Latest news with #1950s
ABC News
14 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Ross Willis relives memories modelling suits in the 1950s
At the back of a Lake Macquarie office, hidden under a stamp and coin collection, lies a time capsule of sorts. It's a collection of magazines dating back to the late 1950s, which feature a fresh-faced 18-year-old Ross Willis modelling for various Newcastle suit tailors. When Mr Willis rediscovered them during a spring clean more than 65 years later, he showed his daughter Stephanie. "When he said to me he was 18, I just couldn't believe it," Ms Willis said. Ms Willis said it was a "time warp" seeing her now 85-year-old father modelling. "It's like what my kids once said to me: you forget your parents have had a whole life before you even came along." In 1958, Mr Willis was picked from a group of university students to model for a handful of suit-tailoring businesses in Newcastle. "I think they looked for the best-looking people that would be able to be models," he said. "There must have been about 10 of us [university students] altogether who came up and did shoots around the place." Mr Willis was studying at Avondale University, known as Avondale College at the time, for his "leaving certificate", the equivalent of a Higher School Certificate today. Never having modelled before, he jumped at the chance. "Looking back on the photos, it's a thrill," he said. "Though I was paid nothing at all. In the 1950s, dozens of suit-tailoring businesses lined Hunter Street in Newcastle. Mr Willis said that was a sign of the times, when men wore suits for regular outings. His daughter was curious to find out if any of them were still open. She found just one. Opened in Newcastle in 1908, Rundle Tailoring is a fourth-generation family business still operating in the CBD. It was one of Australia's largest suit manufacturers from the 1950s until the 90s. "I said [to Dad], 'Next time I visit, I'll take you down there' and a few months later we did it," Ms Willis said. The pair was given a tour of the facility, bringing back a range of memories. "It amazed me that the tailoring is still done there," Mr Willis said. Shop owner Andrew Rundle said it was the only suit tailor left in the region. "Now, there's us … there hasn't been another tailor that can make a suit from scratch in this area for 20, 30 years." Rundle Tailoring has had its ups and downs, surviving the Great Depression, World War II, tariffs and COVID-19. "The history of the business is so rich," Mr Rundle said. "This [the magazine] was something I didn't even know about until Ross came in and we discussed it.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
New JFK book reveals he got flight attendant Joan Lundberg pregnant during affair
Former president John F Kennedy once got a flight attendant pregnant during an affair, then paid for an abortion without the knowledge of his wife Jackie, a new book has claimed. Kennedy first met Joan Lundberg in 1956 in California, when she worked for Frontier Airlines and as a cocktail waitress, according to a new tell-all biography by J. Randy Taraborrelli. At the time the former president was a 39-year-old married U.S senator and Lundberg was 23, Taraborrelli writes. In August that year, Kennedy's wife Jackie experienced a stillbirth of their daughter Arabella. Two years later – and shortly after the birth of the Kennedys' daughter Caroline – Lundberg called JFK to share her own pregnancy news, according to an exclusive excerpt of the upcoming book JFK: Public, Private, Secret, shared with People. 'Joan would recall that her news about the baby was 'like a knife to Jack's heart,' reads the excerpt. 'While it was a shock, Joan wrote that they shouldn't have been so surprised: 'I didn't like wearing a diaphragm, and Jack wouldn't wear a rubber,'' she wrote. 'Jack couldn't help but wonder if Joan had purposely planned the pregnancy given that she'd seen his devotion to Jackie after Caroline's birth. He also wondered if he was really the father, and Joan assured him he was.' Taraborrelli's book also uses excerpts from Lundberg's own, unpublished memoir, which she had shared with her family. After their phone call revelation, Kennedy then told Lundberg he would mail her $400, telling her 'you'll know what to do' – in apparent reference to getting an abortion. ''Being a politician is who I am,' he told her. 'Politics is all I know. If you take that away . . .' His voice trailed off. Before she could respond, he disconnected the line,' the excerpt states. When the envelope arrived one week later, it reportedly contained no money. According to the biography, when JFK learned this he became 'positively unhinged.' He wired more money and Lundberg 'took care of things' a day later. 'Jack was very clear; he didn't want Joan to have the baby… She was angry and disappointed, but also realistic,' Taraborrelli writes. Speaking to People, Tarraborrelli said he wanted 'not to defend JFK' but to 'explain him.' He added that Lundberg was 'a big revelation' to him, describing her as having acted as the former president's 'therapist in many ways.'
