There is something irreplaceable about holding physical pieces of cinema history. Today, I’m thrilled to share the latest addition to my collection: the original 1996 press kit for the neo-noir crime thriller, Mulholland Falls.

Directed by Lee Tamahori and featuring an absolute powerhouse of an ensemble cast—Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, and Chazz Palminteri—this film captures the gritty, sun-drenched atmosphere of 1950s Los Angeles perfectly. This kit includes the original production notes and several stunning black-and-white publicity stills, including some incredible shots of Melanie Griffith and Jennifer Connelly.

A true highlight of this kit is the photography featuring Jennifer Connelly, who plays the pivotal role of Allison Pond. Even in a film filled with tough guys and "Hat Squad" detectives, Connelly’s screen presence is undeniable. There is a timeless, ethereal quality to her beauty in these stills that perfectly evokes the classic Hollywood starlets of the 1940s and 50s. Whether it’s the way she holds the light or that signature blend of innocence and mystery, she truly serves as the haunting, beautiful heart of the film’s central mystery.

Getting to see these images in their original high-contrast print format really highlights the incredible cinematography of Haskell Wexler. It’s a reminder of why we collect in the first place—to keep these moments of celluloid magic alive.

FOR those who want formality and dignity in their home, here is an especially attractive plan. The clever use of stone and brick on the exterior has created a most charming and interesting design.

The floor plan has been made compact for the sake of economy. There is hardly any hall space or wasted area. Notice the direct entrance to the two bedrooms from the large living rom. The living room itself has through circulation with its exposure to the front and rear. In the center and rear there is a den just off the living room that serves either as a study or work room, and also as an extra guest bedroom. It has an adjoining small bathroom which may also be used from the kitchen and servants’ side of the plan. The plan has a grass terrace at the front and at the back.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

BOTH dignity and charm have been achieved in the design of this house by the application of the refinement and delicacy of the Colonial style. The close relationship between the house and terrace is more intimate than extensive, as in the usual formal gardens of this period. Special attention has been given to the interior to make it a fitting background for beautifully designed modern or period furniture.

Note how the large rooms separately have some attractive feature—a fireplace, bay windows or with an interesting view to the garden area to the rear. The first floor bedroom has all the conveniences necessary for comfort to special friends and overnight guests. The stairway is placed so as to be more private for family use in going from the living area to the family bedrooms and baths on the second floor. Each of these bedrooms is large and well ventilated and provided with good sized closets for clothes, linen and storage.

This entire plan is the type so many people want some day to have as their own lovely home.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

RELATIVELY small dwellings that will house more than one family, and do it gracefully on a 50-foot lot, are in great demand. Here is a plan economically and conveniently arranged to take care of three families.

The outstanding feature is the appearance it has of being a typical small house. Each entrance is independent of the other and designed so that the door to the second-story stairway is the only apparent entrance on the front elevation. The other two entrances are cleverly placed on the front side corners and lead directly to the living room of the first-floor apartments.

The rooms are large and conveniently arranged for the placement of furniture. Family meals are served in the alcoves in the kitchen, and the end of the living room is intended to be used as a dining space when entertaining guests. Each kitchen has a private entrance for food deliveries and for servants. The bedrooms are large and have good air circulation and three walls for various arrangements of furniture. Closets are plentiful and equipped with shelves and hanging rods.

The second-story apartment has complete privacy and, like the first-floor units, is well arranged to take full advantage of furniture arrangement.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

THIS informal Colonial house has the atmosphere of gracious living, yet there is indisputable evidence that economy of construction may be developed, along with distinctiveness in design.

There is a large living room with a fireplace as the feature design. On the left of the fireplace is a built-in bookcase. The bedrooms are large, well ventilated and have plenty of closet space. The bath is centrally located for convenience to guests and everyday living. The dining room opens off to a covered platform and a back terrace. The kitchen is extra large with the usual built-in cabinets and storage spaces, and with a breakfast alcove for family meals. The side screened porch provides protection in inclement weather and also gives the family a sitting porch.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

The June 1964 Boston issue of Architectural Forum is more than a magazine—it is a snapshot of a moment when American cities believed they could redesign their own future.

Dedicated almost entirely to Boston and its urban renewal program, this issue captures the peak of postwar optimism in planning, architecture, and engineering. The pages are filled with aerial photographs, physical models, and ambitious renderings of what the city could become: Government Center, the transformation of the old waterfront, and the reorganization of traffic, density, and civic space.

What makes this issue particularly powerful is its tone. Urban renewal is presented not as destruction, but as progress. Aging neighborhoods are framed as problems to be solved through modernist clarity, large-scale intervention, and centralized planning. Concrete, glass, and monumental civic buildings are shown as tools of democracy and efficiency. The city is treated almost like a machine—something that can be optimized if approached scientifically.

The Boston Government Center project, featured prominently, stands as a symbol of this era. It reflects a belief that architecture could express authority, transparency, and renewal all at once. Today, opinions about the project are divided, but in 1964 it represented confidence—confidence in institutions, in planners, and in the future itself.

Seen from today’s perspective, the issue is also a quiet document of what urban renewal cost. Entire districts were erased. Social fabric was disrupted. What the magazine does not show is as revealing as what it celebrates. This makes the issue invaluable: it allows us to understand not only the design language of the time, but the mindset behind it.

For collectors, historians, and anyone interested in American urban history, this Boston issue of Architectural Forum is a primary source. It sits at the intersection of architecture, politics, engineering, and culture—capturing the exact moment when modernism believed it could fix the city.

Adding this issue to a home library is not just about owning a magazine. It is about preserving a chapter of American self-confidence, ambition, and contradiction—printed on paper, photographed from the air, and bound in June 1964.