The Echo of a Distant Time

Saturday, September 12, 2026

The gift of goodbye

I no longer speak a great deal about my personal life upon social media — it was always something of a dead end — and yet I shall say this much: the past several months, I have been attending therapy. Probably long overdue, yeah? Actually, it is not my first go-around, but no matter. In any case, I have had a therapist I genuinely came to appreciate, a kind and estimable young woman. Unfortunately, she is now obliged to leave the practice owing to life circumstances, and the change came about rather suddenly. This morning marked my final appointment with her, which I almost did not make due to my car not starting; thankfully, I had a ride and did manage to say ‘goodbye’ to her.

I share this only to say that it served as a profound reminder to me to cherish always the rare few good people who grace one’s life, because one never knows when a given parting shall prove the last. In brutal honesty, I do not miss the vast majority of my erstwhile friends and acquaintances — as I have always maintained, from hard-earned experience, most people are decidedly NOT good people — yet there remain a select few with whom I wish I had either parted on more amicable terms or who might yet remain in my life. I am grateful that, for one such individual at least, I was afforded the opportunity to say a proper farewell — and ‘thank you’.

— Arthur Newhook, 12 September 2026

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, September 6, 2026

The last star of the silents ★: Anita Page

A sophisticated black-and-white Hollywood portrait depicts Anita Page standing within a sleek Art Deco interior, leaning lightly against a geometric wall. Her short blonde hair is arranged in soft Marcel waves, while layered pearls accentuate the elegance of her dark satin playsuit, elaborately decorated with floral appliqué and beadwork. She gazes downwards with a serene, introspective expression while holding an ornate hand mirror before her. Her crossed legs, pale stockings and pointed shoes create an elongated, graceful silhouette. Dramatic directional lighting isolates her against deep architectural shadows, giving the composition the polished glamour and sculptural luminosity characteristic of George Hurrell’s studio photography.

George Hurrell

Celebrating the silver-screen goddess from Flushing, Queens: Anita Page; 4 August 1910 to 6 September 2008. A luminary at MGM during the industry’s transition from silent films to ‘talkies’, particularly between 1928 and 1933, with only occasional returns to acting thereafter, this ‘blonde, blue-eyed Latin’ was equally renowned as a frequent muse for some of the era’s most celebrated photographers, foremost among them George Hurrell, Ruth Harriet-Louise, and Clarence Sinclair-Bull.

Legend hath it that the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini proposed marriage unto her from afar, yet by age twenty-three she had essentially retired from full-time work; by 1937, she was wed to a Navy pilot, with whom she bore two daughters. In her later years, she came to be known as ‘the last star of the silents’, remembered both as the final surviving attendee of the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 and for lending her presence to a succession of direct-to-video horror films well into her tenth decade of life.

A striking black-and-white studio portrait depicts Anita Page posing against a plain wall while holding an unusually long, banjo-like stringed instrument diagonally across her body. Her blonde hair falls in softly sculpted waves, framing a playful yet self-assured expression directed towards the camera. She wears a dark satin brassiere and high-waisted shorts beneath a loose patterned sleeveless garment, with dark pumps completing the theatrical ensemble. One leg crosses casually before the other, while stark directional lighting projects dramatic shadows of both woman and instrument onto the wall. The unconventional prop, abbreviated costume and stylised illumination give the portrait a mischievous, avant-garde quality characteristic of late-1920s Hollywood glamour photography.

Ruth Harriet-Louise

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

A provocative black-and-white studio portrait depicts Anita Page standing barefoot against an almost completely black background, her body turned partly sideways as she gazes towards the camera with an intense, apprehensive expression. Her blonde hair falls in long, sculpted waves over her shoulders, while an abbreviated dark costume leaves much of her figure exposed. She grips an enormous pair of theatrical scissors with both hands, their elongated blades extending dramatically towards the floor. Stark illumination isolates her pale figure and the gleaming blades from the surrounding darkness, giving the composition a surreal, faintly menacing sensuality characteristic of adventurous late-1920s Hollywood publicity photography.

