Before Philippe Halsman and surrealist Salvador Dalí decided that tossing three cats into the air for the renowned Dalí Atomicus was a grand idea, the Spaniard somewhat eccentrically suggested they blow up a duck with dynamite. We’re kind of glad it didn’t happen, and they stuck with the cats. After 26 attempts, Halsman decided he had finally begun to see the “real essence” of Dalí.
To execute the photograph, Halsman’s wife and daughter stood out of the frame and threw the cats and water into the air while Dalí jumped. This idea of “jumpology” was employed by Halsman to capture the “true spirit” of his subjects: “When you ask a person to jump, his attention to detail is mostly directed toward the act of jumping, and the mask falls so that the real person appears.”
Earthrise, 1968
Ah, our beloved planet Eart. This photograph, dubbed "Earthrise," was taken during the first lunar orbit mission by Astronaut William Anders on the 24th of December 1968.
The image was so impactful that it's been credited with igniting the global movement to protect the planet and the environment.
Mother of… Bambi? Miss Audrey Hepburn Shopping with Her Pet Deer, 1958
Style icon Audrey Hepburn was a woman of many talents, but she also had a number of eccentricities. Among her small menagerie of pets, Audrey Hepburn kept a deer. During the filming of "Green Mansion" in 1959, Audrey chanced upon this beautiful little deer. Due to her role in the film alongside Bambi, the animal trainer on set thought it would be a good idea to take her little friend home so she could teach it to follow her!
The deer, which she affectionately called Pippin, or ‘Ip’ for short, grew so attached to Hepburn that it began to mistake her for its mother. Her naturally calm nature and soft-speaking voice made the baby deer feel quite at home, despite the fact Audrey didn’t actually have any caramel-colored fur! The baby deer would cuddle Hepburn and go with her on trips to the grocery store.
Going Coco-nuts at the Cocoanut Grove
It was clear that the Ambassador Hotel’s business was booming, but they were simply running out of space to hold all their patrons! With a mixture of Hollywood’s esteemed movie crowd, as well as the folks of the country club, management made the executive decision to convert the hotel’s ballroom into the 1,000-seat Cocoanut Grove. A premier nightclub, this Los Angeles nightspot did a roaring trade back in the day. It even served as the location for the 1939 Academy Awards. Swish!
A theatre of grand proportions, the who’s who of Hollywood glided down the grand balustrade into an adult wonderland that would shake the foundations of Las Vegas’ night strip! Mechanical monkeys, palm trees, and ceilings lit up like the night sky. Sometimes the mechanical monkeys were real monkeys, occasionally let loose on the floor of the nightclub by the proprietors, the Barrymore brothers. We don’t doubt that plans for a quick drink would unravel devastatingly fast!
‘I Have A Dream' 1963
Easily one of the twentieth century’s most influential and revered speakers, here we see the iconic Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his equally iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. Delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the eloquent young orator told the world of his dream, inspiring and empowering generations to come.
This speech touched hearts across the country, both black and white. His struggle against segregation and activism for peace were rewarded; in 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating inequality through nonviolent resistance. Whilst he was barely 40 years old when he was tragically assassinated, he is still remembered today as an influential figure who changed the course of history.