The Curious Tale of Denishawn

Or how two people managed to continuously take their clothes off in public throughout the 1920s and get away with it.

Image Credit Flickr User New York Public Library

In 1915 a pair of newlyweds formed a company that was to become instrumental in the formation of modern dance as a genre. This odd pairing was to become infamous for performing in as little clothing as possible as much for their revolutionary dance styles. Quite a trick in the early part of the twentieth century.

Police Mugshots of 1930s Criminals

All of these men were caught by the long arm of the British law by police in the 1930s. Amazingly, this collection was recently discovered in a junk shop in the northeast of England.  Later they were donated to the Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums and have been recently released on its Flickr Photostream. The clarity of many of them is, to not put too fine a point on it, arresting.

The Gentleman's Guide to Villainy

Ah, how many of us long for the days when things were more simple - more black and white?  Times when men were men, women were women and villains were - exactly that.

Villains.  Hah.  None of your Phil Mitchell on crack millarkey - these guys really used to know how to top up the bad quotient to the max.  Plus, if it didn't work the first time they were jolly well prepared to try and do it all over again.

So perhaps you might agree with me on this animated short. I loved this pastiche on 1920s black and white movie villainy by Aidan McAteer.  He has been working between Dublin and London for the last six years - producing work for various TV series.  You may recognise his work from shows such as Peppa Pug, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and The Secret Show.  Or you may be an adult.  Whatever - this website gets some of them every now and again.

Oh - and spiffing music by Kevin MacLeod too.  Hurrah!