Clarence Sinclair-Bull

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Before the Autumn came

A softly illuminated colour photograph depicts Christina Lindberg standing amid tall, sunlit grass, her body turned partly away while she looks back towards the camera with a quiet, searching expression. Her long brown hair falls loosely over her shoulders as she lifts a pale green top across her chest, revealing her bare midriff above delicate white briefs. The surrounding field dissolves into a luminous blur of cream and gold, while darker woodland forms a subdued backdrop in the distance. Natural backlighting traces her hair and figure with a warm glow, lending the composition a pastoral, dreamlike sensuality characteristic of early-1970s glamour photography.

source unknown, possibly via Playboy

Praying for brighter days upon this Sunday morning in early September, in the company of the Swedish goddess Christina Lindberg. Here seen in her early-1970s glory, during the period in which she reigned as one of the pre-eminent erotic models and stars of the ‘sexploitation’ genre — a curious corner of cinema not wanting in its own peculiar audacity. A brilliant woman who studied Latin as a schoolgirl, Ms Lindberg eventually established herself as a magazine editor and journalist, yet hath continued to grace the screen through occasional acting appearances as recently as 2020.

A softly lit colour photograph depicts Christina Lindberg reclining languidly upon a bed, her eyes closed and dark hair spread across the pillow. She wears a white camisole edged with delicate lace, while her bare legs extend diagonally across rumpled white bedding. One arm rests above her head as the other hand lies loosely against her upper thigh, giving the pose an unguarded, dreamlike quality. Pink and white flowers beside her provide the composition’s principal accent of colour. Diffused daylight filtering through pale curtains creates a warm, hazy atmosphere, lending the intimate scene the gentle, romantic sensuality characteristic of early-1970s glamour photography.

source unknown, possibly via Penthouse

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

source unknown, possibly via Playboy

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Friday, September 4, 2026

Grace without end

Universal publicity photo

The First Lady of Hollywood: Irene Dunne, 20 December 1898 to 4 September 1990. Elegance, intelligence, and warmth personified. Best remembered as the reigning queen of screwball comedy, she was likewise an exceptionally versatile actress, earning five Academy Award nominations for Best Actress across three distinct genres — a Western, three comedies, and a drama. Beyond the screen, she distinguished herself as a noted philanthropist, serving as a delegate to the United Nations during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, whilst also holding senior positions with the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society. During the Second World War, she co-founded the Hollywood Victory Committee alongside Clark Gable. It is impossible to encapsulate so remarkable a lady’s career in a single paragraph, yet Irene Dunne was, and shall forever remain, a quintessential Hollywood exemplar — no questions asked.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Portrait in smoke: remembering Cassandra Wilson

A black-and-white portrait depicts Cassandra Wilson gazing steadily towards the camera against a plain, softly illuminated background. Her long locs cascade over her shoulders and frame her composed, contemplative expression. She wears a dark, low-cut off-the-shoulder garment with a delicate pearl necklace, creating an understated elegance heightened by the monochrome treatment. One hand is raised loosely beside her face, holding a slender cigarette, while the other rests near her waist. The restrained composition, subtle tonal contrasts and direct gaze give the photograph an intimate, sophisticated character, balancing quiet self-possession with an air of smoky, bohemian glamour.

Blue Note Records

A tad late in posting this, but fare thee well, Cassandra Wilson: the great jazz vocalist departs this ungrateful world, aged 70. {NPR 2 September}

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/02/nx-s1-5954558/cassandra-wilson-grammy-winning-jazz-vocalist-dies-at-70

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Fair Winds, Miss Blondell

A vintage black-and-white publicity photograph shows Joan Blondell seated beside a tranquil pond beneath drooping willow branches. Smiling brightly, she wears a sleeveless light-coloured playsuit with a low neckline, decorative buttons and matching high-heeled shoes. She holds an elaborate model sailing ship at arm’s length, apparently positioning it beside several larger model yachts arranged against a tree. Blondell sits upon a cushion atop an overturned wooden canoe, while an oar lies diagonally across the grass in the foreground. The waterside setting, miniature vessels and relaxed summer costume give the carefully staged portrait a playful, whimsical quality characteristic of early Hollywood publicity photography.

