Happy Thanksgiving!

To celebrate we bring you turkeys dressed as dandies and fairytale characters:

Self Defence for Women: Some Common Sense Precautions

This 60s self defence film is interesting in its balance between practical/ empowering tips for women, such as how to fight off a male attacker:



And scaremongering, a personal favourite tip being 'don't get into a lift if it's going down':

1960s Chicago: Marina City

The twin towers of Marina City, downtown Chicago were completed in 1964. Construction of the complex  comprising of apartments, car parks, shops and restuarants was funded by the unions who were concerned by 'white flight' of middle class Americans to the suburbs, leaving inner city areas populated by poor immigrants and African Americans. By offering everything residents could want in a small area they aimed to provide a viable alternative to the convenience of suburban settlements, along with the outdoor space of the large balconies.

The architect Bertrand Goldberg studied under modernist Mies van der Rohe, and whilst he follows many of the principles of modernist architecture in the simplicity of the concrete structure his design is a departure from the straight lines and cubist spaces favoured by many of his contemporaries. The cylindrical shape of the concrete towers was ostensibly chosen because it was better suited to the weather of the 'windy city', deflecting the pressure caused by strong winds. As you can see from the floor plans (towards the start of the clip), the petal-shaped apartments within the tower are remarkable in that they feature almost no right angles.

1960s Chicago: Inside the Merchandise Mart

On this economically gloomy day we're taking a look back to the heyday of consumerism. The somber care taken by the staff and the slow reverence of the shoppers make this 1960s Chicago department store appear more like a museum than a shop: