Vintage Portraits of “Working Girls” in Sallie Shearer’s Brothel in Reading, Pennsylvania From the Late 19th Century

These portraits of the group of women who lived and worked at a brothel in Reading, Pennsylvania, circa 1892. Taken two decades before the famous E. J. Bellocq photographs of the 1913 sex workers in Storyville, New Orleans, these photographs are the earliest known body of work on this subject in the United States.

People in the know about Berks County history have long been aware that Sarah, “Sal” or “Sallie,” Shearer ran a bordello around the turn of the last century at Eighth and Walnut streets in Reading, Pennsylvania. Sal Shearer, who found a means of survival, indeed empowerment, while her husband frequented the salons of Paris. William I. Goldman, a prominent photographer of Reading’s upper class, who quietly documented Sal’s girls in stylish, if revealing, fashion.

Reading’s golden age of industry was in full swing when Sal Shearer was madam of what, by all accounts, was a stylishly furnished brothel that catered to the city’s upper crust. The Reading Railroad was at the zenith of its economic power, and the city was awash with steel factories, knitting mills and the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer.

It’s not known exactly how or when Shearer got into the business, though she’s listed as a dressmaker in a city directory in the 1880s. Neither is it certain if she offered favors or simply managed the brothel. Either way, she prospered.

An article in the Reading Eagle on Aug. 18, 1898, quotes a Reading police officer as saying, “The house of Sallie Shearer is magnificently furnished. The finest carpets cover the floors, beautiful mirrors adorn the walls and the rooms are beautifully decorated.”

Sal Shearer ran a classy brothel in a wealthy section of Reading and, as her fortune increased, she bought a handsome house for her two boys and drove around the city in a stunning black carriage driven by a pair of matched horses and decorated with black silk tassels.

A passage in “A Wide Open City,” a landmark study of prostitution in Lancaster, suggests how brothels like Sal’s operated. “The police know I’m here, know I keep a quiet house, no fighting, only sell drinks to regular trade, never ask any questions,” a Lancaster madam said. “Too many businessmen come here for them to touch me.”

William I. “Billy” Goldman was as prominent and established as could be imagined. His obituary in the Reading Times says he was a charter member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, a 32nd Degree Mason and member of the Rajah Temple, and treasurer of a chapter of the Pennsylvania Photographers Association.

In his studios, which were in various locations, he did portrait photographs some of Reading’s finest families. There was another, less visible, side to Goldman: He was an admirer of the female form.

It was uncertain if he was a client of Sal’s, but he gained her confidence and she who allowed him to photograph the women she employed both in her brothel and at his Reading studio around 1892. Goldman, who never married, left no survivors when he died in January 1922.

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18 Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Tove Ditlevsen, One of Denmark’s Best-Known Authors

Tove Irma Margit Ditlevsen (December 14, 1917 – March 7, 1976) was a Danish poet and author. With published works in a variety of genres, she was one of Denmark’s best-known authors by the time of her death.

Tove Ditlevsen was born in Copenhagen and grew up in the working-class neighbouhood of Vesterbro. Her childhood experiences were the focal points of her work. Ditlevsen was married (and divorced) four times.

In her life, Ditlevsen published 29 books including short stories, novels, poetry, and memoirs. Female identity, memory, and loss of childhood are recurring themes in her work. She began writing poems at the age of ten. Her first volume of poetry was published in her early twenties. In 1947, she experienced popular success with the publication of her poetry collection Blinkende Lygter (Flickering Lights). The Danish Broadcasting Corporation commissioned her to write a novel, Vi har kun hinanden (We only have each other), which was published in 1954 and broadcast as radio installments. Ditlevsen also authored a column in the weekly Familie Journalen, responding to letters from readers.

Three of her books, Barndom (Childhood), Ungdom (Youth), and Gift (meaning both poison and married), form an autobiographical trilogy. The first two books were translated by Tiina Nunnally and published in 1985 by Seal Press under the title Early Spring. The complete trilogy, with the third book translated by Michael Favala Goldman, was published in one volume in 2019 (with the titles Childhood, Youth and Dependency) and referred to as The Copenhagen Trilogy.

Throughout her adult life, Ditlevsen struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, and she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital several times, a recurring theme in her later novels. In 1976, she died by suicide from an overdose of sleeping pills.

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Beautiful Photos of Janet Waldo in the 1940s and ’50s

Born 1919 in Yakima, Washington, American radio and voice actress Janet Waldo appeared in several films in uncredited bit parts and small roles, although she was the leading lady in three Westerns, two of them starring Tim Holt.

In animation, Waldo voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in Shazzan, Penelope Pitstop, Princess from Battle of the Planets, and Josie in Josie and the Pussycats. On radio, she was the title character in Meet Corliss Archer.

Waldo died in 2016 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 97. Take a look at these beautiful photos to see portraits of young Janet Waldo in the 1940s and 1950s.