The Golden Age goddess Joan Blondell, born 30 August 1906; seen here in a Warner Bros. publicity photograph, circa 1930.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Queen of the Blues

A colour album cover depicts Dinah Washington seated in a relaxed, intimate pose, smiling warmly towards the camera with her chin resting lightly upon one hand. Her dark hair is arranged in an elegant sculpted coiffure, complemented by vivid coral lipstick, earrings, a delicate pendant necklace, bracelets and a ring. She wears a low-cut coral-pink evening dress embellished with shimmering floral embroidery and scalloped edging. The softly blurred blue-grey background and out-of-focus reddish foreground shape lend the portrait a candid, almost conversational warmth. At upper right, bold lettering identifies “DINAH WASHINGTON” and the album WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!; a Jazz Images mark appears at lower left.

Mercury Records, 1959

Elegance in every note: Dinah Washington, born 29 August 1924.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

A smile for the ages

A black-and-white studio portrait shows Betty Lynn smiling brightly towards the camera against a plain, luminous background. Framed from roughly the waist upwards, she leans slightly to one side with her shoulder raised, lending the photograph an informal, vivacious quality. Her dark, shoulder-length hair is arranged in voluminous 1940s waves, with an elaborate rolled section sweeping across her forehead. She wears a simple long-sleeved knit top ornamented with a small decorative brooch near the chest. Strong studio lighting illuminates her face while casting deeper shadows across her clothing, accentuating her expressive eyes, carefully shaped brows and broad, engaging smile.

20th Century Fox

Actress Betty Lynn, a/k/a ‘Thelma Lou’ from The Andy Griffith Show. Born one hundred years ago this very day, in Kansas City.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Tim Curry, 19 April 1946 to 25 August 2026

A formal colour portrait shows Tim Curry seated comfortably in a large upholstered armchair against a nearly black background. He wears a substantial burgundy cable-knit cardigan over a crisp white shirt and patterned red tie, creating a distinguished, scholarly appearance. His dark hair is swept neatly backwards, whilst a closely trimmed grey beard and moustache frame his face. Curry looks directly towards the camera with a composed, penetrating expression, one hand raised to adjust his rectangular black spectacles. Soft, controlled lighting illuminates his face and the textured cream upholstery while allowing the surrounding darkness to recede, giving the portrait an intimate, dignified atmosphere.

Getty Images

Fare thee well, Tim Curry: the award-winning English actor and singer departs this life, aged eighty. {NPR 26 August}

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/26/nx-s1-5477607/tim-curry-dead

I make no pretence of being an ardent admirer of every production for which Mr Curry became renowned, nor have I seen his entire body of work. Few performers, however, were ever greater at portraying an eccentric, over-the-top villain. Pennywise is probably my favourite example. Godspeed, good sir.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Fare thee well, Dolly Parton

A vivid colour studio portrait shows Dolly Parton smiling directly towards the camera against a deep navy background. Her famously voluminous platinum-blonde hair is arranged in cascading curls and an exceptionally high bouffant, framing her face and shoulders. She wears lavender eye shadow, dark eyeliner and glossy pink lipstick. Her fitted dark teal dress is dramatically contrasted by a bright pink ruffled neckline and enormous sheer balloon sleeves, gathered into extravagant tiered cuffs. Both hands rest across her waist, displaying long manicured nails and numerous ornate rings. The saturated pink, teal and platinum palette, theatrical styling and exuberant proportions give the portrait an unmistakably glamorous 1970s country-music aesthetic.

