Ze cineastes et ze film loverz of ze world traveled to ze South of Franssss today for ze most important film festival in ‘istory. (That’s our try at a French accent, can you tell?) Woody Allen’s newest work, Cafe Society, had its world premiere tonight as the festival’s opening film.
Over 100 foreign journalists gathered in Pyongyang, North Korea to cover the seventh congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party – the first since 1980.The North Korean government assigns minders to reporters and keep a close watch on their every move. But still, photos from this historic occasion provide a rare peek into the texture of daily life in the Communist country.
Although New York City’s Ellis Island gets more attention for its status as a hub for immigrants, just behind it was the port of Baltimore. The newly-opened Immigration Museum in Locust Point honors the experience of the millions who came through the port here.
“The Flower Mart, Baltimore’s annual celebration of spring, is many things to many people. Flowers, food and fashions were but a few of the lures that drew thousands of people to the festival that is staged around Washington Monument.” This caption ran with The Sun’s coverage of the 57th annual FlowerMart, which took place in May 1969. The theme that year was “Accent on Youth,” and perhaps it’s no surprise that the festival that year in Mount Vernon was a mix of primly-dressed ladies, long-haired hippies and even a Senator. This year’s FlowerMart is set for today and Saturday around the Washington Monument.
This week, all eyes were back on Iwo Jima as the AP reported that James Bradley, author of “Flags of Our Fathers,” and the son of one of the men reported to be in the photo, publicly said that his father might not be in the iconic picture after all. And the U.S. Marines released a statement to the Associated Press saying they are looking into the true identities of the men pictured in Rosenthal’s shot.
Amidst this bout of historical amnesia, The Sun’s researcher, Paul McCardle, decided to look back in our own archives to examine photos of the first and second flag raisings at Iwo Jima, as well as shots of the ensuing scupltures it inspired.
Karl Lagerfeld, fashion icon, has officially pronounced Cuba “in” for fall. The Chanel creative director and enthusiastic cat owner traveled to Havana with a fleet of models including Gisele and actors including Tilda Swinton, to present a glitter-heavy show in the city’s Paseo del Prado that harkened back to the days of Ernest Hemingway, or perhaps Dirty Dancing Havana Nights. If the show is anything to go by, you can bring your fedora out of hiding, or maybe plan on a sassy beret a la Che Guevara? According to AP, “With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 ‘cruise’ line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth.” Translation: Somewhere, Che is turning in his grave.
Following the news Tuesday that the National Trust for Historic Preservation had named Morgan State University a National Treasure, we thought we’d look into The Baltimore Sun archives to see pictures of the school over the years. Founded in 1867, Morgan State is one of only two historically black colleges in the U.S. to be so designated. The campus features a mix of Brutalist and Collegiate Revival architecture, as well as Classical, Italianate and Modern styles. The school will now receive a $110,000 grant to develop a plan for future preservation efforts.
What the NFL draft is for football fans, the annual Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala is for fashion-lovers. This year, celebs and fashion folks turned up in their futuristic finest to celebrate the opening of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York.
Animal Defenders International organized the largest airlift of lions ever this week, flying 33 former circus lions from Peru and Colombia to a sanctuary in South Africa. The lions will spend their golden years at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa.
A Church in Hawaii is taking an unconventional approach to solving the problem of homelessness on the islands: they’ve purchased igloos made in Alaska to shelter families. Though an igloo in paradise may seem like an odd fit, the white fiberglass exterior reflects the sun’s rays, providing shade on the inside.
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above