These colorized images of women building war planes in the 1940’s were enhanced by Webmaster Dave over at the Shorpy Historical Photo Archive. Stop by the archive only if you’ve got lots of time to get lost in history.

Beauty isn’t easy. Ask any peacock who has to lug around all that heavy and extravagant plumage. In Laurel Roth’s series Peacocks, their plumage is borrowed from our own human adornments.

About the work:

These peacocks borrow human mating plumage, anthropomorphically showcasing our adaptations and natural orders as their own. They are made of fake fingernails, barrettes, nail polish, false eyelashes, and jewelry to represent the choices involved in biological processes that are unique to humankind.

It’s not often that the American Medical Association and art galleries tackle the same topic, but that’s exactly what’s happening now with the current exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography called “Beauty CULTure”. 

About the exhibit:

The exhibition illustrates the power of the still image in shaping cultural ideals and expectations of feminine beauty – and photography’s undeniable influence on conceptions of the Self.

The exhibit features 170 photographs in the print gallery, hundreds of digital images in vivid detail on high-resolution screens in the Digital Gallery, a short documentary film featuring interviews with well-known photographers, models, historians and beauty experts “who guide visitors on a fascinating photographic exploration of the culture – and cult – of beauty”. The exhibit runs through November 27.