Dolly Parton Archive

A fond farewell to one of America’s most beloved public figures: Dolly Parton, 19 January 1946 to 25 August 2026. {NYT 25 August; photo: Dolly Parton Archive}

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/arts/music/dolly-parton-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8FA.CnX_.KKzjuoNR1foq&smid=url-share

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Rest in Peace, Shelley Fabares

A black-and-white publicity photograph shows Shelley Fabares posing beside a tranquil tropical shoreline in a floral two-piece swimsuit with a halterneck top and high-waisted bottoms. Seated sideways upon a rough timber beam, she extends one leg towards the foreground whilst bending the other, resting her hand lightly against her temple. Her short blonde hair is styled in a neat bouffant, and she smiles brightly towards the camera. A palm frond enters dramatically from the upper left, while calm water and a distant tree-lined shore form the uncluttered background, lending the portrait the sunny, wholesome glamour characteristic of early-1960s Hollywood publicity photography.

photo: source unknown

A fond farewell to the great actress and singer Shelley Fabares. Now among the angels. 19 January 1944 to 22 August 2026.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Friday, August 21, 2026

Queen of Noir

A black-and-white MGM publicity portrait of Marie Windsor reclining across a bed in a dark, form-fitting dress. She lies on her stomach with her legs raised behind her, displaying high-heeled shoes with decorative detailing, while resting her head casually against one hand. Windsor wears her dark hair in a glossy, shoulder-length bob with short, blunt fringe, complemented by dark lipstick and precisely defined brows. Her relaxed pose and faint, knowing smile lend the photograph the sophisticated sensuality and slightly dangerous glamour for which the statuesque actress became particularly associated in film noir.

Miss Dimension of 1946 and ‘Queen of the B’s’: TCM’s featured star of the day, Marie Windsor, in an MGM publicity photograph from in all likelihood right around 1946. A femme fatale extraordinaire and, at five feet nine inches, one of Hollywood’s most statuesque leading ladies.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, August 17, 2026

Yvonne Craig: a light that time could never dim

A colour portrait of Robert De Niro standing against a dark, weathered industrial backdrop. His silver-grey hair is swept neatly back, and he looks directly towards the camera with a restrained, contemplative expression. He wears a charcoal-grey tailored jacket over a black collared shirt, creating an understated monochromatic appearance. A metal mesh partition occupies the left edge of the frame, while scratched and mottled wall panels extend behind him. Soft natural light illuminates his face and accentuates its age-lined features, contrasting with the sombre textures and muted tones of the surrounding environment.

photo: source unknown

The fabulous actress and ballerina of yore, Yvonne Craig. 16 May 1937 to 17 August 2015.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Robert De Niro, born on this day in 1943

A colour portrait of Robert De Niro standing against a dark, weathered industrial backdrop. His silver-grey hair is swept neatly back, and he looks directly towards the camera with a restrained, contemplative expression. He wears a charcoal-grey tailored jacket over a black collared shirt, creating an understated monochromatic appearance. A metal mesh partition occupies the left edge of the frame, while scratched and mottled wall panels extend behind him. Soft natural light illuminates his face and accentuates its age-lined features, contrasting with the sombre textures and muted tones of the surrounding environment.

photo: Emilio Madrid, c. 2024

Wishing one of the world’s finest actors, a great American, and one of my favourite people on this planet, Mr Robert De Niro, a very happy 83rd birthday.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Remembering Hayden Panettiere

photo: Michael Sterling Eaton

Hayden Panettiere, 21 August 1989 to 16 August 2026. {ABC News 17 August}

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/hayden-panettiere-dies-at-36-030552157.html

A colour glamour photograph of Hayden Panettiere posing beside a vivid pink upright piano in a softly illuminated room. Her long blonde hair falls in loose waves as she kneels upon the matching piano bench, leaning forward with her arms resting across the instrument and looking back towards the camera. She wears a fitted black sleeveless crop top and a short pleated tartan skirt. An open sheet of music rests above the keyboard, while the predominantly pink-and-white surroundings create a playful, feminine atmosphere reminiscent of a stylised fashion editorial.

source unknown

Rest in Peace, Hayden Panettiere. Taken from this world following an apparent heart attack, at merely thirty-six years of age. Apart from coming across a few pin-up images here and there, I cannot lay claim to any degree of familiarity with either her career or person, apart from what I have only just come to learn. Obviously, though, she was undeniably beautiful and still in the prime years of life. Show business is demanding even for the resolute and most level-headed of individuals; for those living with depression or addiction, it is all but impossible to endure. Marilyn was also thirty-six when her life came to its tragic end, and a great many others have succumbed earlier still. The ‘27 Club’ of musicians is all but one example. Godspeed.

