect's Studio', Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, circa 1900

'Architect's Studio', Left Imperial Cave, Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, circa 1900

Cave Road, Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, circa 1900

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Pete Townshend of The Who Posing in Style, 1967

When The Who released their first single “I Can’t Explain” in 1965, it went straight in at No8 in the UK’s charts. The man behind the track was Pete Townshend, cofounder of the band, whose unique sound was rooted in Britain’s swinging mod culture.

Townshend went on to be one of the 1960s’ most influential figures. Through his music, of course – unsurprisingly, The Who were quick to find success in America (as one of the leading groups of the British Invasion) before going on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide – but equally Townshend inspired through his personal style.

Mastering the formula of mod fashion through his slim-cut suits, leather boots, knitted jumpers and patriotic prints, Townshend used his wardrobe to communicate a forward-thinking Britishness all his own.

Here, Pete Townshend posing in the studio for a photoshoot for Smart Clothes in London in December 1967. The photos were taken by Beverly Goodway.

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30 Wonderful Kodachrome Slides of People With Automobiles in the Mid-20th Century

In the mid-20th century (1940s–1960s), automobiles experienced significant technological advancements such as the widespread adoption of automatic transmissions, power steering, and air conditioning. Design trends included bold, flamboyant styles in the 1950s with tailfins and chrome, shifting to sleeker, aerodynamic designs in the 1960s. The era also saw the rise of compact cars and muscle cars.

Culturally, cars symbolized freedom and were central to American life, with drive-in theaters and diners becoming popular social spots. Suburbanization and car ownership were closely linked, and motorsports gained popularity. The American auto industry was dominated by the “Big Three” (GM, Ford, Chrysler), while European and Japanese manufacturers began making inroads with reliable, fuel-efficient models.

These wonderful Kodachrome slides from Dave’s Old Slides that captured people with their automobiles in the mid-20th century.

Two women and Chevrolet, Illinois, 1947

A woman and a Plymouth coupe, USA, circa 1950s

A woman dressed for hockey, standing next to a Ford Prefect, New Zealand, circa late 1950s

Family photo with Cadillac car, USA, circa 1950s

The car in the foreground is a 1952 Buick, USA, circa 1950s

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Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland Together on “The Judy Garland Show” in 1963

Judy Garland was a huge star, but at age 41, her star power had faded and she was having financial difficulties. Her agent Freddie Fields signed Garland with CBS Television for a weekly variety show that would pay her handsomely and reward her with ownership of the tapes after they aired. The show, as one journalist described it, was “sometimes stirring and memorable, other times mediocre and old hat.”

The Judy Garland Show could be accused of being overproduced and burdened with a fake format. Producers and crew were hired and fired. Instead of letting Garland simply sing, CBS insisted she have tea with her guests, be cognizant of how often she touched them, and quibble on screen with her costar Jerry Van Dyke over “budgetary concerns” about the show. Of course, Judy Garland also sang all of her big hits and dueted with great stars like Lena Horne, Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme... and Barbra Streisand.

Agents David Begelman and Freddie Fields of CMA handled Garland and also wanted Streisand as a client. “[Begelman and Fields] kept calling me,” Marty Erlichman recalled, “two, three times a day. I knew they booked the Garland show, so I said, ‘Okay, you get us Judy’s show and you got Barbra.’ They did it, and we signed.”

Barbra Streisand and the Smothers Brothers were Judy’s guests for episode 9, taped at Studio 43 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.

“[Garland] was great. She was wonderful. Loved her ... I was very secure then. I was only 21, I think. I wasn't afraid of failure or anything. But it was interesting to see someone who was so great and so famous and so gifted ... She was drinking Liebfraumilch—you know, a white wine—and her hands were shaking and she was holding onto me. I thought, what was this about? As one grows older, what is this fear? And I understand it now.” – Barbra Streisand, 2005

Rehearsals for this special episode commenced on September 30, 1963. Mel Tormé, in his book The Other Side of the Rainbow; With Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol, explained that it was Garland who called him into her dressing room, played Streisand's record of “Happy Days Are Here Again,” and sang a counter-melody of her signature song, “Get Happy.”

“The result was electrifying, one of those chance discoveries in which two great songs jell into one extraspecial opus,” Tormé wrote.

Tormé said that Streisand was “very quiet, very friendly, very Brooklynesque” during these rehearsals. “When Judy and Barbra met,” he continued, “it was instant warmth, and I knew Garland would be on her toes all week to keep pace with this extraordinary girl.”

Streisand was called at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 3, 1963 to stage “Be My Guest” for the cameras. She returned after a lunch break to work on the “Happy” duet at 2:00 p.m. Then she and Garland finished the day by 5:00 p.m. staging the “Hooray for Love” medley. After an hour for dinner, the principals all returned for an orchestra rehearsal from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The cast returned Friday, October 4th and did a run-thru from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They taped the final show at 9:00 p.m.

CBS executives Bill Paley and Jim Aubrey were impressed with the show and asked that it be edited and broadcast two days after it was taped.

Streisand reflected that, “Extraordinary talent went into the making of this show. The director was Norman Jewison, the musical director was Mort Lindsey and Mel Torme did special musical material. There’s also a brief visit by the wonderful Ethel Merman — but most of all there was Judy Garland. Miraculous ... soulful ... divine ... Singing these duets with her was sheer bliss. I was 21 years old.”

Barbra Streisand was paid $7,500.00 to appear on the show. Streisand also received her first Emmy nomination for her guest spot — “Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program.” (Danny Kaye won that year).

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Amazing Black and White Photographs Capture Everyday Life in Russia in 1996 and 1997

Australian photographer Dean Sewell spent 15 months in Russia after the breakup of the former USSR. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he was suddenly reminded that he still had more than two dozen undeveloped B&W film rolls from 1996 to 1997. Sewell managed to find the film and get them developed, and the resulting images are an amazing time capsule from the early days of the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

In 1996, a young 25-year-old Sewell quit his staff photographer position at the Sydney Morning Herald where he started as a cadet press photographer in 1989 to live and work in Russia. He wanted to cover social, political, and environmental issues of the day across Russia and some of the former Soviet satellite states.

“I was interested in the politics and culture of Russia from a relatively young age,” Sewell told PetaPixel. “I grew up in a working-class family, so my upbringing was very politicized. My father was involved with trade unions here and was aligned with the hard left. My family was anti-imperialist America and followed events surrounding Russia, and I guess this rubbed off a bit.

“I wanted to further my photographic practice, shift from the single image mentality of press photography at the time, and move more into long-form visual narratives.”

Before 1996, Sewell worked primarily as a general press photographer in Australia. He did, however, in his effort to try his hand at more in-depth, narrative-based photojournalism work in Latin America. He traveled there twice, spending around six months in total working on personal stories in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Equator, and Cuba.

“I was extremely naive back then, but I believed the work I produced there was personal preparation before heading to Russia,” admitted Sewell.

Most of the work is from Moscow, but St. Petersburg was also covered as well as cities across Siberia or south of Moscow. Other cities were Grozny in Chechnya, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and Tbilisi in Georgia.

When Sewell hit the ground in Moscow, it was like walking through a Dostoevsky novel. The country was plagued by poor finances, with many shops out of business. But there was hope for the new democracy and press freedoms.

A Russian bride on her way to her husband in a typical outdoor setting for many middle-class Russians.

Russian ballerinas ready themselves backstage before their stage appearance.

Russian street festival for youth on the grounds outside of Red Square.

Subway passengers negotiate stray dogs while boarding trains in Moscow.

Russian orthodox wedding inside of the Rostov Kremlin, Russia.

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