Vintage film, TV, documents, and photographic footage from down the years

[grapevine]

The TRUE Story of the Soviet Union's Crazy Food Supply System

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gxtun0A2-vI

10.07

Pictures of people standing in Soviet Union bread lines don't tell the whole story of how the USSR government used food to control citizens and how some of the creative dishes became Russian staples. Soviet citizens went through constant food shortages after Russia and surrounding lands turned to communism in the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Not only were grocery shelves empty of many products but some were forbidden by the government.

Russia's come a long way since WW2 but I would imagine there is still a lot of poverty in some areas.

[Tintin]

Taken in 1840 and believed to be the only existing photograph of Constance Mozart/Weber, Wolfgang's widow. She was herself a singer.



She did much to honour and promote the legacy of her husband following his death.

Here's an early portrait:



After Mozart's death in 1791, Constanze secured a pension, organized memorial concerts, and published his works, achieving financial stability. She married Georg Nikolaus von Nissen in 1809, and they settled in Salzburg, where she published a biography of Mozart in 1828. Constanze spent her last years with her widowed sisters in Salzburg.

Mozart's kitchen at No. 9 Getreidegasse in Salzburg, Austria.



The Mozart family resided on the third floor of the townhouse from 1747-1773, and Mozart himself was born there on 27 January 1756.

Apparently Mozart carried with him a small portrait of his wife, Constanza, or Stanzerl, as he liked to call her. Here is her burial plot:

[mountain_jim]

https://x.com/ClownWorld_/status/1855247823073415461

Jack in the Box in San Diego in 1952 🤯

[Tintin]

Fans of more modern music may find this short piece of footage of Bjork performing with her then punk band, at sixteen years old, in 1982 good fun

[Tintin]

A very short 6 second long animated slide show of photographs taken from inside Tower 1, World Trade Centre, New York City, the vantage point being the 'Windows on the World' restaurant and bar, by Konstantin Petrov, an electrician who used to work there. Some have attributed the photographs to the morning of 9-11 just before he signed off around 08:30AM. I'm not so sure myself on that provenance - he could have taken these any time. But that takes nothing away from the haunting quality of them

[grapevine]

Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu (1926) | BFI National Archive

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpDmcxOSuas

(3:32)
The 'Hints and Hobbies' series amused and enlightened 1920s cinemagoers with invaluable advice which, we can only hope, few actually tried at home. A highlight of this edition (No.11) is the 'Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu' -


Womens' Self-Defence Tutorial from 1933 | British Pathé

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WLIE1GKfluk

(1:47)
Self defence class, 1933. This is May Whitley explaining the aim of jujutsu

[Satori]

Posted by Miller (here)
Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu (1926) | BFI National Archive

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpDmcxOSuas

(3:32)
The 'Hints and Hobbies' series amused and enlightened 1920s cinemagoers with invaluable advice which, we can only hope, few actually tried at home. A highlight of this edition (No.11) is the 'Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu' -


Womens' Self-Defence Tutorial from 1933 | British Pathé

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WLIE1GKfluk

(1:47)
Self defence class, 1933. This is May Whitley explaining the aim of jujutsu

Excellent. There are some other techniques that are even more efficient and effective, for men and women, that I wish I could demonstrate. These techniques involve the eyes, ears and genitals of the assailant.

[Satori]

Posted by Satori (here)

Posted by Miller (here)
Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu (1926) | BFI National Archive

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpDmcxOSuas

(3:32)
The 'Hints and Hobbies' series amused and enlightened 1920s cinemagoers with invaluable advice which, we can only hope, few actually tried at home. A highlight of this edition (No.11) is the 'Hints to the Ladies on Jiu-Jitsu' -


Womens' Self-Defence Tutorial from 1933 | British Pathé

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WLIE1GKfluk

(1:47)
Self defence class, 1933. This is May Whitley explaining the aim of jujutsu

Excellent. There are some other techniques that are even more efficient and effective, for men and women, that I wish I could demonstrate. These techniques involve the eyes, ears and genitals of the assailant.

The goal is not to defeat the assailant in a straight up blow-for-blow fight, but rather, to end the encounter as quickly as possible and swiftly and safely remove yourself from the situation.

[mountain_jim]

https://x.com/ClownWorld_/status/1860913184913424712

Hollywood Hills, 1926.

[mountain_jim]

https://x.com/ClownWorld_/status/1862019077587501541

[Kryztian]

Sun and fun at the beautiful New Jersey shore:

A day in Atlantic City, 1965

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0vwK-11g-fQ

The annual baby parade at Asbury Park, 1903

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=q_bi_aDxU6E

Seaside Heights, the town with everything. 1960's promotional film.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_nonAJqSbWE

[grapevine]

Public wash-house Liverpool (1959)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=cxpAVCan4CQ

(4.28)
A forerunner of the laundromat
"Admire the industriousness of the Liverpool women who transport huge bundles of laundry to and from the local wash-house every week, crammed into old prams or balanced skilfully on their heads. The wash-house doubles as a social hub for the women, with a cafe and creche facilities. At the time of filming, this one in the Pontack Lane area was one of 13 remaining original public wash-houses in the city, although new more modernised buildings were under construction.Liverpool's last working wash-house closed in 1995."

