January 2024
January 6, 2024
Ceramic Pig Whiskey Bottle
Valued at $1600 in 1990. (Source: 1001 Antiques Worth a Fortune (which not a lot of people know about, by Tony Curtis). Must be worth even more today.I don't have any valuable family heirlooms. Wish I had something classy like this to leave to heirs when I die.
Update: Thanks to Patrick for giving a heads up about the identity of this pig flask, and that a similar one was discussed on Antiques Roadshow.
These pig flasks were made by Anna Pottery (located in Anna, Illinois) during the late 19th century. They weren't considered valuable when they were made, but due to their rarity and quirkiness they're now collector's items.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jan 06, 2024 -
Comments (4)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, Kitsch and Collectibles
Miss Bay Beach
Better photos below the article.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 06, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s
January 5, 2024
Atomic Bomb Survival Jacket
As the designers admitted, it wasn't going to protect anyone against an atomic bomb or radiation. But as a survival jacket it seemed pretty well equipped. Though a backpack full of the same stuff would seem to be more practical.
"Jean Shore displays inside pocket arrangement of survival jacket."
image source: Harry Ransom Center
Muncie Star Press - Jan 15, 1951
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 05, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fashion, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
The Murder of Vivian Gordon As Explained by Mystery Writers
You can read the true crime story details at The Smithsonian Magazine site. But for the explanations from fiction writers, see below. I think police in 2024 should adopt this tactic. "So, Stephen King, how would you solve the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft?"
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 05, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Amateurs and Fans, Crime, Writers, 1930s
January 4, 2024
Miss National Car Care Queen
As far as I can tell, the selection of a "Miss National Car Care Queen" was a one-off event, not repeated in subsequent years.But it managed to attract the attention of George Kirstein, owner of The Nation magazine, who included it in a story he wrote titled "The Day the Ads Stopped" (pdf), published in The Nation in June 1964. The story imagined a future America in which all advertising had been banned and as a result:
New York Daily News - May 11, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 04, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Advertising, 1960s, Cars
Organ Orgy
The entire playlist is here.The Wikipedia page of the organist.
BONUS: I am reminded of a clip from THE SIMPSONS, seen below.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 04, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Music, 1970s
January 3, 2024
Tibor Sarossy’s Cannonball Run
In late August of 1968, 22-year-old Tibor Sarossy set a record by riding a motorcycle from New York to Los Angeles in 45 hours, 41 minutes. He had rigged up extra fuel tanks on the back of his bike so that he only had to stop for gas four times. Also, he wore a condom connected to a hosepipe to avoid stopping for bathroom breaks.
Attempting to set a speed record for driving across the United States is known as doing a Cannonball Run. The term traces back to 1914 when Erwin Baker was nicknamed "Cannonball" by the media after he drove his motorcycle coast-to-coast in 11 days and 11 hours. That may seem slow today, but it was before modern highways and widely available gas stations. So, for the time and driving conditions, it was incredibly fast.
The current motorcycle record for a Cannonball Run is 32 hours, 27 minutes set by Felix Hofmann in October 2023.
More info: LPMCC.net
Los Angeles Times - Sep 8, 1968
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 03, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: World Records, 1960s, Motorcycles
Pope.L, Crawl Artist, RIP
We don't want this recent death to get lost in the end-of-the-year chaos!His obituary.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 03, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Urban Life, Avant Garde, Performance Art, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
January 2, 2024
Splendid China
The Splendid China theme park in Florida was open from 1993 to 2003, located just a few miles from Disney World. Details from SFGate.com:Critics mocked it as a "propaganda theme park". And eventually it was revealed to have been owned by the Chinese government, which was the only reason it managed to stay open as long as it did.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 02, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, 1990s, Asia
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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 books such as Elephants on Acid. 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. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
