1950s
The Linden Springs Rocket Restaurant
The Linden Springs Rocket Restaurant, located in Staunton, Virginia, opened in 1959. A full-size, neon-lit rocket stood outside of it.Going along with the theme of being a restaurant of the future, it boasted that it served food "cooked by radar." By this it meant that the food was microwaved.
This has to be one of the few times that a restaurant has actually bragged about serving microwave-cooked food.
image source: hippostcard.com
The restaurant went out of business in the 1970s, and the rocket was taken down. I haven't been able to find out where it ended up.
Staunton Daily News Leader - Nov 20, 1959
Staunton Daily News Leader - Nov 2, 1959
Staunton Daily News Leader - July 31, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Thu Nov 02, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Restaurants, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, 1950s
How to protect the home and family after a nuclear explosion
It'd be nice to think that it was the calm practicality of British housewives that saved the world from nuclear warfare.
Vancouver Sun - Nov 27, 1957
Westminster and Pimlico News - Feb 27, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 01, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
The Acme Barbecue College
Once upon a time, in Alhambra, CA, you could go to school just for BBQ. One presumes that this is where Wile E. Coyote learned how to cook a Road Runner--if one such could ever be caught!
Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 01, 2023 -
Comments (8)
Category: Education, Food, Regionalism, 1950s
The Association of Angry Young Women
Nov 1957: Anita Nock announced her intention to form an "Association of Angry Young Women."
Melbourne Age - Nov 26, 1957
Later reports indicated that her association didn't attract a lot of members.
Vancouver Sun - Feb 25, 1958
However, a news report from a few months later suggested that the Association did exist, in some form. The "Monaco incident" referred to involved Lady Docker tearing up a paper flag of Monaco after she learned that her son wasn't invited to attend the wedding of Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grace Kelly. Hearing about this, Prince Rainer had her banned from the entire French Riviera.
London Sunday People - May 11, 1958
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 28, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, 1950s, Women
Flavettes
What were the miracle ingredients that could cure the tobacco habit?
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 24, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Scams, Cons, Rip-offs, and General Larceny, Tobacco and Smoking, Advertising, Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil, 1950s
Meat-Nik
Sep 1958: The National Live Stock and Meat Board's response to the launch of Sputnik was the creation of "Meat-Nik," aka "intercontinental bologna missile."
The National Provisioner - Sep 6, 1958
The National Provisioner - Sep 20, 1958
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 22, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Food, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, 1950s
Miss Frozen Foods
As far as I can tell, the frozen food industry started choosing a "Miss Frozen Foods" in 1956. Sometimes the winner was called Miss Frozen Food Month (or Week). The last Miss Frozen Foods that I can find was named in 1961.
Dillon Daily Tribune - Feb 7, 1956
Miss Frozen Foods of 1958 (Nancy Moss). image source: USC Libraries
Los Angeles Evening Citizen News - Mar 19, 1959
Tampa Tribune - Nov 5, 1961
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 18, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Food, 1950s
The Language of Handwriting
You know the scene in old movies when the cops or some other authority figure calls in the handwriting expert? The expert examines the sample handwriting and confidently proclaims, "The writer was a sixty-five-year-old widow, who grew up in Romania, and has been a turkey farmer for the past three years." Well, now you too can become such an expert, by studying this volume at the Internet Archive.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 12, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Experts and Authority Figures, Movies, Pseudoscience, 1950s
The Yak Yak Contest
Alas, I cannot learn the full roster of contestants, nor the outcome.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 11, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Languages, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1950s, Women
Spank yourself slim
Slimming advice from Mildred Graves Ryan, author of Clothes For You (1954).
via Oddball Emporium
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 10, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Exercise and Fitness, 1950s, Dieting and Weight Loss
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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 |