June 2018
June 25, 2018
The Wrong Williams
September 1969: 50 policemen and 100 members of the Republic of New Africa black separatist group waited at the Detroit airport for the expected arrival of the group's leader, Robert Williams. Authorities in London had tipped off the police that Williams was on the plane, and the police wanted to arrest him on a 1961 kidnapping charge.But it turned out to be the wrong Williams on the plane — not Robert Williams, the black separatist, but instead Edward Williams, "a neatly-dressed somewhat amazed English businessman."
(Edward) Williams later commented, "When I saw the honor guards and the crowd, I thought you perhaps did this all the time for foreign visitors."
Detroit Free Press - Sep 8, 1969
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 25, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: 1960s
Follies of the Madmen #371
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 25, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1950s, Head
June 24, 2018
Do-it-yourself dress
Created by designer Betsey Johnson in 1966 and modeled below (for Life magazine) by Lauren Hutton.Minneapolis Star Tribune - July 10, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 24, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, 1960s
Black Knight, Freeman of London
Dominating the staircase is a big painting of Lady Violet Munnings riding a grey hunter, superbly assured against a finely painted sky and moorland setting. Lady Violet’s Pekingese, Black Knight, who was made a Freeman of the City of London (such are the benefits of dining with the influential), wrote a memoir that he called Diary of a Freeman. Actually I think he dictated it to Lady Violet, who was his devoted slave in all things. After he died she had him stuffed, and continued to carry him to the village on errands. He now reposes on a favourite cushion in a glass case beneath Munnings’s portrait of him, in a cubby hole off the main staircase. He remains extremely popular with regular visitors.
The artist.
Here is Black Knight's account of his life.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 24, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Art, Books, Dogs, Twentieth Century
June 23, 2018
Creap Creamer
It's one of the most famous examples of a Japanese product with a weird English name.The name is a portmanteau of 'creaming powder.' When the marketing team came up with the name back in 1960, they evidently didn't realize about the word 'creep.' Or maybe they figured that few Japanese consumers would know what a creep was.
The way the company discusses the product on the product website results in some (presumably) unintentional humor: "This creap comes in a light, convenient plastic bottle... This creap comes in a light, small plastic bottle."
More info: You Don’t Know, Creap! 3 Odd Facts About Japan’s Awkwardly Named Coffee Creamer
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 23, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Odd Names, Products
Bob McGilpin, “Sexy Thing”
Despite having some Number One hits, poor Bob has not seemed to merit a Wikipedia page. But you can go here to the agency that currently reps him.
Maybe you hit PAUSE when host Stefania Rotolo showed up onscreen in that costume. If so, here's a clip of her below.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 23, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, Sex Symbols, Foreign Customs, 1970s
June 22, 2018
Name That List, #47
What is this a list of? The answer is below in extended.- Kremlin
- Sputnik
- Victory of Kolkhoz
- White Sea Canal
- Red Moscow
- May 1
- Express
- Progress
- Take Off
- The 5th All-Union Day of Soviet Railroadmen
- Eighth of March
- Hero of the North
- Arctic
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 22, 2018 -
Comments (5)
Category: Name That List
Mirabelle Muller, Thirteen-Year-Old Lady Godiva
I suppose this is somewhat in our line of "Oddball Beauty Queens."Mirabelle Muller, the 13 year old schoolgirl, rode on a white horse as 'Lady Godiva' in the Carnival Fete procession at Teddington, Middlesex. Mirabelle was asked to leave her convent school after she had been chosen as Godiva.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 22, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Public Indecency, 1930s
June 21, 2018
Shed Thieves
Police in Maine caught some criminal masterminds red-handed as they were trying to steal a large shed by dragging it down the street with their pick-up truck. Apparently, they only got 25 feet.More info:
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 21, 2018 -
Comments (5)
Category: Stupid Criminals
S’mores Story
S'mores Story from Monster Truck Ninja on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 21, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Babies, Cannibalism, Death, Food
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
