13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DLXXXV)

1. An Artist’s Utopian Vision from the Early 1900s Wenzel Hablik (1881) was a painter, graphic artist, architect, designer, and craftsman from Bohemia of the early twentieth century, associated with German Expressionism. At the age of six, he found a specimen of crystal, and saw in it “magical castles and mountains” that would later appear in…

In Nazi-Occupied Paris, Swing Kids had their own Resistance Movement

They aren’t remembered for their political or intellectual outpourings, nor for their radical actions in the streets. The only weapons of the Zazou were dress, speech and attitude, and yet, this Parisian subculture somehow came to be a thorn in the side of Nazis and French Fascists. Throughout history, fashion has always been a reliable…

And Now, A Brief Compendium of Neo-Victorians

Neo-Victorianism – a curious and persevering movement of reproducing, or in some way, reinterpreting, Victorian ways of life. This includes, but is not limited to, wearing top hats, corsets, silky waistcoats, an appreciation for Jane Austen, Alice in Wonderland tattoos and morbid mysteries. We’re not here to wax nostalgic about the wonders of Victorian living,…

The Forgotten Superheroes of Blaxploitation Movies

Black Panther swept the box office when it came out in 2018 and quickly became one of the top grossing superhero movies of all time. While it not only boasts a predominantly Black cast, it is one of the few modern films truly centred around Black heroes. There is still a long way to go…

Legendary Nights with the Bright Young Things

The generation that came of age in the aftermath of the First World War and the Spanish Flu did a lot more than just bob their hair and drink all the time. Well, they did do those things too, but let’s take a closer look at those party animals of the roaring 20s a century…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DLXXXIV)

1. The Underrated Costume Designs of Flash Gordon Costumes for the 1980 space opera film were designed by Italian Danilo Donati, who in addition to being a production designer, won the Academy Award for Best Costume twice (first for Romeo and Juliet in 1968 and Felini’s Cassanova in 1976). Found on Quora. 2. This champagne bottle fancy dress…

MessyNessy’s 21 Favourite Little Stories of 2021

A remarkable year perhaps it wasn’t. Life as we know it seemingly remained on pause in 2021; in limbo and on shaky ground. It was about finding some kind of “normal” in the aftermath of chaos, picking up the pieces and figuring out if they’re worth gluing back together in the exact same way. Probably…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DLXXXIII)

1. Strong contender for Cosiest Home on the Internet Jade is the “forever nesting” mother of four behind the instagram account @_cosyhome. Doesn’t it feel like you could be on the set of Love Actually?! “Everything I buy is second hand”, she says. “I love vintage & always searching charity shops & eBay for treasures…

When Moulded Meals Were Haute Cuisine

It’s hard to imagine anyone ever salivating over a quivering tower of jellied meat, but for centuries – that’s right, not just the seventies – it was the height of haute cuisine. A hundred and fifty years ago, if you were an ambitious chef out to knock the socks off your guests, the centerpiece of…

Forget Roadside America, Let’s Location Scout in “Weird France”

I’ve been yearning to get back across the pond for a good ol’ dose of “weird America”, but I tend to forget that my own country has some pretty odd, quirky and wonderfully nostalgic sights to see when you venture off the main road. Wes Anderson would have a field day with Atlas des Régions…