No Summer in Europe will be Complete without a Dinner at this Sea Cave

I‘ll bet you can already hear the waves crashing up against the rocks below you and taste the salty sea on your lips as you slurp down spaghetti accompanied by a glass of cold rosé. You want to know exactly where this magical place is so you can promptly reserve your table for two with your favourite person…

The Vault

The Curious Caravan de Paris

In my little corner of Paris, on a vibrant boulevard of the 20th arrondissement, something curious and out of place has been drawing my attention ever since I first went put-putting past it on my mobylette years ago. I suppose I’ve always been a tad reluctant to go and unveil the mystery; more content to remain ambiguous about…

Pssst! You've stumbled across content that is exclusive to Nessy's Keyholders.

There’s a new way to access the really special stuff from Messy Nessy Chic …

Hidden beneath the surface layers of the internet, there’s a place where we keep our most secret addresses, untapped archives, creator’s inspiration, collector’s guides, explorer’s manuals, obscure research and much more… And it’s made for our keyholders only!

Apply now to unlock the Vault

Keyholder Login

The Fake Rooftop Towns of World War II

They were devised by Hollywood set designers, assembled like stage props and “inhabited” by actors, but entertainment was far from the agenda. Photographed taking a sunny stroll down a seemingly suburban avenue called Synthetic Street, these ladies are actually on the rooftop of the B17 Bomber factory in Seattle Washington in 1941, camouflaged by nearly 26 acres of suburban American…

Monsieur Hulot’s Parisian House

There are some things that just make me tick. I can’t exactly explain why; what first catches my eye, but it seems we have quite a few of these things in common, you and I. I’d like to share with you this very short and simple clip from a 1950s French film that for some reason…

This Adorable Mint Green Fiat Twinset is For Sale

Let’s talk cars. Cute ones. In a matching mint green hue. If you happen to be in the market for just about the most charming set of micro cars ever produced, look no further, I’ve caught wind of something rather fabulous and deliciously retro. Rare examples of the 1950s Fiat 600 Multipla and 600 Jolly are going up…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. LXXVI)

1. Triplets get a Haircut, 1956 The Dees triplets, Megan, Christina and Katha, photographed in 1956 by Nina Leen for LIFE magazine. And here they are all grown up, modelling in the 1960s… 2. A Multi-Story VW Bus This multi-storey VW minibus comes from Berger Stadel Walsh of Basel, found on Boing Boing 3. Battery, Baghdad,…

Behind the Scenes at Macy’s, 1948

Two things you and I clearly need are a time machine and a “backstage pass” to everything. But the next best thing of course, is the internet and all its wonders, such as one of my favorite places to fish, the LIFE Archives. Today we go behind the staff only doors of the iconic Macy’s…

The Robinson Crusoe Hotel

If Robinson Crusoe had washed up on a tropical island inhabited by eco-warriors rather than cannibals, this might have been what his life as a castaway would have looked like. That is of course, if deserted islands came complete with tropical huts perched over natural pools visible under your feet beneath the transparent flooring. Nearly ten years ago,…

The Old Butcher’s Bookshop, Paris

On the longest street in Paris, at the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens, sits a unique little bookshop that’s often overlooked. While the famous Shakespeare & Co is chock-full with tourists everyday, outside Le Pont Traversé at 62 Rue de Vaugirard, the lone passerby is occasionally browsing the bookstand at leisure. So I thought I’d…

The Groovy Imitation Bands of 1960s Japanese Rock

When the Beatles arrived in Japan in June of 1966, they caused as much pandemonium when they did when they triggered Beatlemania in the United States in 1964. A total of 8,400 policemen were mobilized for security at a cost of 90 million yen and more than 6,500 Japanese teenagers were taken into custody. They had been…