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German Factory Introducing the '“Double-Lambretta”, 1953

In 1953, the NSU factory at Dusseldorf Germany has introduced the “Double-Lambretta.” The idea is that a young couple use a single Lambretta which is rather like a small motor cycle. When the couple marry, and children come a long, the couple then bought another Lambretta. Both machines are joined together making a machine rather like a small car that will carry two grown ups and two children. The double Lambretta has a speed of 78 km per hour, and uses 3.4 liters per 100km.

The motor scooter started to gain a foothold in post-war Germany. NSU responded fastest and presented the NSU Lambretta for the first time at the Frankfurt Trade Fair in 1950, built under licence from the Italian company Innocenti. The new NSU target group: women. With standard fuel consumption of 2 liters/100 km, the Lambretta enjoyed superb commercial success in Germany. 1100 scooters rolled off the production line in August 1951 alone.

The NSU Lambretta started life in 1950s, being made under license in Neckarsulm, and between then and the time the production stopped in 1957, some 189,000 examples were turned out of the factory. Based on the 125cc engine unit, early example were as Innocenti had designed, but soon the NSU works modified the scooters with there own “extras.”

The first model to receive this treatment was the NSU Luxury Lambretta, which gained two tone paint, highly polished bits of ally on the rear side panels (supposed to protect the side panels), a front bumper bar, and a parking light that could be switched on directly on the “motor scooter dashboard.”

Amazing Photos Show What Daily Life of Women Looked Like During Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era, spanning from 1901 to 1910, was characterized by a focus on elegance, luxury, and societal expectations. Women’s lifestyle during this time was heavily influenced by their social class, with wealthier women leading very different lives from working-class women.

Wealthy Edwardian women often enjoyed a life of leisure, participating in social events, such as afternoon tea parties, balls, and garden parties. They typically wore elaborate and fashionable clothing, with corsets and hats being common fashion items. Many wealthy women also engaged in philanthropic activities and pursued hobbies like painting, needlework, or playing musical instruments.

For working-class women, life was often centered around domestic duties and employment. They worked in factories, as domestic servants, or in other low-paying jobs. These women had less leisure time and often faced harsh working conditions.

Overall, the Edwardian era was a time of significant social change, with shifting attitudes towards women’s roles and rights, though traditional gender roles still prevailed for many. These amazing photos were found by snelson951 that show what daily life of women looked like during Edwardian era.

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Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, One of the Greatest and Most Tragic Love Stories From the Golden Age of Hollywood

Clark Gable was one of the most iconic leading men of Hollywood’s Golden Age, still known today for his roles in classics like The Misfits and Gone with the Wind. A Golden Age icon in her own right, Carole Lombard was known for her energetic performances and charisma, not to mention her stunning looks.

At the time of their romance it was common for Hollywood favorites to fall in and out of love, jumping from one affair to the next, but Clarke and Lombard’s romance followed a different trajectory. There was no affair, no on-screen passion that bled into their off-screen lives; in fact, their love story should have been a simple one. Instead, it ended in tragedy.

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard first met on the set of No Man of Her Own in 1932. At the time, Clark was married to Ria Langham and Carole was married to William Powell. Both marriages weren’t very successful: Carole would divorce Powell a year later and Clark was cheating on his wife with actress Joan Crawford. But despite their future romance, Clark and Carole were more annoyed with each other then enamored. At the end of filming Clark presented Carole with a pair of oversized ballet shoes, to match her inflated prima donna ego. She gave him a gift that she said represented his acting abilities: a large ham with his picture on it! Since they were both fond of jokes like this, there were no hard feelings, but they did not keep in touch either.

Four years later Clark was hitting a home-run in his career by making film after film with Jean Harlow and Carole had become the queen of ‘screwball comedy.’ Carole was divorced and Clark had separated from his wife Ria. It was during this time that they met again at a party. They danced together several times and sparks flew. Soon enough, the two started spending more and more time together. They seemed to be made for each other: Clark was a real man’s man who loved the ladies and the outdoors, Carole was a beautiful woman who could swear like a sailor and spoke her mind. Carole participated in Clark’s hobbies like fishing and hunting and was not afraid to get down and dirty in the process. They also shared a love for practical jokes and constantly tried to one-up each other.

Their first public outing was Clark’s good friend and colleague Jean Harlow’s funeral. Their bosses were furious. Since Clark was officially still married, it was inappropriate for them to go out as a couple. The press started writing about them and Clark asked Ria for a divorce. She would only agree for a large sum of money, so Clark borrowed the amount from his studio MGM. They agreed, on the condition that Clark had to star in Gone With The Wind. On March 8, 1939, Clark and Ria were officially divorced and 21 days later Clark and Carole got married. They did not want to make it an event, so the pair eloped and only took Clark’s press officer Otto Winkler with them. The couple made a home in an elaborately restored farmhouse. They had horses, dogs and chickens and even attempted to sell eggs.

With Carole’s guidance Clark became more social and the pair hosted popular dinner parties for friends. They called each other ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’ and thoroughly enjoyed married life together. But all was not as perfect as the press made it seem. Clark was a womanizer at heart and cheated on Carole. Another problem was that Carole wanted to have a baby, but miscarried early in their marriage. Despite their problems the two were crazy about each other. Carole even started working less so she could spend more time with Clark.

