Signage
Business name causes controversy
Right in the middle of charming little St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin (population 2000), Geoff Gorres and his business partners opened a gun store. Their choice of name: F-Bomb Ordnance.Local residents aren't too happy about it, thinking it lowers the standards of the community to have the f-bomb "displayed prominently" on Main Street.
In response to the controversy, the owner says he may be willing to consider other options for signage, but he's definitely keeping the f-bomb name. More info: CBS (WCCO); The Sun.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 07, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Odd Names, Signage, Slang, Swears
Kiss Me Necktie
[Click to re-size]
Did this ever work? And why did the tie turn the wearer into an African-American when activated, as shown at the bottom of the ad?
Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 31, 2014 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fashion, Signage, 1940s, Women
Ital-glish
Some fractured or idiosyncratic English which I photographed this week in Italy.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 30, 2013 -
Comments (12)
Category: Signage, Europe, Mistranslations
Prison Pennants
With USA incarceration rates at an all-time high, surely there's a market for these nowadays?
From the 1950 catalog.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 09, 2013 -
Comments (4)
Category: Johnson Smith Catalog, Prisons, Signage, 1950s
The Monster Family
Washington state's Saar Pioneer Cemetery contains an unusual grave. It's the resting place of John C. Monster (1851-1890) and his child "Baby Monster" (1888-1889). I haven't been able to find any additional details about the Monster family. (via the Oddment Emporium)
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 14, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Odd Names, Signage, Obituaries
No Time for Ugliness
Imagine an idyllic era when the major problem cities faced was too much signage! And there are no foreclosure signs, even in the slums!
Yesterday's hell is today's paradise.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 02, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: PSA’s, Signage, Urban Life, 1960s
The Town of Swastika, Canada
Swastika is a small town in Ontario, Canada. (wikipedia link). It was founded in 1908, and got its name from a nearby gold mine. Then the Nazis went and adopted the swastika as their symbol, which made things a little awkward for the Swastika townsfolk. But despite pressure from the Canadian government, the townsfolk resisted changing the name of their town. After all, they had the name first! And so the town has kept its unusual name, to the present day.
Several pictures of Swastika from Steve Colwill's flickr account. The Swastika Laboratories sounds a little sinister.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 17, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Odd Names, Signage, Weird Names
Italian Stores
I took these 2 fotos in Italy. I particularly like the motto of the toy store "Skunk Tani": "smart head grow shop."
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 12, 2012 -
Comments (9)
Category: Signage, Europe
Johnson Smith Catalog Item #21
I knew there was another reason to lament the passing of the custom of men wearing formal hats everywhere!
From the 1930s catalog.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 09, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Johnson Smith Catalog, Signage, Headgear, 1930s
Insane Sweeney Todd Sentient Barber Pole Wants Your Blood!
You know how little boys often freak out the first time they go to the barbershop? That's how I'm feeling now. Those red-tinged scissors--
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 29, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Death, Evil, Signage, Fictional Monsters
| 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 |