CNET
4 days ago
- Health
- CNET
Are You Replacing Your Contact Lenses Often Enough? Here's What Happens When They Expire
In an age where eye care is accessible, it is easy to take contact lenses for granted, especially in an age where laser correction surgery is widely available. However, those transparent plastic discs you slip into each eye every morning are still a relatively new invention -- and still carry risks if you don't handle them correctly and replace them when needed. It wasn't until almost 1950 that the first modern plastic contact lens were introduced, and disposable contact lenses wouldn't hit the market until the '80s. As Dr. Robert Kinast puts it, "We think of contact lenses as being so normal, but 100 years ago, nobody walked around with little pieces of plastic over their eyes." Kinast, the vice chair of ophthalmology at Legacy Devers Eye Institute and co-founder of GentleDrop, says, "Contact lenses are foreign bodies and should be treated with respect." To that end, we talked with eye experts to learn how to care for contact lenses and when to replace them. How long do contacts last? The lifespan of your contact lenses depends on a few factors. Dr. Meenal Agarwal, optometrist and podcast host, explains, "Soft daily disposables are single-use, so you need to discard them after one day." At the other end of the spectrum, she says that "hard lenses can last one to two years with proper care." The most important rule, Agarwal says, is to always follow the replacement schedule recommended by your eye doctor. Soft lenses are the most commonly worn contact lenses, according to Dr. Jovi Boparai, ophthalmic surgeon and co-founder and CEO of CorneaCare. He explains that these lenses "range from daily disposables to weekly, biweekly or monthly." However, "Rigid gas permeable contact lenses can last much longer, ranging from months to a year." These lenses are made of hard plastic. While most contact lenses will last for the intended duration, some factors may shorten their lifespan. For instance, dust and smoke may cling to your lenses and make them unusable. If there is a wildfire in your area or a high allergen count and your lenses start to feel uncomfortable, you may want to toss them early. How to know if your contacts are expired The quickest way to gauge whether your contacts are expired is to look at the date on the box. Boarpai says that unopened contact lenses generally have a shelf life of one to four years from the date of manufacturing. Beyond reviewing the expiration date, you should pay attention to how your lenses look. According to Dr. Boparai, old lenses may show discoloration or damage. He also warns that expired contacts can develop deposits -- meaning a buildup of residue on the lenses. On the other hand, your contacts may still be expired, even if they look great. Agarwal warns, "The lenses may look the same as they did on the first day, but that doesn't mean they're still safe to use." In short, you should defer to the expiration date first, but also ditch your lenses if there is obvious damage or they become painful. Anna Gragert/CNET Expired contact lens symptoms It's easy to lose track of your lens-changing schedule when life gets busy. If that happens, your lenses may let you know they're expired before you even have a chance to track down the date on the box. "Wearing expired contacts can cause redness, pain or discomfort, irritation, blurry vision, excessive dryness and/or infections," Agarwal warns. You should take these symptoms as a red flag. The doctor advises, "If you experience any of these symptoms, remove the lenses and consult your eye doctor." According to Boparai, additional symptoms may include "burning, watery eyes, light sensitivity, discharge, foreign body sensation and eyelid swelling." Signs that your contacts are ready to be replaced It's worth noting that you won't always experience symptoms when your contacts are ready to be changed. Sticking to the appropriate schedule is vital, even if you think your contacts could last a few more weeks. As Agarwal explains, "Most of the time, you will not have any symptoms when your lenses are ready to be replaced." However, the doctor reiterates that if you've overworn contacts for a long time, you may notice vision problems, painful symptoms or "a torn or damaged lens and/or a buildup of deposits or debris on the lenses." This means it's definitely time to switch to a fresh pair. How often should I change my contact lenses? The simplest answer is to follow the recommended duration of use. Boparai reiterates that you should change lenses based on "the lifespan of the contact lenses as recommended by your eye doctor." You may also want to consider the length of time you're wearing your lenses per day. According to Optometrists Network, about half of all contact lens wearers don't comply with the wear schedule recommended by their doctors. This can lead to something called contact lens overwear syndrome, which