Category:
1960s
1960s
Fertilized roses with his own blood
Ralph Farrar suffered from hemochromatosis, which meant that his blood accumulated too much iron. The treatment was to have a pint of blood taken from him every week. This blood couldn't be used for other patients. So Farrar used it on his roses as an "iron-rich fertilizer instead of the commercial rose food containing dried animal blood."After eight years of weekly blood-drainings his condition began to improve, so much so that he only had to have blood taken once every two months. No word on what happened to his roses as a result.
Info source: Newsweek - Sep 2, 1963
Ralph Farrar pouring blood on his roses
The Tuscaloosa News - Jun 29, 1963
Update: Curious about how long Mr. Farrar could have lived with hemochromatosis, I did a google search and found what I'm pretty sure is his grave. He died at the age of 76 in 1989.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jul 26, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: 1960s
Bohemian Dancers
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 26, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Avant Garde, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s, Dance, Europe
Stripping Striker, 1964
The artists' models at Rome's Academy of Fine Arts... sent their negotiator, Anna di Vetta, out onto the streets to press their claims. In girdle, bra, and high heels, Anna paraded through the city with a sign promising complete exposure of her 40½-31-40½ figure if her union's demands were not met. Instead of bravely meeting the challenge, the combined ministries of Labor and Public Instruction crumbled. They promised a fixed salary of $150 a month and fringe benefits—but only, reported a triumphant Anna, "if I promised not to take off all my clothes."
Source: Newsweek - Dec 28, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 21, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience, 1960s
Studio Girl Cosmetics
Original ad here.
Everyone knows Avon and Mary Kay. But few recall "Studio Girl Cosmetics," although they endured for decades.
Here's a site dedicated to their memory, maintained by a descendant of the founder.
What I find most intriguing is that they appeared to have had a sideline of vinyl albums as well. Music to paint your face by?
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 18, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Perfume and Other Scents, 1960s
Bad Driver Batman
They didn't mention using parachutes to turn around the Batmobile at high speeds (which I'm sure can't be legal), or having "Bat Ray" weapons installed on the vehicle.
Tyrone Daily Herald - Mar 21, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 16, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: 1960s, Cars
Death at the Cathedral, 1964
October 2, 1964: One minute Veronica McConnell, 22, was happy and carefree. The young American woman had just arrived in Paris the night before on vacation and was visiting Notre Dame Cathedral. It was the first stop on the city bus tour.After seeing the inside of the cathedral, she stopped to buy some candles at a stand in the plaza. Having made her purchase, she began walking back towards the tour group. The next second she was dead, killed by suicide jumper Denise Rey-Herme, 37, who had leapt off the cathedral's north tower. Rey-Herme was despondent, having learned that because of chronic ill health she would never achieve her ambition of becoming a nun.
Goes to show that death can strike at any moment, anywhere.
Note: there's some confusion about McConnell's age. Different accounts of the event list it as either 21, 22, or 24. The NY Times says she was 22, so I'm trusting they were right.
Veronica McConnell
The Odessa American - Oct 4, 1964
The Terre Haute Tribune - Oct 3, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jul 12, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Nuns, 1960s
Wife plugged in to alarm clock
Sounds to me like Anna Hindman had good cause for wanting to divorce her husband, namely a) his belief that 4 hours sleep is all anyone needs, and b) wiring her bed to shock her every 4 hours to prevent her from sleeping longer than that.But according to the news reports, she eventually forgave him and withdrew her divorce petition — after he got rid of the "shocking machine." And it sounds like they remained married for the rest of their lives... if the Anna Hindman in this obituary is the same person (which it must be, because all the names/dates match up).
Sources: Kansas City Times: Feb 27, 1960; Mar 10, 1960.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 10, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Husbands, Wives, Divorce, Marriage, 1960s
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
I thought I knew the music of my youth pretty well, but I can't recall ever hearing of these guys with the weird band name, till just now reading the obituary of one member.
The jaunty surrealism in this video holds up pretty well, as does the music.
"Between 1965 and 1969, the group spent more weeks in the UK singles charts than the Beatles."
Where was I?!?
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 10, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Music, 1960s, Europe
Paddle Pops
More proof that everything is upside-down in Australia, as good old Popsicles become Paddle Pops.
Also, as in our previous entry on Gaytime Raspberry Roughs, I could easily imagine someone getting more than they bargained for when they requested a "paddle pop," especially if you went into a sketchy corner grocery store and asked for the flavor known as "dragon popper" and got some amyl nitrate instead.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 01, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Advertising, Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, Junk Food, 1960s, Australia
Follies of the Madmen #252
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 28, 2015 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Comics, Junk Food, 1960s, Parody
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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 |