Buzz
The life of a jet-setting celebrity appears incredibly glamorous: waking up in New York one day and jetting off to London by night, all while signing autographs along the way. While it’s a dreamy image, fame doesn’t exempt anyone from standard travel procedures. Even renowned actors, celebrated authors, and elite athletes must ensure their paperwork is flawless before boarding a plane. Over time, the appearance of these documents has evolved, making this collection of fifteen vintage passports featuring iconic figures a fascinating blend of history and star-studded intrigue.
1. Marilyn Monroe
Issued on February 8, 1954, this legal document belonging to Marilyn Monroe highlights her brief marriage to New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio. It also records her hair as blonde and her eyes as blue, details that were already unmistakable to her fans.
2. Muhammad Ali
Despite being a boxing legend, Ali’s handwriting is unexpectedly delicate. This World Heavyweight Champion demonstrates that even the smallest details, like penmanship, can leave a lasting impression.
3. Ernest Hemingway
Renowned American expatriate Ernest Hemingway was a globetrotter from the 1920s onwards. In his memoir A Moveable Feast, which recounts his time in Paris alongside luminaries such as James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Pablo Picasso, he offers a piece of travel wisdom after a tiresome car journey with a tipsy F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Never travel with someone you don’t love.” His 1923 passport is preserved at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
4. Janis Joplin
The Queen of Rock and Roll appears cheerful in her passport photo, taken just under seven months before her tragic death from a heroin overdose in a Hollywood hotel room in 1970.
5. Ella Fitzgerald
The stamps on this legendary blues singer’s passport reveal her extensive travels to countries like Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. This extensive list makes it even more puzzling why Hungary denied her entry.
6. F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s passport serves as a three-in-one document: Reflecting an older American tradition, a single passport could cover a man, his wife, and their children. This particular passport features Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and their daughter “Scottie,” who would grow up to become a writer and journalist, embarking on her own adventures across the country.
7. Virginia Woolf
In contrast to Zelda Fitzgerald, who relied on her husband’s documents for travel to Paris and beyond, Virginia Woolf appears to have demanded a personal passport for her journeys.
8. Walt Disney
Walt Disney’s passport showcases his signature, elegantly written over a photo of the mustachioed animator whose creative genius gave us Mickey Mouse and countless other beloved characters. This signature later became the inspiration for his iconic company logo.
9. Audrey Hepburn
The star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s is seen in a white blouse that blends seamlessly into the white backdrop of her passport photo—perhaps opting for her signature little black dress would have been a better choice that day.
10. Johnny Cash
In his 1968 passport photo, the legendary “Ring of Fire” singer exudes a no-nonsense, serious demeanor.
11. James Joyce
James Joyce’s passport, issued by the British Consulate in Zurich after he fled Italy during World War I, was valid from 1915 and spans nearly the entire seven-year period he spent crafting his masterpiece Ulysses. Interestingly, it lists his lifelong partner Nora, pictured with their children, as his “wife”—a subtle fabrication, as the couple didn’t officially marry until 1931, years after the passport was issued.
12. Albert Einstein
In his Swiss passport photo, the iconic theoretical physicist’s hair appears relatively neat, though other images of him reveal this wasn’t his usual look.
13. David Bowie
Considering his flamboyant style, one can’t help but wonder how much effort it took to make the legendary glam rocker David Bowie appear so polished and professional for his passport photo.
14. John Lennon
John Lennon’s official United States immigration document could easily be described as his golden ticket to new adventures.
15. Beyoncé
Though not vintage, Beyoncé’s passport offers a rare look at the global icon before her rise to Super Bowl fame. Today, Queen Bey’s passport appears to grant her and her equally famous husband Jay-Z access to places like Cuba despite tourism restrictions, showcasing the privileges of stardom.