occurs when your lenses obstruct your eyes' ability to absorb oxygen. Left untreated, you may experience bloodshot eyes, infection or a damaged cornea. Both doctors we spoke to insisted that you should never sleep in contacts unless it's recommended by a doctor. This may help prevent overwear syndrome and lower your risk of infections and ulcers. It also gives you an incentive to check your lenses each morning to make sure it's not time to change them to care for your contact lenses Proper care for your contacts not only helps maximize their lifetime but may also prevent eye infections. First and foremost, you should always handle your contact lenses with clean hands, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The organization also recommends using a "rub and rinse" method each time you use your lenses. This means you should first rub your lens with clean fingers and then rinse it with a contact lens solution. Contact lenses carry an increased risk of eye inflammation and infection, Boparai says. He adds that proper contact lens hygiene includes rinsing the lenses for 10 to 20 seconds before wear and making sure you don't touch your cornea when adding or removing the lenses. Boparai also recommends changing your contact lens solution every day. Meenal emphasizes the importance of storing your lenses "in a clean case and replacing the case every three months." She warns that you should never use water or saliva to clean your contact lenses. How to prevent contact lens-related eye infections The most common eye infection associated with contact lenses is keratitis, which the Mayo Clinic describes as an inflammation of the cornea. And this infection happens a lot. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed contact lens-related infections between 2005 and 2015 and determined that "keratitis from all causes, including contact lens wear, results in approximately 1 million clinic and emergency department visits annually." The AAO says that wearing extended-wear lenses, sleeping in your lenses and keeping a dirty lens case can all make you vulnerable to this type of infection. The Mayo Clinic warns that poor contact lens hygiene allows for the growth of bacteria, fungi and parasites that can infect your cornea. Agarwal adds to this advice, explaining that contact lens wearers should never share or reuse lenses. She also warns that you should "avoid wearing contacts in pools, hot tubs or the shower," removing your lenses at the first sign of discomfort. And don't use saliva to clean your lenses, as Boparai warns this makes you more vulnerable to infection. What about colored contacts and costume contacts? Cosmetic contacts, especially non-prescription costume lenses, are dangerous to your eyes and the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns against wearing any contact lenses not prescribed to you by a medical professional. In fact, it's against the law to sell contact lenses without a prescription in the United States because of the risk of eye infections or permanent eye damage from poorly fitting or poorly manufactured lenses, which can damage wearers' eyes. There are prescription cosmetic lenses on the market, mostly used to hide eye problems present from birth, but those need to be made specifically for the wearer's eyes, and they'll come with guidance from your eye doctor as to how long you should wear them and when they'll need replacing. When to contact an eye doctor if you wear contact lenses The AAO says that patients who are at low risk for ocular disease should get an eye exam at least every two years until the age of 64, unless their doctor recommends more frequent exams. After the age of 65, annual eye exams are the standard. However, even if you're not high risk, you should see your eye doctor "as soon as possible if you experience eye pain, persistent redness or swelling, intolerance or discomfort with your lenses, sudden blurry vision, unusual discharge, excessive tearing and/or sensitivity to light," Agarwal said, adding that you should remove your lenses and not wear them again until your doctor gives you the go-ahead. Vision changes also call for another visit to the eye doctor, says Boparai. He emphasizes that if you have uncomfortable symptoms or vision loss, "Your eye doctor will help guide management to keep your eyes comfortable and clear." The bottom line When in doubt, don't overwear your contact lenses. You should throw them out as soon as they expire, start to hurt your eyes or appear damaged. Wearing lenses improperly isn't just uncomfortable -- it can also lead to serious infections. Don't be afraid to call your eye doctor if something seems wrong.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Vintage Fast Food Burger Chain That No One Remembers Anymore