By 1940, World War II was in full swing and Carole felt very passionate from the get-go about helping out in any way she could. She announced to her studio that she refused to make any more movies and was joining the Red Cross. At the beginning of 1942, Carole was asked to go on a war-bonds promotion tour, as she was a beloved star who could help raise money. Her mother accompanied her along with Clark’s press officer and good friend Otto Winkler. Clark himself was still filming and had to stay in California. The peak of the tour was in Indianapolis on January 15th, where Carole signed war bonds for hours and ultimately raised over two million dollars.

The three were scheduled to return to Los Angeles by train, but Carole wanted to be back home quickly so they took a plane instead, even though her studio advised her not to do so. Lure has it that her mother and Otto did not want to fly and were terrified. Carole and Otto supposedly flipped a coin for it and Carole won.

What we know for sure is that on the early morning of January 16, 1942, the three boarded a plane with Army personnel. The flight diverted to refuel in Las Vegas and at 7:20 pm the plane crashed into Potosi Mountain. There were no survivors. The recovery of the bodies took three days because of the snow and harsh terrain. The first on the scene quickly spread word that Clark shouldn’t go up the mountain because it was a horrible site to see. The victims were impossible to identify, but personal artifacts were scattered and a diamond and ruby ear clip that Clark had given Carole for Christmas was found nearby. He had it set in a locket and wore it for years to come. On January 21 Carole was buried next to her mother. Since she was the first war-related female casualty the U.S. suffered, she could have had a military funeral, but Clark made sure it was a simple and private ceremony, just like Carole always wanted.

Friends, family and even the press all said the same thing: after Carole passed away, Clark was never really the same. He was heartbroken over her death and wandered around their house for weeks. Although they had been thinking of selling their home when she was still alive, Clark continued to live in the house until his death. He claimed her spirit would still be there if he stayed.

Clark was depressed and had lost twenty pounds since the tragedy, but after completing his film Somewhere I’ll Find You, he defied his studio bosses and joined the army. Carole had wanted him to do so and according to his army buddies he did not seem to care whether he survived or not at this point. He left the army with the rank of Captain and picked up his life. He started acting again and dated several women. Still, he seemed to look for her in the women he dated and his already high alcohol intake increased after Carole’s death.

In 1949 Gable married Lady Sylvia Ashley, but it was not a happy marriage and the pair divorced in 1952. In 1955 he found love again and married Kay Spreckles. They were happy together, but Clark’s health was declining. On November 16, 1960 he passed away of an arterial blood clot, ten days after he had suffered a heart attack. He was buried next to Carole, as he had wanted.

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Amazing Behind the Scenes Photos From “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” Album Cover Shoot in 1987

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by Pink Floyd, released in the UK on September 7, 1987 by EMI and the following day in the US on Columbia. It was recorded primarily on guitarist David Gilmour’s converted houseboat, Astoria. A Momentary Lapse of Reason was the first Pink Floyd album recorded without founding member Roger Waters, who departed in 1985. The production was marred by legal fights over the rights to the Pink Floyd name, which were not resolved until several months after release. It also saw the return of the keyboardist and founding member Richard Wright as a session player, after he was fired by Waters during the recording of The Wall (1979).

On June 14, 1987, the famed photographer and cover designer Storm Thorgerson hired 30 workers to move 700 beds rented ahead of time to Saunton Sands Beach in North Devon (where some of the scenes of The Wall were shot), to film what would become one of the most impressive and amazing covers in the rock world – the album cover for A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

The idea for the picture came to Thorgerson from the sentence: “A vision of an empty bed” taken from the song “Yet Another Movie” that appears on the album. Thorgerson who read the sentence immediately saw before his eyes a river of hospital beds dragging along a beach, he thought such a picture was so insane that it would also fit the title of the album, hence the idea for the iconic picture.

Once the idea was formulated, the fundamental problem of execution remained. We are talking about another era, before the computer effects and before the age of Photoshop. The first task was to locate hundreds of beds and make sure someone would even agree to rent them out. Thorgerson remembers asking for 1,000 but he got less. The second task was to find a way to transport them to shore and arrange them exactly the way Thorgerson had planned the image in his ingenious mind, a move that Thorgerson notes lasted about two weeks. The cost of this crazy project was over $500,000.

So all these crazy logistics drained into one moment that happened exactly on June 14, 1987. Everything was ready, the beds were placed exactly as Thorgerson predicted, the extras, the dogs, and made were in exactly the right places and even a glider was raised to the sky to be captured in the picture. But then the unbelievable thing happened, rain fell to the ground and forced all those involved in the craft to repeat everything all over again, until the amazing result.

The photographer, Robert Dowling, won a gold award at the Association of Photographers Awards for the image, which took about two weeks to create. Some versions of the cover do not feature the hang glider, and other versions feature a nurse making one of the beds.

Reflecting on the relationship between the music and the visual art, David Gilmour asked, “Which way round does it go? Does the image become a Pink Floyd image because it’s on a Pink Floyd record? … You always want it to be an iconic image that grabs people. I guess Storm was right in saying my image could have been very nice, been photographed beautifully and been atmospheric. But maybe not as iconic as his take on it.”

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