October 2019
October 26, 2019
William Greenwood, the Modern Noah
William Greenwood was a local character in Olympia, Washington. In the 1920s, he decided that a great flood was coming soon, so he built himself an ark. The press dubbed him the modern Noah.The exact date that he thought the flood would arrive changed frequently. First it was 1928, then 1932, then 1938, etc.
Eventually the city decided that his ark was a fire hazard, so in June 1942 they had the fire department burn it down. But Greenwood built another, smaller one. He lived on until 1958, dying at the age of 91. More info: Olympia History
San Bernardino County Sun - June 20, 1942
Mason City Globe-Gazette - Feb 13, 1948
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 26, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Armageddon and Apocalypses, Eccentrics, Crackpots, 1920s
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 24
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 26, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, 1930s, Genitals
October 25, 2019
Augmented Roman
Augmented Roman was one of the periodic attempts to improve and rationalize the English alphabet. Introduced in the 1960s by Sir James Pitman, the idea was to expand the alphabet from 26 letters to 43, and to have each letter represent a single, distinct sound. Unlike the current alphabet in which letters can have different sounds depending on context.Proponents of Augmented Roman imagined teaching children to read using this improved alphabet, and then having the kids switch over to the standard alphabet later. And that's where the plan ran aground, because most people figured that if kids have to learn the standard alphabet anyway, just teach them that from the beginning.
image source: omnivorenz
Tampa Bay Times - Sep 2, 1962
Tampa Bay Times - Sep 2, 1962
Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 25, 2019 -
Comments (7)
Category: Education, Languages, 1960s
The Devil’s Toy
Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 25, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Antisocial Activities, Crime, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Fads, Sports, Teenagers, 1960s
October 24, 2019
Smirnoff Leaves You Breathless
1958 ad campaign for Smirnoff Vodka. The ad copy about "breathless" drinkers who are "on the vodka wagon" makes me think of wheezing, out-of-breath drunks.
San Bernardino County Sun - Nov 6, 1958
Miami News - Oct 16, 1958
San Antonio Express - Sep 23, 1958
Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 24, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, Advertising, 1950s, Alcohol
Five Green Men on a Bicycle
bicycle from Cool 3D World on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 24, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles, Surrealism, Special Effects
October 23, 2019
Bodysuits for men
A fashion fad of the 1970s.
San Bernardino County Sun - Oct 7, 1973
Bridgeport Telegram - Oct 27, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 23, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fashion, 1970s
Follies of the Madmen #449
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 23, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Fashion, Surrealism, 1940s
October 22, 2019
Glass Box Baby
Sara Franklin's 15 minutes of fame came from being the first baby raised in a glass box. Or in an Air crib, as the device, invented by psychologist B.F. Skinner, was called. More info from wikipedia:The air crib was a controversial invention. It was popularly mischaracterized as a cruel pen, and it was often compared to Skinner's operant conditioning chamber, commonly called the "Skinner Box". This association with laboratory animal experimentation discouraged its commercial success, though several companies attempted production.
Sydney Morning Herald - July 5, 1964
Indianapolis Star - Jan 12, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 22, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Babies, 1960s
Yellow Pages Dress
The Yellow Pages? What are those?
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 22, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fashion, Telephones, 1970s
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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 |
