Category:
1950s

The Toothbrush Brigade

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My dentist has this image hanging up in his office, with the following description:

"The Toothbrush Brigade of Long Beach, California, promote dental hygiene with their three-foot toothbrushes, circa 1950. They are rehearsing for the Tenth Annual 'Brownie Button' party which will be held under the auspices of the Long Beach Dental Society as a climax to the city's Save The Teeth movement."

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 01, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Hygiene, 1950s

Monorail!

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June 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland Monorail System. Let's all let out a lusty cheer for the mass-transportation breakthrough of the future which is always and forever just around the corner of feasibility. Maybe you'd even like to join THE MONORAIL SOCIETY to celebrate.

Or listen to this:







Posted By: Paul - Wed May 27, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Futurism, Music, Technology, Cartoons, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Iran:  Between Two Worlds

Peaceful, Western-loving, totalitarian Iran! How we miss you!

Posted By: Paul - Tue May 26, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Documentaries, 1950s, Middle East

Here’s Hockey!

Have a lesson in how to be Canadian!

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 25, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Movies, Documentaries, Regionalism, 1950s, North America

Cartoon Campaign Ad

Has there ever been another cartoon campaign ad in the past several elections? How could this great idea go unused?!? SpongeBob SquarePants for Obama! Pinky and the Brain for Bush and Cheney! Just imagine the possibilities!

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 13, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Politics, Cartoons, 1950s

They Had That Back Then? #2

Today's lesson: Musical Ring Tones.

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(from the May 1956 issue of Popular Science)

Posted By: Salamander Sam - Tue May 12, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Inventions, Music, Technology, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

They Had That Back Then? #1

This series will showcase vintage examples of what you may have thought were relatively recent developments. Today's lesson: Traffic Cameras.

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(from the May 1956 issue of Popular Science)

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(from the August 1959 issue of Popular Science)

Posted By: Salamander Sam - Thu May 07, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Photography and Photographers, Transportation, 1950s

Times Have Changed #1

This new series will focus on what some of our most common tech phrases used to mean. Today's episode: the Desktop Computer.

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(from the August 1959 issue of Popular Science)

Posted By: Salamander Sam - Thu May 07, 2009 - Comments (1)
Category: Computers, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

What Were They Thinking? #1

Hi there! I'm Salamander Sam, and you may remember me from such comment sections as Follies of the Mad Men #33 and Follies of the Mad Men #31. As you may know from my comments, I like vintage technology, and so you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Google Books obtained the rights to every issue of Popular Science ever made. The good news for you is that you don't need to waste countless hours searching through the archives for hilarious articles, because I was already doing that anyways! This will be the first entry in my "What Were They Thinking" series, which will probably be the first of many series devoted to the weirdness that once was. And, like the Top Ten List, I will start out with the best example:

One of Popular Science's longest running segment was called "I'd Like To See Them Make...", in which readers suggested ideas for new products. Many were quite brilliant, but there were some which can only be enjoyed with the benefit of hindsight...

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(from the January 1956 issue of Popular Science)

Special Bonus Product:

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(from the April 1953 issue of Popular Science)

Posted By: Salamander Sam - Wed May 06, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Products, 1950s, Goofs and Screw-ups, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Buy Your Own Piece of Armageddon

Be the envy of every other survivalist and have your own converted cold-war Atlas-F missile silo home! You too can live in complete cold war safety and luxury. The converted missile launch site is marketed as a getaway, luxury home, and in my opinion is every survivalist’s dream. The property includes its own private runway, 2000 square foot luxury home above ground with master suite, a private airstrip, and a hangar/garage. Below ground, past the 2000 lb. blast doors and three feet of reinforced concrete built to withstand brutal missile assaults lies two additional stories of space in the converted control room where you will find two additional suites with luxury marble Jacuzzi baths and an escape hatch to your private hangar.

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More in extended >>

Posted By: chris_cantwell - Wed May 06, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Architecture, Armageddon and Apocalypses, Buildings and Other Structures, Destruction, Flight, Government, Military, Real Estate, Science, War, 1950s

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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.

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