Thursday, August 27, 2015

Katharine McCormick was born, 1875

DEFINITELY wear a summer dress.


Katharine McCormick was an American biologist, suffragist, and philanthropist, who funded the research behind the first birth control pill in 1957.


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Peggy Guggenheim was born, 1898 / 19th Amendment went into effect, 1920

Wear a dress!

Elizabeth Cady Stanton + Susan B. Anthony, 1900



Peggy Guggenheim in Paris, 1930
Peggy in Venice

Monday, August 24, 2015

Thomas Edison acquired the patent for the Kinetoscope, the first motion picture exhibition device, 1891

No dresses today.

Kinetoscope











Sheet of images from Monkeyshines


















Monkeyshines was an experimental film produced to test the Kinetoscope (and the first film shot in the U.S.).



Thursday, August 20, 2015

Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen was born, 1873

You knew you had to stop sometime. Not recommended for today.

Des Moines Art Center











Kleinhans Music Hall



Kleinhans Music Hall

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Ground broke for the Verrazano Narrows Bridge spanning from Brooklyn to Staten Island, 1959

If you're going to wear dresses for the next 4 days, go for it today. If you're going to miss one day, today is the one.



The longest suspension bridge at the time (longer than the Golden Gate Bridge by 60 feet), the Verrazano was Robert Moses's last big project as New York State Parks Commissioner and head of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

A Great Day in Harlem was taken, 1958

Yes.


The photograph, taken by Art Kane, shows 57 jazz musicians standing outside a brownstone at 17 East 126th St.  Count Basie, tired of standing, sat on the curb and was joined by neighborhood children.


















Interactive photograph here.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Alice Huyler Ramsey and 3 friends were the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip, from New York City to San Francisco, 1909

Summer dress!


Ramsey (who attended Vassar College from 1903-1905) was the only driver. It took 59 days to travel the 3,600 miles (only 152 of which were paved). The women mostly navigated by following telephone poles. More here.




Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Louis Vuitton was born, 1821

Yes, go for it.


LV was trunkmaker to Empress EugĂ©nie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, and then later founder of his own brand of leather goods.