[Kryztian]

A trip to New York city, arriving by cruise ship, in 1939.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=X-phmEvB91k

New York in 1925, mostly Coney Island.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GegiQXsFaI4

[Tintin]

Map of Europe as she was in 1444: the first thing one notices are the very densely packed clusters of former 'Houses' and kingdoms in and around modern day France and Germany: nothing of course called 'Ukraine', or 'Spain', or 'Turkey', or 'Italy'. One wonders if a time traveller from that period would really know where on Earth they'd now be - fabulous stuff.

[Kryztian]

Posted by Tintin (here)
Map of Europe as she was in 1444: the first thing one notices are the very densely packed clusters of former 'Houses' and kingdoms in and around modern day France and Germany: nothing of course called 'Ukraine', or 'Spain', or 'Turkey', or 'Italy'. One wonders if a time traveller from that period would really know where on Earth they'd now be - fabulous stuff.

Well Portugal, England and Albania are pretty much in the their modern form. Castile just needs to merge with Aragon and defeat the Moslems in the south and rename themselves "Spain" which will happen in less than a half-century. I really find "Crimea" interesting, since the 1400 borders look exactly like what Russia has annexed in the last decade or so. And where are Putin's ancestors lurking - in that tiny remote area marked "Muscovy"?

[meat suit]

Posted by Tintin (here)
Map of Europe as she was in 1444: the first thing one notices are the very densely packed clusters of former 'Houses' and kingdoms in and around modern day France and Germany: nothing of course called 'Ukraine', or 'Spain', or 'Turkey', or 'Italy'. One wonders if a time traveller from that period would really know where on Earth they'd now be - fabulous stuff.

Fascinating... Germany totally fragmented and Sweden were doing well🤣

[Brigantia]

Posted by meat suit (here)

Posted by Tintin (here)
Map of Europe as she was in 1444: the first thing one notices are the very densely packed clusters of former 'Houses' and kingdoms in and around modern day France and Germany: nothing of course called 'Ukraine', or 'Spain', or 'Turkey', or 'Italy'. One wonders if a time traveller from that period would really know where on Earth they'd now be - fabulous stuff.

Fascinating... Germany totally fragmented and Sweden were doing well🤣

Yes, totally fascinating, I love old maps. Those uncharted lands of Syria and the Sahara, no man's land I guess; my favourite is where present day Georgia and part of Russia are, Great Horde!

[grapevine]

Amazing map, what a find! So interesting, could pore over this for hours. . . I wish it was searchable and also to go right down into it (like Google Maps). I can't quite make out all the names down the side. What is really surprising is seeing a country called Bohemia (part of the Czech Republic today). I'd never really thought about it before, other than as it pertains to non-conformist people, ie. Bohemians.

PS: Here's an interesting excerpt from Chatgpt about Bohemians:

"The term "Bohemian" as a description of a non-conformist, artistic, or unconventional person evolved over centuries, and its connection to the Kingdom of Bohemia is somewhat indirect. Here’s how the term took on its modern meaning:

1. Historical Roots in Bohemia
Nomadic Romani people: In the 15th century, Romani groups began arriving in Western Europe. Many of them passed through the Kingdom of Bohemia on their way, and as a result, some people in France and other parts of Europe began referring to them as "Bohemians" (even though they were not ethnically or culturally related to the region).
Romani people were often associated with a transient, unconventional lifestyle, which helped create the early association of "Bohemian" with a free-spirited, outsider identity.

2. 19th-Century Parisian Artists
The modern idea of the "Bohemian lifestyle" emerged in 19th-century France, particularly in Paris.

Artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals often lived in poverty while pursuing their creative passions. They rejected the materialism and societal conventions of the middle class, valuing art, freedom, and self-expression instead.

The term "Bohemian" became a metaphor for this unconventional lifestyle, drawing on the earlier association of Romani people with non-mainstream ways of living.

3. Romanticization of Bohemia
The Romani people were romanticized as free, unbound by the rigid rules of bourgeois society. Bohemia itself, as a region, was seen as exotic and culturally rich, which further cemented the connection.

Writers and artists like Henri Murger popularized the term in works such as Scènes de la Vie de Bohème (1849), which depicted the lives of poor, free-spirited Parisian artists. This inspired later works like Puccini's opera La Bohème and even the Broadway musical Rent.

