George Robert Vitkos Press

08/07/2025

Hotel phone in Iceland has a special button that will wake you up if there are northern lights in the sky.

08/07/2025

Information desk at John F. Kennedy Airport (1956)

08/06/2025

08/06/2025

Maxwell Street 1953 Chicago, Illinois.

08/06/2025

The Famous winter of 1963

08/06/2025

In 1955 Italy, a Roman shoemaker introduced a bold and unconventional solution to a pervasive social problem: “Defense Shoes.” These specially designed women’s shoes featured small, sharp spurs on both the toes and heels, meant to ward off aggressive men who made unwanted advances in public spaces. At a time when catcalling and groping were often dismissed as harmless flirtation, these shoes offered a rare symbol of defiance and personal agency, wrapped in the form of everyday fashion.
The shoes were intended to empower young women navigating the crowded streets of cities like Rome, where unsolicited attention from so-called “street Romeos” was a common nuisance. The spurs—cleverly disguised yet functional—allowed women to defend themselves physically without relying on male protection or law enforcement. It was a tongue-in-cheek invention that spoke volumes about gender dynamics in post-war Europe, where traditional roles were being challenged and women were increasingly asserting their independence in public life.
Though they never gained mass popularity, Defense Shoes captured the cultural imagination. Newspapers and magazines picked up the story, often treating it as both a novelty and a commentary on evolving gender norms. Today, they remain a quirky but telling artifact of the 1950s—a time when innovation met frustration, and a simple pair of shoes gave voice to a growing desire for autonomy and respect in everyday encounters.

08/06/2025

The “cement pond” of “The Beverly Hillbillies” on set at Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood, ca. early 1960s. Source: CBS

08/06/2025

Evacuated troops enjoying tea and other refreshments at Addison Road station, London, 31 May 1940.☕🇬🇧
Colour by Doug - Colourising History
Original photo: IWM (H 1632)

08/06/2025

ON THIS DAY: Eighty years ago, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.

08/06/2025

Jack Nicholson on the set of 'The Shining' (1980) Stanley Kubrick

08/06/2025

Hungarocamion in the former Soviet Union.
Fewer pictures can be found of imperial transports. ✌️

08/05/2025