Silent film

Most 1920s makeup tutorials online show how to apply 1920s inspired makeup or looks based off of black and white film movie stars. Both are inaccurate to the real 1920s. Makeup for the everyday woman was much softer and more natural. This tutorial is about creating the natural 1920s look for both the day and

photographs

I doubt these ladies felt at all ready for their close-up, but this is what it looked like to be camera-ready in the early years of black & white commercial television. Technology for the new medium in those days lacked a significant amount of contrast and wasn't capable of showing certain colou

Have you ever wondered why the makeup in movies of the 1910s looks so garish and pallid compared to those in the 20s? Note (after you stop laughing) how dark Buster's hands are compared to his face. The secret lies in the type of film stock. Not all black and white film was created equal! Before 1922, almost all motion pictures were shot on orthochromatic, or blue-sensitive, film: The film stock was sensitive to the blue-violet end of the visible spectrum but insensitive to the yellow-red…

Happy Sunday, fiends! I am enjoying a rare rainy Sunday bundled up in blankets on the couch watching Fringe and drinking some espresso. Mmmmm it's heavenly! However, since I always have to be doing at least two things at once (I'm a chronic multi-tasker), I am also browsing the web (especially Tumblr) and looking up pretty pictures while I lounge around on the couch (which I do on a daily basis). I figured, hey, why don't I share some of my favorite photos from the week on here? I adore…

When you can’t rely on a computer to improve (or fake) a movie scene, you gotta improvise. And back in the days of silent films, filmmakers were really, really good at coming up with creative ways to cook up special effects. It was a master class of using specific camera angles, splicing together shots, using glass matte paintings, and twisting perspectives to make things look as realistic as possible. Silent Movie GIFs is an excellent resource that reveals how things used to be done in the…

"The stars are ageless, aren't they?"

Vintage celebrity portraits give us a glimpse into the past and a way to connect with icons from bygone eras. These pictures, often taken by renowned photographers, show us things like fashion and style, as well as the cultural and social norms of the time.

From Faye Dunaway in ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ to Liza Minnelli in ‘Cabaret’

Rosie Dolly and Jenny Dolly, known professionally as Dolly Sisters, were Hungarian-American identical twin dancers, singers and actresses, popular in vaudeville and theatre during the 1910s and 1920s. Both sisters also appeared in two silent films.