Easily one of the twentieth century’s most influential and revered speakers, here we see the iconic Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his equally iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. Delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the eloquent young orator told the world of his dream, inspiring and empowering generations to come.
This speech touched hearts across the country, both black and white. His struggle against segregation and activism for peace were rewarded; in 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating inequality through nonviolent resistance. Whilst he was barely 40 years old when he was tragically assassinated, he is still remembered today as an influential figure who changed the course of history.
Halsman, Dalí, Water and Cats
Before Philippe Halsman and surrealist Salvador Dalí decided that tossing three cats into the air for the renowned Dalí Atomicus was a grand idea, the Spaniard somewhat eccentrically suggested they blow up a duck with dynamite. We’re kind of glad it didn't happen, and they stuck with the cats. After 26 attempts, Halsman decided he had finally begun to see the “real essence” of Dalí.
To execute the photograph, Halsman’s wife and daughter stood out of the frame and threw the cats and water into the air while Dalí jumped. This idea of “jumpology” was employed by Halsman to capture the “true spirit” of his subjects: “When you ask a person to jump, his attention to detail is mostly directed toward the act of jumping, and the mask falls so that the real person appears.”
Going Coco-nuts at the Cocoanut Grove
It was clear that the Ambassador Hotel’s business was booming, but they were simply running out of space to hold all their patrons! With a mixture of Hollywood’s esteemed movie crowd, as well as the folks of the country club, management made the executive decision to convert the hotel’s ballroom into the 1,000-seat Cocoanut Grove. A premier nightclub, this Los Angeles nightspot did a roaring trade back in the day. It even served as the location for the 1939 Academy Awards. Swish!
A theatre of grand proportions, the who’s who of Hollywood glided down the grand balustrade into an adult wonderland that would shake the foundations of Las Vegas’ night strip! Mechanical monkeys, palm trees, and ceilings lit up like the night sky. Sometimes the mechanical monkeys were real monkeys, occasionally let loose on the floor of the nightclub by the proprietors, the Barrymore brothers. We don’t doubt that plans for a quick drink would unravel devastatingly fast!
Shia LaBeouf
Now this image sits outside our twentieth-century photographs, but it still makes the list for its powerful cultural statement. Shia LaBeouf used his celebrity status to deliver more powerful messages. After acting for a few years and growing wiser, he became bolder and more peculiar with his public appearances. At a movie premiere in 2014, LaBeouf rocked up wearing a paper bag over his head.
On the bag was a very clear message: “I am not famous anymore,” all written in upper case letters. Not sure if he’s loopy or not, but one thing’s clear: Hollywood clearly got to him. In a way, it shows that actors and actresses, despite awards and appearing in films, have an expiry date, a time when they’re “not hot” or “not celebrated.” He might not be so famous anymore, but hey, at least he’s received a few hefty paychecks to enjoy his “infamous-ness” comfortably.
Cobain and Love with Their Mini-Me
With a power-couple quality likened to that of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, albeit a touch more grunge, next up, we have Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, with their little love Frances Bean Cobain. They were the King and Queen of the 90s, with their faces plastered on every wall, up until Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. Joining the famous '27 Club,' Kurt Cobain sadly passed away after taking his own life.
A tumultuous relationship that was heavily covered by the media saw a more reclusive Cobain check into rehabilitation facilities more than a few times, often being reported by his wife as someone who could harm himself. Despite his untimely death, the 27-year-old’s music is still played today. His daughter Frances continues down the creative path, as a visual artist and model, with looks that bear a striking resemblance to her famous parents. Now, that’s a legacy.