Mark's camera

April 13, 1972. Mark Toma buys an Icarex SLR with a wide angle lens (presumably 35/3.4 Skoparex) from Panorama shop. Icarex is a trade mark of Zeiss Ikon. In OTL this camera was a German response to budget-priced Japanese SLRs. In the Strangers' world it has much larger share of the market. Given the Arrested Development Factor its looks are too modern - so probably Mark's Icarex looked like 1963 prototype (branded Voigtlaender):

Btw, real Icarex was discontinued in 1971.

Malcolm McLaren - Jazz is Paris

Джазовых клубов в пределах досягаемости оказалось не меньше двадцати, десять из них работали ежевечерне, в пяти обещали играть «великую классику». Я выбрал тот, который громкими словами не злоупотреблял, а сулил всего-навсего «стандарты и мелодии прошлых лет». И не прогадал: в уютном зале играли французы, играли старый-престарый свинг и немолодой бибоп, без проблесков гениальности, но так, что хотелось слушать еще и еще. Увы, музыка стихла, когда я как раз собрался заказать третий бокал коньяка.

Real 1972. Men's wear

Via april-mo @ Flickr

Borgward. Why?

Borgward is a German automobile, produced in Bremen between 1929 and 1961.
One of the models, Isabella TS Coupe, is a real beauty:
But gracious Isabella is not the point.
Lieutenant Rudolf Kovacs of Military Counter-Intelligence, Southern District, Mark's colleague pro tempore, drives an 'old-fashioned Borgward' to the final stage of investigation.
Car shown here is probably too old-fashioned even for the Strangers' 1972. So Rudolf's official mount might look like 1959 Borgward P100:

Jeans, Memphis... Why?

Well, Jeans Story in the Strangers' world is quite different from OTL. Indigo-colored cotton cloth (denim) has conquered Europe in early Fifties. The mastermind behind its success is Yves Saint Laurent, who displayed his 'classe ouvrière' collection at the Paris Fashion Week, spring 1952. Despite their obvious working-class connection, jeans for years were a part of Haute couture and only in the Sixties finally found their way into the middle-class wardrobe. Both Eva and Mark wear jeans on various occasions.

Memphis is one of the oldest cigarette brands in Europe. First imported to Austro-Hungary from Egypt, Memphis cigarettes were produced locally after the Great War - not only in Austria but also in other parts of Central Europe. Not a de luxe brand any more but still a strong and tasty Oriental blend. Mark's favorite.
Btw, original Memphis has nothing to do with Memphis, Tennessee. It is named after the ancient capital of Lower Egypt.

Photo by joacigpacks, on Flickr

Borgward

1952 Borgward Hansa 2400

P38. Why? Also: Jeans and Memphis

Walther pistol is featured here for one and only reason: it is Mark's weapon. Never fired in anger. That's it.
Now an artifact worthy of a proper explanation:

Stay tuned