O Wonder!

fuckyeahhistorycrushes:

This absolute babe is Jan Karski, a prominent member of the Polish resistance during the Second World War.

Not just satisfied with sabotaging or harassing the local occupiers like lesser mortals after escaping the Russians and Germans as a prisoner of war, Karski got in touch with the exiled Polish government to report for duty. During the first four years of the war, he embarked on terrifyingly badass missions to provide the Allies with information about life in occupied Poland, more importantly about the Nazi extermination of Jews in his country. Undeterred by the Gestapo breaking every bone in his lovely face, Karski dedicated his career as a Resistance fighter to making the Holocaust public even before the war ended. Though not Jewish himself, he smuggled himself into the Warsaw Ghetto twice and the Belzec extermination camp to gather information, which he then snuck out of the country and brought to Allied government officials as far as Roosevelt in Washington DC.

After reading his 1944 autobiography Story of a Secret State, I discovered that my new history crush was, coincidentally, my mum’s Theory of Communism lecturer at Georgetown, where he taught for about forty years after the war. In her words, ‘He was a god’ and had ‘intense blue eyes’ (weird inherited history crush? I think so). Even Obama has the hots for Jan Karski - he’s awarding him a posthumous Presidential Medal of Honour in a few weeks. Can you blame him? Check those cheekbones.

Wow. Badass, indeed.

fuckyeahhistorycrushes:

Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 - April 12, 1975): She was not only an extremely talented singer, dancer, and actress; she also served as a spy for France in WWII. Unable to have children of her own, she adopted 12 children from around the world and lived with them in a castle in France. She was married to men four times and also had several notable female lovers, including French writer Colette as well as Frida Kahlo.

She also used her influence to support the Civil Rights Movement, refusing to perform for segregated audiences and speaking at the 1963 March on Washington with MLK Jr.

fuckyeahhistorycrushes:

In 1839, a year after the first photo containing a human being was made, photography pioneer Robert Cornelius made the first ever portrait of a human being.

On a sunny day in October, Robert Cornelius set up his camera in the back of his father’s gas lamp-importing business on Chestnut Street in Center City, Philadelphia. After removing the lens cap, he sprinted into the frame, where he sat for more than a minute before covering up the lens. The picture he produced that day was the first photographic self-portrait. It is also widely considered the first successful photographic portrait of a human being.

[…] the words written on the back of the self-portrait, in Cornelius’ own hand, said it all: “The first light Picture ever taken. 1839.” 

classicmoviefanproblems:

When your mother asks you to put on an old movie and then ends up falling asleep. /facepalm

Submitted by: Anonymous

If you fall asleep watching Stan Laurel, you need a full medical work-up, immediately. :)

classicmoviefanproblems:

When people think that “Sandra Dee” is the name of a Grease character. (Sandy Olsen is the Grease character. Sandra Dee was a real person!)

Submitted by: Anonymous

bustermylove:

classicmoviefanproblems:

Hate it when they compare Keaton and Chaplin! Just go with Keaton!

Submitted by: laurenschenck 

Yeah Seriously!

(Source: justlittleclassicfilmthings)

classicmoviefanproblems:

How Roscoe Arbuckle’s career was unfairly cut short.

Submitted by: nitrateglow 

classicmoviefanproblems:

Freaking out over all the silent film references in Hugo.

Submitted by: nitrateglow 

And giddily explaining them to your family after you’ve loaned them the DVD. :)

classicmoviefanproblems:

The things that MGM did to Buster Keaton.

Submitted by: peculiarpepper

classicmoviefanproblems:

The fact that Barbara Stanwyck never won an Oscar (Honorary Oscar doesn’t count)

Submitted by: Anonymous