photo: Ellen von Unwerth, GQ Nov. 2007

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Friday, August 14, 2026

Remembering Dorothy Stratten

Dorothy Stratten, 28 February 1960 to 14 August 1980. Playboy's Playmate of the Month for August 1979, she met a horrific end that hath been extensively documented elsewhere. We pause here simply to commemorate a young woman who appeared, for a time, to hold the world within her grasp. She merits remembrance for the promise of her life, and not solely for the violence that brought it to an end.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

H.G. Wells on the manner in which the world shall meet its end

A black-and-white portrait of British author H. G. Wells seated at a desk, photographed by Kurt Hutton circa 1940. Wells wears a dark three-piece suit and spotted bow tie, his receding hair neatly combed and his distinctive moustache carefully trimmed. He gazes towards the camera with a grave, contemplative expression while holding his spectacles in one hand and a pencil in the other. Papers and an open book lie across the desk before him, while a shaded lamp illuminates stacked books at left. Dramatic chiaroscuro isolates Wells against the shadowed study, lending the portrait an austere, intellectual atmosphere.

photo by Kurt Hutton, c. 1940

“Mankind which began in a cave and behind a windbreak will end in the disease-soaked ruins of a slum.” — H.G. Wells, 21 September 1866 to 13 August 1946. Quote from The Fate of Man, ch. 26 (1939).

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The tragic life and death of Willy Rey, Playmate of the Month for February 1971

Playmate of the Month for February 1971, the flame-haired Dutch-Canadian model Willy Rey (née Wilhelmina Rietveld) was born in the Netherlands in August 1949 and emigrated to Canada whilst still a child. Characterised in contemporaneous accounts as ‘vivacious’, ‘sweet and innocent’, and ‘totally honest’, the young lady briefly achieved her long-cherished aspiration of modelling fame in the early 1970s, appearing in the pages of Playboy and across a range of print advertisements, including extensive work in Japan. By August of 1973, however, something had gone terribly awry, and Willy Rey succumbed to a fatal overdose of sleeping medication at her family's residence near Vancouver, a mere twenty-four years of age.

In an obituary published by the Canadian Press, her father was quoted as saying: “I wish there had never been a Playboy. She would not have become famous and I would still have my daughter.” In the months preceding her passing, she had, by various accounts, consulted ‘several’ psychiatrists, and was said to have ‘experimented with hard drugs’ and become ‘deep into God-Devil worship’ (the precise nature of which is anybody’s guess). I pray her father and loved ones found some measure of consolation in the years following her death. Whatever ultimately led to Willy Rey's tragic demise — and whilst deeper information about life and background proved elusive in my research — her beauty and her name endure through the body of work she left behind; and she merits remembrance as considerably more than merely the circumstances attending her final days.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

In remembrance of Loretta Young, 6 January 1913 to 12 August 2000. Photographed by Ruth Harriet Louise, circa 1928

Among Hollywood's most enduring leading ladies, Loretta Young enjoyed a career of truly remarkable longevity, spanning no fewer than seventy-three years. She entered the motion-picture industry as a child during the silent era, negotiated the arrival of talking pictures with seemingly effortless assurance, and ultimately appeared in well over one hundred films across four decades before embarking upon a career in television. Few performers navigated the relentless upheavals of twentieth-century entertainment with such grace or consistency.

Ms Young is, perhaps, most vividly remembered for winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in recognition of her performance as Katy Holstrum in The Farmer's Daughter (1947). Throughout her career she cultivated a reputation for elegance, professionalism — qualities that, taken together, established her as one of the most respected and enduring luminaries not merely of Hollywood's Golden Age, but of American cinema itself.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

"Come and have a look"

A vintage colour publicity photograph of actress Yvonne Romain reclining beside a sunlit swimming pool beneath tropical foliage. She wears a black-and-white gingham two-piece swimsuit and gazes directly towards the camera with a poised, composed expression. Her dark bouffant hairstyle and understated make-up reflect early-1960s fashion, while one arm rests behind her head and the other supports her relaxed pose. Bright afternoon sunlight casts soft highlights across her figure, with palms and lush greenery forming a tranquil backdrop that evokes the glamour of a classic Hollywood poolside portrait.

