Costumes and Masks
Rubber Beauty Mask
"the best time to slip it on is when nobody is looking, as its beauty is of the kind that frightens the neighbor's children."
Popular Science Monthly - Feb 1922
source: Wellcome Collection
A reference to rubber beauty masks in verse, from the poet Berton Braley:
Owensboro Messenger - Aug 26, 1916
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 13, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Costumes and Masks, 1920s
Harry Bensley and his Unfulfilled Walk Around the World
This first image is somewhat well-known. At least, it often pops up in my searches. But what's the story behind it?
The whole story is here at his Wikipedia page. In short:
He had to walk around the world to fulfill a bet that he lost. It required him to wear an iron mask (a helmet from a suit of armor) to conceal his identity, and he also had to push a perambulator (baby carriage) throughout his travels. He called himself "The Man with the Iron Mask" (inspired by the seventeenth-century Man in the Iron Mask), and the only way he could support himself during his journey was by selling postcards and pamphlets
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 01, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Eccentrics, Travel, Bets, Wagers, Challenges and Contracts, Twentieth Century
The Armagh Rhymers
The music seems straightforward Celtic Folk. But those costumes (and the video's opener) sure are weird. Suitable as we approach Halloween. Not sure how any little kids in the audience might react.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 05, 2022 -
Comments ()
Category: Costumes and Masks, Cryptozoology, Music, Creepy, Eerie, Spooky, and Disturbing, Europe
Face mask with simulated nose hairs
Uday Singh of Bloomfield, NJ was recently granted Patent No. 11413194 for a face mask with simulated nose hairs.The idea is that having openings protected by "filter material" (aka fake nose hairs) will solve the problem of mask fogging.
Singh refers to his invention as "an aesthetically pleasing covering for protecting otherwise exposed nasal and/or other facial surfaces." Based on the picture below, 'aesthetically pleasing' isn't the first term that comes to mind.
via Jeff Steck
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 06, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Patents
The Bay City Rollers Show
What happens when some one-hit wonders team up with the creators of H. R. Pufnstuf and The Banana Splits.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 27, 2022 -
Comments ()
Category: Costumes and Masks, Fey, Twee, Whimsical, Naive and Sadsack, Music, Television, 1970s
Mystery Illustration 106
I hope this one is not too hard or deceptive. What larger structure is this grinning mask a part of?The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Thu May 26, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Twentieth Century
Mystery Illustration 103
What job necessitates this woman's outfit?The answer is here. (Scroll up a tad.)
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 05, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Costumes and Masks, 1900s, 1910s
The Mersey Monsters
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 27, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Horror, Music, Pop Art, 1960s, Fictional Monsters
Clair de Lune Espagno
A trip to the moon teaches a lovesick suitor a lesson.
Creator's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Feb 16, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Aliens, Costumes and Masks, Dreams and Nightmares, Movies, Special Effects, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Foreign Customs, 1900s, Love & Romance
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 32
"Actress Germaine Dulac (1882-1942) as a worm at the Folies Bergere in Paris, France, photograph by Walery from The Tatler, No 1408, June 20, 1928, London."
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 04, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Costumes and Masks, 1920s
| Who We Are |
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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 |