Mr. Coffee Nerves

On a mission to wreck marriages and destroy romance by promoting the consumption of coffee.

Personally, I need my morning coffee before I'm at all sociable.

(click images to enlarge)

Spokesman Review - Jan 16, 1949

Boston Globe - Sep 11, 1949

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 02, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings | Coffee and other Legal Stimulants | 1940s

The Straw Hat Riots of 1922

Allow me to quote at length from Wikipedia. But visit that page for even more details.

The Straw Hat Riot of 1922 was a riot that occurred in New York City at the end of summer as a result of unwritten rules in men's fashions at the time, and a tradition of taunting people who had failed to stop wearing straw hats after autumn began. Originating as a series of minor riots, it spread due to men wearing straw hats past the unofficial date that was deemed socially acceptable, September 15. It lasted eight days, leading to many arrests and some injuries.... By the early 20th century, straw boaters were considered acceptable day attire in North American cities at the height of summer even for businessmen, but there was an unwritten rule that one was not supposed to wear a straw hat past September 15 (which was known as "Felt Hat Day").[1] This date was arbitrary; earlier it had been September 1, but it eventually shifted to mid-month. It was socially acceptable for stockbrokers to destroy each other's hats, due to the fact that they were “companions”,[2] but it was not acceptable for total strangers. If any man was seen wearing a straw hat, he was, at minimum, subjecting himself to ridicule, and it was a tradition for youths to knock straw hats off wearers' heads and stomp on them.[3] This tradition became well established, and newspapers of the day would often warn people of the impending approach of the fifteenth, when men would have to switch to felt or silk hats.[4] Hat bashing was only socially acceptable after September 15, but there were multiple occasions leading up to this date where the police had to intervene and stop teenagers.[2] The riot itself began on September 13, 1922, two days before the supposed unspoken date, when a group of youths decided to get an early jump on the tradition.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 02, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Customs | Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience | Headgear | 1920s | Pranks

Stocking-Repairing Beetle

The "Aprilscherz" (April Fool) of an unnamed German magazine, as reported in Life (Apr 4, 1938):

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 01, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Holidays | Insects and Spiders | 1930s

Peanut Butter with No Jelly Candy Bar

Any product endorsed by Vincent Price is aces with me.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 01, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Advertising | Candy | 1970s

Worst Easter Pageant Ever

Somerset Daily American - Apr 8, 2004

Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 31, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Religion | 2000s | Easter

Happy Easter 2024!

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 31, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism | Holidays | Twentieth Century

Estate Willed by Talkie

Video wills have become quite common, but they weren't back in 1931. So the unnamed testator described below was breaking new ground by creating one (or rather, a filmed will).

I particularly like the detail that he left instructions on where everyone should sit while watching the film, so that he could look at each person directly from the grave.

Wichita Eagle - Jan 10, 1931

Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 30, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Death | Law | Movies | 1930s

The Radioactive Pup of Bikini Atoll

Operation Crossroads page at Wikipedia.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 30, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Military | Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters | Dogs | 1940s | South Pacific

A brief history of mass-production shaving machines

Around 1780: "An anonymous British printmaker, perhaps from Birmingham, issued a satire of mechanization and factories occuring during the Industrial Revolution, in the form of an imaginery 'New Shaving Machine, whereby a number of persons may be done at the same time with expedition, ease, and safety.'" (text from historyofinformation.com)



Around 1825: "British illustrator and caricaturist Robert Seymour... issued Shaving by Steam... In his creation of this print Seymour was undoubtedly inspired by an earlier anonymous print entitled 'New Shaving Machine.' The sign above the door on the right in Seymour's image announces 'Patent Shavograph!!!'" (text from historyofinformation.com)



Oct 1960: English comedian Eric Sykes built a working "New Shaving Machine" (modeled from the 1780 print) on a pilot show for a proposed television series called 'Brainwaves.' The premise of the show was recreating strange old-time inventions. However, the show never aired.

images source: vintag.es

Lincolnshire Echo - Sep 29, 1960

History via reddit user KBHoleN1

Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 29, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Technology | Satire

Huey Smith and the Clowns, “Popeye”

The musician's Wikipedia page.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 29, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Music | Comics | 1960s | Dance