photo: British actress Yvonne Romain; source unknown

I should like to invite the regular posters from the presently dormant Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels Facebook group — should any of you happen to see this — to join me over on Reddit at r/DollsFallen. The community is now up and running, and new contributors are welcome. Please do take a moment to familiarise yourselves with the posted rules before commenting or submitting content. My thanks to one and all, and I very much hope to see some familiar faces there.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, August 10, 2026

Norma Shearer: Hollywood's First Lady in velvet

photo: Alfred Cheney Johnston, c. 1924. colourised via ChatGPT

Forever the patron saint of The Echo of a Distant Time and Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels. Goddess of the silver screen, Queen of MGM, and an enduring paragon of elegance whose intellect equalled her beauty. Norma Shearer was a pioneer before her time, remembered for luminous sophistication, quiet fortitude, and the timeless glamour that characterised cinema's Golden Age. Wishing the lady the happiest of heavenly birthdays; born in Montréal in August 1902.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Rhonda Fleming: born to shine in Technicolor

A colour publicity portrait of actress Rhonda Fleming reclining on a sunlit sandy rock formation while wearing a white one-piece swimsuit with a softly pleated skirt. Her signature auburn hair falls in carefully styled waves around her shoulders as she smiles directly towards the camera with relaxed confidence. Seated barefoot with one arm supporting her on the sand and the other resting beside her, she is framed by warm-toned coastal rocks that create a simple, natural backdrop, emphasising the understated glamour and elegance characteristic of Hollywood studio photography of the early 1950s.

Queen of Technicolor: Celebrating the esteemed Rhonda Fleming, born 10 August 1923. Seen in her starring role as the female pirate Captain Rouge in The Golden Hawk (1952, Columbia).

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, August 9, 2026

Announcement concerning the Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels group on Facebook

photo: Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stein, 1962

Sorry, folks, but the Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/886318992990373) is on pause until further notice — probably at least through the remainder of August and all of September. Facebook’s bots have been playing games with me, on and off, for the better part of two years, never once offering any explanation, and despite the fact that I have not knowingly posted a single thing that violated the platform’s bloody guidelines.

At present, I cannot even post in this very group, despite being its creator and administrator. More absurdly still, over the past several days I have also been rendered unable to approve posts submitted by certain users. Some I can approve; others I cannot. Once again, no explanation has been forthcoming.

I have simply reached the end of my patience, and so the group is being placed on pause.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed here and helped Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels grow to more than 3,000 members. Somehow, we'll be back. Until then, I hope you'll continue following my work over at The Echo of a Distant Time: facebook.com/FloydEtcetera.

{photo: Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stein, 1962}

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Facebook: waiting for the exit

Editorial-style portrait of Cara Delevingne kneeling on a red carpet in a softly lit interior while looking back over her shoulder towards the camera with an intense expression. She has tousled dark hair, several small tattoos visible along her side and arm, black high-heeled shoes with red soles, and black bikini-style bottoms embellished with decorative pins. Her back is uncovered, with partial side exposure visible. Behind her, a doorway displays a collage of photographs, while the minimalist room features pale walls, built-in cupboards, and warm, muted lighting.

model Cara Delevingne for Playboy’s Summer 2026 edition

My patience with Facebook hath nearly reached its absolute limit. The bloody platform is no longer allowing me to approve posts submitted by certain users in my own group — Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels — and without explanation as to why. Even more absurdly, I myself have been rendered incapable of posting in said group (or in any FB group) since June — despite being its bloody creator and moderator. Again, Facebook hath never once condescended to furnish a reason. Bots are controlling everything, and are making simple existence increasingly difficult for human beings.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I am at the brink of dissolving the group altogether, and I continue to harbour the hope of leaving Facebook entirely by the middle of 2027. It is a wretched company, yet for the present it is still where the greater part of my audience resides. I pray they seek me out elsewhere. The sooner we each begin extricating ourselves from this putrid s**thole, the better for all concerned.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Robby Albarado, champion jockey: 11 September 1973 to 4 August 2026