Henry's Hamburgers doesn't ring any bells for most people, but there are a few who remember the chain from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s. The restaurant had a customer-first philosophy with competitive prices and great food, and by the early 1960s, it had over 200 locations across the United States. As of June 2025, however, only one location remains. Henry's Hamburgers was the brainchild of Bresler's Ice Cream Company, which was looking to drum up business. The franchise was co-run by Harold Shook and Don Bishop, who wanted the place to feel like a spot to hang out, not like a corporate cash cow. As such, they really listened to their diners and their needs. Soon, Henry's was flourishing. Its menu catered to the average Joe, sporting 15-cent hamburgers, fish sandwiches (which always seem to taste better at restaurants), hot dogs, and the like. Throughout the 1970s, Bresler's went through a host of internal business changes and mergers, and the management of Henry's fell by the wayside. By the late 1970s, only one location remained. Still, two men saw the potential in it yet and bought out Bishop and Shook. Dave Slavicek and Wayne Senecal took over in 1983 and gave it a second life. They updated the drive-thru and built a new building for the restaurant across the road from the original location, but it still sports the original vintage look and decor. Read more: Ranking Fast Food Burgers From Worst To Best, According To Reddit Dave Slavicek bought out Wayne Senecal in 2006, and as of June 2025, Henry's Hamburgers offers much of the same fare that it did back in the day. According to its website, its "Brown Bag Special" — a meal deal consisting of a double cheeseburger, fries, and a Pepsi that was introduced in 1987 — accounts for over half of its daily sales. Desserts include cookies, apple turnovers, and funnel cake fries. Ever since its inception in the 1940s, the drive-thru has revolutionized the way restaurants can push stock. Henry's has reaped the benefits of this well — its website states that its own one contributes to around 70% of sales. It was first introduced to the restaurant in 1988 with its resurgence and has served the brand faithfully. Notably, Henry's feels like a blast from the past because of its prices. It runs a "Munchie of the Month" special which costs only 93 cents. Hard to imagine in this day and age, but the owner saw that this old-school diner had a lot more to give, so long as it wasn't just retro on the surface. It still maintains an ethos of caring for its employees and making sure both worker and customer are satisfied. It may not be as dominating as it once was — and you probably won't find it on any fast-food burger rankings — but Henry's Hamburgers is still alive and kicking. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Food Republic.
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Do You Adapt James Baldwin? Very Carefully.
Few writers turn out their career-defining work on the first try. But that was James Baldwin with his 1953 debut novel, 'Go Tell It on the Mountain.' The semi-autobiographical book, about a day in the life of a Black teen whose stepfather is a minister of a Harlem Pentecostal church, was received by critics with glowing praise. Today it remains lauded as one of the great novels of modern American literature. Baldwin's second novel, 'Giovanni's Room,' was quite a different story — literally and figuratively. A thematic departure from its predecessor, the novel was about two gay white men: David, a closeted American man, who falls in love with Giovanni, an Italian bartender, in Paris. In the book Baldwin unpacks motifs related to masculinity and queerness, classism and American exceptionalism all through sparkling dialogue and robust, deeply ruminative prose. Though now considered a significant work of the 20th-century queer literary canon, 'Giovanni's Room' didn't share the immediate adoration and popularity of its predecessor. In fact, it was rejected by his publisher, Knopf, when first submitted. 'We think that publishing this book, not because of its subject but because of its failure, will set the wrong kind of cachet on your writing and estrange many of your readers,' the editor Henry Carlisle wrote in a letter to Baldwin in 1955. But Dial Press published the book in 1958, and almost immediately Baldwin had further plans for it. First there was the stage. In 1958 he produced a dramatization of 'Giovanni's Room' for the Actors Studio starring the Turkish actor Engin Cezzar as Giovanni. The play didn't make it to Broadway, but Baldwin intended to return 'Giovanni's Room' to the stage, or even adapt it to film. He insisted on creative control, which hindered some potential efforts from other artists. In the late '70s he collaborated with the South African filmmaker Michael Raeburn on a screenplay, with hopes of big names like Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando taking part. The project never got off the ground, though; Baldwin's literary agent requested $100,000 for the book option, which the writer couldn't afford. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
