1950’s carhop 


Marilyn Monroe in the Seven Year Itch (1955)

Illustration by Earl MacPherson , 1944


Raquel Welch in Kansas City Bomber (1972)








Miss Flying Saucer by Bill Randall 1959

Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones (1954)


A feminist symbol of the Mexican Revolution, La Adelita was the name of a woman soldier, a soldadera, who followed the troops, helped set up camp, and cooked for the soldiers

The legend states that Adelita was a woman who fought in the Revolution. It is not known if she actually existed as an individual, but she came to epitomize all soldaderas and courageous women of that period. 

La Adelita is more than a romantic image to modern-day Chicanas. She continues to symbolize feminine independence, integrity, the fight or justice, and a proud heritage.

Rafaela G. Castro, Chicano Folklore: A Guide to the Folktales, Traditions, Rituals and Religious Practices of Mexican Americans






Josephine Baker c. 1930

Illustration by Alberto Vargas for Playboy 1970

Billie Holiday performing in Esquire Jam Session at Metropolitan Opera House. New York, NY, 1944 Photograph by Gjon Mili, 1944


‘Should the Word ‘Nigger’ Be Banned?’ - Jet magazine, May 1979.