Getty Images, c. 2020

A fond farewell to one of the great jockeys of our time: Robby Albarado dies, aged 52, following heart procedure. Fourth in all-time wins at Churchill Downs, among numerous other accolades. {Bloodhorse 4 August; photo: Getty Images}

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/293579/albarado-who-guided-curlin-to-two-top-campaigns-dies

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, August 3, 2026

An evening with Jean Hagen

Black-and-white publicity still of actress Jean Hagen singing into a large vintage microphone in a nightclub scene from Side Street (MGM, 1949). She wears a sleeveless evening gown and gazes upward with an expressive, wistful look as though performing a heartfelt ballad. Soft studio lighting highlights her face and carefully styled shoulder-length hair, while musicians and patrons remain out of focus in the dimly lit background, creating the intimate atmosphere of a late-1940s nightclub performance.

Jean Hagen as nightclub singer Bella in Side Street (MGM, 1949).

Chicago-born starlet of the Golden Age Jean Hagen, 3 August 1923 to 29 August 1977. A versatile actress who ran the gamut from film noir to family sitcoms, she is perhaps best remembered for her Academy Award-nominated performance in Singin' in the Rain (1952), as well as for playing Danny Thomas's first wife on Make Room for Daddy. After overcoming alcoholism during her forties, Hagen appeared poised for a significant professional resurgence during the 1970s. Fate, however, proved unkind. She died of oesophageal cancer in 1977 at the age of just fifty-four.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

The enduring grace of Diane Keen

A colourised portrait of British actress Diane Keen seated casually on a low stone step outdoors, smiling warmly towards the camera. She wears a blue-and-white gingham short-sleeved dress with a white collar and tall grey suede boots reaching to her knees. Resting one elbow on her raised knee while lightly supporting her head with one hand, she adopts a relaxed, youthful pose. Behind her, a cream-coloured wall and pale brickwork create a simple backdrop, allowing the soft natural light and her cheerful expression to dominate the composition.

photo: source unknown; colourised via ChatGPT

Renowned English actress Diane Keen, celebrating her 79th birthday today (born 29 July 1947 in London).

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Cherry-laced country dreams

A cheerful outdoor glamour portrait of a blonde model standing beside a white ranch fence beneath a sunny sky. She wears a straw cowboy hat tipped forward with one hand and a white camisole-style top and matching shorts decorated with a tiny red cherry pattern and trimmed with white lace. A red ribbon accents the neckline, complementing the playful country-inspired styling. A Western saddle rests on the fence beside her, while leafy trees and soft natural light create a relaxed rural atmosphere. The image combines pin-up fashion with a light-hearted rustic theme, emphasising bright colours, vintage charm, and an easy summer mood.

photo: source unknown

Please be advised that The Echo of a Distant Time and Broken Dolls and Fallen Angels have a new home on Reddit. Visit reddit.com/r/DollsFallen and join today. {photo: source unknown}

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, July 27, 2026

Peggy Fleming: America’s erstwhile queen of the ice

A colour photograph of Peggy Fleming gliding gracefully across the ice rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. She wears a vivid pink long-sleeved skating dress with white lace-trimmed cuffs and collar, accented by a black bow at the neckline, together with white figure skates. Her arms are extended elegantly as she smiles towards the camera, capturing the effortless poise and artistry for which she became renowned. Behind her, rows of international flags line the plaza, while the surrounding skyscrapers frame the iconic outdoor rink in bright daylight, creating a lively urban backdrop to the scene.

Getty Images

American figure skating legend Peggy Fleming, born 27 July 1948 in San Jose, California. Three-time world champion and gold medalist at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Remarkably, it was the only gold medal the US achieved at those games, and her success also revitalised US women’s figure skating after the 1961 Sabena Flight 548 disaster had taken the lives of so many of the sport’s leading figures. For years afterward, she was one of America's foremost sporting icons and a household name, and — though her fame hath naturally faded with the passage of time, this being a disgustingly fickle and wholly unappreciative nation of malevolent fools that loves to build public figures up only to tear them down — she remains one of the great pioneers of modern figure skating.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

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