Ida James, Cafe Society, Greenwich Village, NYC 1944 (Roman Vishniac)

Compared to the other chanteuses of the Café Society, including Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holliday, Ida James is little remembered today, yet when Vishniac took this portrait of James she was at the height of her career, famed for her grace, charm, and sugary, high voice. A popular vocalist on stage, radio, and screen, she recorded a hit duet with Nat King Cole, “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” and her signature song, “Shoo Shoo Baby,” in 1944.

Four years after Vishniac photographed Ida James, Josh White, and dozens of other African-American musicians at the Café Society, the legendary integrated nightclub closed its doors, one of many victims of the persecution of the House Un-American Activities Committee. These pictures remain a testament to Barney Josephson’s groundbreaking vision, to the broader reality of segregation, and to the inestimable contribution of African-American performers to American cultural life in the 1940s.

Imogene Coca, The Village Vanguard, Greenwich Village, NYC, c1945 (Roman Vishniac)

Comedian Imogene Coca (1908–2001) was best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows, a popular television variety program in the early 1950s. Coca began her career as a vaudeville and nightclub performer in the 1930s, and performed at venues including Café Society, the Blue Angel, and The Village Vanguard, all photographed by Vishniac. 

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Legendary jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Mary Lou Williams, born May 8, 1910 – a remarkable woman in a then-man’s world – in William Gottlieb’s portraits of jazz icons.

 ”Mother Adds Law To Housework: Mrs. Iylene Weiss of Encino, mother of five children, has added law school to her many household duties.” 1960 (Jon Woods, Valley Times)

Real women role models: Jamie Moore (via F-Stop Lounge)

So my amazing daughter, Emma,  turned 5 last month, and I had been searching everywhere for new-creative inspiration for her 5yr pictures. I noticed quite a pattern of so many young girls dressing up as beautiful Disney Princesses, no matter where I looked 95% of the “ideas” were the “How to’s” of  how to dress your little girl like a Disney Princess.

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Disney Princesses, from their beautiful dresses, perfect hair, gorgeous voices and  most with ideal love stories in the mix you can’t help but become entranced with the characters. But it got me thinking, they’re just characters, a writers tale of a princess (most before 1998)…an unrealistic fantasy for most girls (Yay Kate Middleton!).

It started me thinking about all the REAL women for my daughter to know about and look up too, REAL women who without ever meeting Emma have changed her life for the better. My daughter wasn’t born into royalty, but she was born into a country where she can now vote, become a doctor, a pilot, an astronaut, or even President if she wants and that’s what REALLY matters. I wanted her to know the value of these amazing women who had gone against everything so she can now have everything. - Jaime Moore

(see the full series here)

Model Mothers at the Ambassador Hotel, 1945 (Ralph Morris)

Twins become mothers together for second time in two years, 1955 

Washington, D.C., April 7:  Accustomed to doing practically the same things all their lives, these Washington twins, now mothers, have apparently decided that having their children together would certainly be in order. The mothers, Mrs. Eileen Moon, left, and Mrs. Kathleen Robie, last week gave birth to daughters to set a new record at Columbia Maternity Hospital. This same thing happened in July 1937 when Mrs. Robie gave birth to a girl and a few hours later Mrs. Moon’s baby, a boy, arrived (Harris & Ewing)

Shirley Temple and two-year old daughter Susan leaving for Hawaian vacation, 1950 (Herald Examiner)

Film star Helen Hayes and her daughter, 1934

Maman et Marguerite, c1900 (Gabriel Loppé)