1920s
Motorized Surfboard
What could possibly go wrong?
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 15, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1920s, Dismemberment
Official Language of the State of Illinois
June 19, 1923: The State of Illinois passed an act declaring "American" (as opposed to "English") to be the state's official language.The act was proposed by Senator Frank J. Ryan of Chicago who was "fed up" with American being called English. Ryan, in turn, got the idea from Montana Congressman Washington McCormick, who had tried, but failed, to get American designated as the national language.
In 1969 the Illinois legislature revised the statute to make English, not American, the official state language.
More info: languagepolicy.net
The Bend Bulletin (Bend, Oregon) - Jan 31, 1923
Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 14, 2016 -
Comments (20)
Category: Languages, 1920s
From Cretin to Genius
In the 1920s, Doctor Serge Voronoff famously decided that grafting monkey glands onto the testicles of human males would rejuvenate the recipients. His ludicrous failed experiments provided the punchlines for innumerable jokes thereafter.But what I did not realize was that twenty years later, Voronoff was still at it. Now he claimed, in his book FROM CRETIN TO GENIUS, that transplanting monkey glands would alter the intelligence of the subjects. Below is the start of a review from 1943.
Below: the Doc and Missus.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 15, 2016 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, Mad Scientists, Evil Geniuses, Insane Villains, Sexuality, 1920s, 1940s, Genitals
Mystery Illustration 16
What product is this illustration trying to sell?
The answer is here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 14, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, 1920s
Inverted Preacher
September 1928: The novelty of preaching from a casket having worn off, Rev. H.W. Thomas announced he would henceforth deliver the gospel message while standing on his head.
Medford Mail Tribune - Sep 5, 1928
Update: Here's a picture of Rev. H.W. Thomas taken in 1928, when his stunt for that sermon was to unwrap the "swathings of iniquity" from a member of his congregation who posed as a live "Mummy."
Milwaukee Sentinel - May 8, 1928
Posted By: Alex - Sun Feb 07, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Religion, 1920s
Refused to marry painted women
1926: Rev. Arthur Wells of London began a one-man crusade against women wearing makeup, declaring that he would no longer allow any woman to marry in his church who was so "disfigured."However, he received no support from fellow clergymen. Said Dr. Philip Pendleton of Phoenix, "I would marry a bride who had paint an inch thick on her cheeks if I was convinced that she was right in her heart... If they think they need to paint up, I say let them go to it."
Ottawa Journal - Jan 5, 1926
Arizona Republic - Jan 18, 1926
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 26, 2016 -
Comments (11)
Category: 1920s
Opel Rocket Vehicles
Original pic here.
Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by Fritz von Opel, of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts.
The Lippisch Ente a rocket-powered glider was produced on June 11, 1928, piloted by Fritz Stamer, but is not usually considered part of the series.
Opel RAK.1 - a rocket car that achieved 75 km/h (47 mph) on March 15, 1928[2]
Opel RAK.2 - rocket car May 23, 1928 reached a speed of 230 km/h (143 mph) driven by 24 solid-fuel rockets[2]
Opel RAK.3 rocket train (quoted speed is variously 254 or 290 km/h. See: [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]) On the second run the train jumps the track and is destroyed.
Opel Rak IV rocket train, destroyed when a solid rocket explodes on the track, exploding all the other rockets. Railway authorities prohibit further runs.[3]
Opel RAK.1 rocket glider September 30, 1929
Some stock footage of some of the rocket vehicles was incorporated into this early SF film.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 25, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Flight, Movies, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Technology, Science Fiction, 1920s, Europe, Cars
The Safety Pea Knife
Invented in the 1920s. For those who prefer to eat their peas with a knife rather than a spoon.
The Iola Register - Mar 20, 1929
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 17, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Food, Inventions, 1920s
Tries suicide to escape persistent life insurance salesman
The present-day equivalent of this, I think, would be the feelings of desperation and rage that persistent telemarketers can cause. (Though thanks to caller ID, I just never pick up when they call, which is multiple times every day since the "do not call list" is apparently a complete farce.)
Kingsport Times - Apr 10, 1929
CONCORDIA, Kans., April 10 (AP) —Hoping to rid himself of a persistent life insurance agent, Walter Cyr, a young farmer, left a goodbye note to friends and then disappeared.
For three days he was sought in the vicinity of his farm home by hundreds of men and finally was located sitting on a straw stack. When searchers approached he swallowed a small quantity of poison but experienced no ill effects because of prompt medical attention.
Cyr said he had wandered about the countryside for 72 hours, attempting to nerve himself to suicide. He asserted he knew no other way to escape attentions of the insurance man who had been "bothering" him.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 12, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Annoying Things, Insurance, Suicide, 1920s
Motorcycle + Parachute = Disaster
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 04, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Air Travel and Airlines, 1920s, Motorcycles
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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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |