Rare Vintage Photo Discoveries Reveal Our Enigmatic Past

By Sarah Norman | September 26, 2023

Willie Nelson and John Belushi hanging out while John is pinky swearing with a Hells Angel at the Lone Star Cafe in NYC, 1980. 

This collection of unedited photos will bring an eerie feeling of nostalgia down your spine. Photographs give us a glimpse into the past. The serve as a reminder of days gone by and as a window into bygone days. This collection of photos from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s demonstrate the vide of the groovy era. What it shows is time of change when old traditions were going by the wayside and new societal norms were being established. What these photos show us is that the groovy era was filled with beautiful babes, hunky men, and talented celebrities. Let’s see how many you recognize.

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Source: Reddit

In the 1970s, Studio 54 wasn’t the only New York City club where top musicians hung out. There was also the Lone Star Café, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 13th Street. The Texas-themed café was the premier country music venue from 1976 to 1989. Many notable country music performers, including Willie Nelson, rubbed elbows at the Lone Star Café with celebrities such as John Belushi. The Lone Star Café was the scene of performance by George Strait, Roy Orbison, Freddy Fender, Ernest Tubb, and many more. When this photo was taken, the Blues Brothers were slated to perform. 

Brooke Shields playing pinball, 1978.


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Source: Pinterest

In this photo of Brooke Shields, taken in 1978, we see a wholesome young girl enjoying her childhood. But 1978 was the same year that Brooke Shields starred in her most controversial film, Pretty Baby. The movie caused quite a stir for several reasons. First was the subject matter of the movie. It dealt with child prostitution in New Orleans’s famous Red Light District in the early 1900s. Pretty Baby sparked a debate over art versus pornography and the rights of juveniles to have a voice in the manner in which they were filmed.