4. Counterculture Movements
Over time, the Bohemian ethos of rejecting societal norms, valuing personal freedom, and pursuing artistic or intellectual ideals spread beyond the artist community. In the 20th century, it became associated with broader counterculture movements, such as the Beat Generation and hippies.

5. Bohemian in Popular Use
By the mid-20th century, "Bohemian" became shorthand for any non-conformist, creative, or free-spirited person who rejected mainstream values. While it originally referred to poor artists, it now often implies a more privileged, "eccentric" lifestyle that mimics those ideals.

In short, the link between the historical Kingdom of Bohemia and the modern idea of Bohemianism is tenuous but rooted in cultural perception and the Romani migration. The romanticized image of freedom, creativity, and rebellion against convention gave the term its enduring appeal."[/I]

[Tintin]

Posted by Kryztian (here)

Posted by Tintin (here)
Map of Europe as she was in 1444: the first thing one notices are the very densely packed clusters of former 'Houses' and kingdoms in and around modern day France and Germany: nothing of course called 'Ukraine', or 'Spain', or 'Turkey', or 'Italy'. One wonders if a time traveller from that period would really know where on Earth they'd now be - fabulous stuff.

Well Portugal, England and Albania are pretty much in the their modern form. Castile just needs to merge with Aragon and defeat the Moslems in the south and rename themselves "Spain" which will happen in less than a half-century. I really find "Crimea" interesting, since the 1400 borders look exactly like what Russia has annexed in the last decade or so. And where are Putin's ancestors lurking - in that tiny remote area marked "Muscovy"?

Moscow ("Muscovy") was a principality at that time, and there is some really interesting history in this Wikipedia article (actually, as much as I have learned so far as well, that, for a change, looks accurate: makes a change from a lot of the guff that Wikipedia editors twist )

---

---

[Extracted]:

The Tsardom of Russia,[a] also known as the Tsardom of Moscow,[b] was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721.

From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew by an average of 35,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi) per year.[11] The period includes the upheavals of the transition from the Rurik to the Romanov dynasties, wars with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire, and the Russian conquest of Siberia, to the reign of Peter the Great, who took power in 1689 and transformed the tsardom into an empire. During the Great Northern War, he implemented substantial reforms and proclaimed the Russian Empire after victory over Sweden in 1721.

---

[Extracted]:

Muscovy remained a fairly unknown society in Western Europe until Baron Sigismund von Herberstein published his Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii (literally Notes on Muscovite Affairs) in 1549. This provided a broad view of what had been a rarely visited and poorly reported state. In the 1630s, the Russian Tsardom was visited by Adam Olearius, whose lively and well-informed writings were soon translated into all the major languages of Europe.

Further information about Russia was circulated by English and Dutch merchants. One of them, Richard Chancellor, sailed to the White Sea in 1553 and continued overland to Moscow. Upon his return to England, the Muscovy Company was formed by himself, Sebastian Cabot, Sir Hugh Willoughby, and several London merchants. Ivan IV used these merchants to exchange letters with Elizabeth I.

Despite the domestic turmoil of the 1530s and 1540s, Russia continued to wage wars and to expand. It grew from 2.8 to 5.4 million square kilometers from 1533 to 1584.[53] Ivan defeated and annexed the Khanate of Kazan on the middle Volga in 1552 and later the Astrakhan Khanate, where the Volga meets the Caspian Sea. These victories transformed Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state, which it continues to be today. The tsar now controlled the entire Volga River and gained access to Central Asia.

Expanding to the northwest toward the Baltic Sea proved to be much more difficult. In 1558, Ivan invaded Livonia, eventually involving himself in a twenty-five-year war against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and Denmark. Despite first successes, Ivan's army was pushed back, and the nation failed to secure a coveted position on the Baltic Sea.

Hoping to make profit from Russia's concentration on Livonian affairs, Devlet I Giray of Crimea, accompanied by as many as 120,000 horsemen, repeatedly devastated the Moscow region, until the Battle of Molodi put a stop to such northward incursions. But for decades to come, the southern borderland was annually pillaged by the Nogai Horde and the Crimean Khanate, who took local inhabitants with them as slaves. Tens of thousands of soldiers protected the Great Abatis Belt – a burden for a state whose social and economic development was stagnating.

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[Kryztian]

Yes, there were certainly a lot of conflicts that explain what the borders of Europe are today. Here is a Youtube video that shows all the border changes in Europe from 400 B.C. until 2018. It's slow going at first, but by the middle ages the borders are constantly in flux. The last change is the Crimea going to Russia.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UY9P0QSxlnI

The underlying music is appropriate war like. One has to wonder every time you seen an area change color: did thousands of people die on battlefields soaked in blood, or did two royals get married and peacefully combine their land holdings.

Of course, it you really want to understand the drama behind all the border changes, here's a map lovely from 1870 that tells you the complete story: