Brushing the dust off

We muse and go all wistful over images of yesteryear and we think they should be black and white, slightly fuzzy and preferably with a bit of creased sepia marks.  Our conceptions of bygone eras are mostly dotted with stereotypes and "facts" that have been passed down.  The 1940s' for instance wasn't all war propaganda posters with blonde hair and red lipstick or Southern belles in frothy gowns often depicted in black and white.  As I was doing a lot of Flickr searching today, I came across these images that Elegance is Refusal had uploaded from vintage issues of Vogue.  Note the dates because even I had to raise my eyebrows a little at the earliness of the years.  The poses, the judgement of light and the scenarios/set-ups all look extremely contemporary and the fact that they are in colour instantly make you think of an era other than the 40s'.  The dust is well and truly brushed off.

1939

1941

1944

1948

1949

1966 - Yes, this one isn't of the 40s' but I just had to point this one to say that there was a reason I have never warmed to flares and it is because they have never been as extreme and exaggerated as these ones.  I want giant flappy flared trews and I want them now.

Comments

[dapper kid]

Wow, these are seriously stunning!!! I am in awe when I see the dates!

[SUPA KiD]

I saw this post without reading it and wondered on what mag you found those pics...then I read it...... GOOOOOODDD!!!!
NEVER would I hve imagined it was from the 40s....INCREDIBLE

[flatbrokefab Ashleigh]

Im actually stunned by the dates that those photos were taken. Its almost shocking how contemporary they look!

FBF

[Jill]

I agree that they don't seem to be as 'old' as I had expected, but one thing I did notice would have to be that the models look like women and not girls.

[Fajr]

These are amazing and so 'surprisingly' modern. Vintage Vogue takes the cake in creativity in any era.

[floraposte]

Wow! In many ways better than current Vogue.

[Make Do & Mend]

Ah such great images, I'm not sure if the sources are French or American Vogue, in the UK they had to rely a lot on illustrations during the war. I love the sixties flares - they are really out there, perfect.

[la petite fashionista]

i can't believe how contemporary these look! they would fit perfectly in a current issue of vogue.. what a great discovery susie!

thanks for bringing it to our attention:)

[Prêt à Porter P]

wow!! i would have thought these were all current with with a 40s sort of hair/makeup. wow!

[Brigadeiro]

Wow, I am in awe of these photos, they are amazing! The composition, artistry, everything! A M A Z I N G, I repeat!

[donnatron]

I love the sleeping beauty shot, towards the middle.

[KD]

Wowwowwow! I love these photos and will definitely be looking into that Flickr stream!

[enc]

Those pants are really spectacular.

[Cammila]

I know just what you're talking about. I once saw a picture of this woman swimming in a fish tank with a mermaid fin taken in the 30s, and she seemed so fresh and raw and exposed that I just couldn't imagine that she was busy living in the era of Greta Garbo and the Great Depression. These pictures have the same effect. They make that ancient pre-war era seem much more like real life.

[Annie Spandex]

!!! Stunning! Thank you for sharing those.

[grayfiber]

I was really impressed with the lady wearing the red dress. It is really good to wear for parties and special occasions. And the shoes also look good too

[aliceee!]

hi susie=) just letting you know your picture is on here: http://tokyobopper.com/?day=20081016

[indie]

Hoooooly! That's all I have to say...and that second to last, looks like Juliette Lewis has timetraveled!

[juliet]

Pretty and mad!

juliet xxx

[juliet]

Pretty and mad!

juliet xxx

[hek]

This is the first time I visit this blog, and the first post I see have these WONDERFUL pictures.. Love it already!!:) And what a cute layout. Can't belive I haven't seen this blog before, it's going straght into my bloglist now.

[mer]

I'm impressed and at the same time, I think if they could do so incredible designs, they had to show that the same way...

[Carl Starling]

So ahead of their time! The hair and make-up kinda gives them away...but such bright colours and 'modern' poses/styling.

The slightly cross-eyed snow white (and seven 'dwarfs') is my favourite!

[fashionherald]

those ballet slipper/shoes, adorable. and the straw hat shot could have been from spring 08 Vogue.

[tanya]

apart from the contemporary styling, it's the models that really stand out for me. like jill said, they look like actual women instead of emaciated young girls.
refreshing.

[nuvonova]

Oh wow, these are so sophisticated. I want to see more!

[a dreamer]

that picture with all the coloured ballet falts- could have well been the campaign for those juicy coloured prada flats a while back.

[Sarah]

Another startlingly modern-looking woman is the star and director of Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren.

Granted, it was a short art-film, so it shouldn't be a complete surprise that she was pretty bohemian-looking for the time (1943).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4002812108181388236

[ambika]

Wow, what a treasure trove.

[Jael]

I just finished reading a book about underwear and I was intrigued by how "racy" some of the underwear editorials in old magazines were.

[Ciça]

Veeery impressive!
Wow. I'm dazzled...