1900s
Wedding foiled by scream
About a year ago I posted about a wedding at which the bridegroom dropped dead of a heart attack right after saying "I do." I thought that had to qualify as one of the worst weddings ever, but this one is pretty bad also. As reported in the Chicago Tribune - Sep 21, 1907.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 06, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Marriage, 1900s, Screams, Grunts and Other Exclamations, Weddings
Beer Maypole
The pagan worship of giant beer bottles. Ad from 1907. [via the Rainier beer collection at flickriver.com]
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 30, 2014 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, Advertising, 1900s
Clysmic Water
Source of B&W image (in back page advert section).
If this ad were selling bottled elk urine, I'd buy the stuff. Luckily, the product actually sounded beneficial.
Source of text.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 15, 2014 -
Comments (10)
Category: Art, Business, Advertising, Products, Health, Regionalism, 1900s
To Prevent Burial Alive
Source: The Western Gazette (Apr 15, 1905)
A LADY'S REMARKABLE REQUEST.
"Pray come immediately: Miss Cobbe seriously ill." A telegraph form bearing this message and addressed to Dr. Walter R. Hadwen, of Gloucester, was always kept upon the desk of the late Miss Frances Power Cobbe.
Miss Cobbe had a dread of being buried alive, and Dr. Hadwen, who arrived after she had passed away, superintended the carrying out of the solemn charge laid upon her medical attendant in her last will and testament.
This charge was "To perform on my body the operation of completely severing the arteries of the neck and windpipe so as to render any revival in the grave absolutely impossible."
Here's the wikipedia entry about the woman in question, though it doesn't mention her postmortem request.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Aug 10, 2014 -
Comments (8)
Category: Death, 1900s
The Certainty of a Future Life In Mars
Did you know that when you die, your soul goes to a new life on Mars?You can read all about it right here.
Here's what happens when the new soul first arrives.
Here's a little scholarly perspective.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 24, 2014 -
Comments (7)
Category: Death, Religion, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Space Travel, 1900s
Japanese Acrobats
A silent film from 1907 featuring surreal acrobatic maneuvers.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Dec 11, 2013 -
Comments (8)
Category: Video, 1900s
Robbed no one but beggars
From The Washington Post - Oct 29, 1905: The Parisian thief Everard thought he had figured out the perfect crime. He only robbed beggars, and only those who were secretly wealthy — knowing they would be reluctant to report the crime since to do so they'd have to reveal their own fraud.His strategy went wrong when during one of his robberies he ended up killing two men, thereby making himself wanted for murder.
Sounds like it could be the plot for a movie. Though it makes me wonder how many beggars are there really who are secretly wealthy. Beggars who are working scams by faking injuries, disabilities, etc? Definitely. But ones who are squirreling away millions? I always assumed that was a bit of an urban legend. Not that I'm an expert on beggars, however.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 13, 2013 -
Comments (3)
Category: Bums, Hobos, Tramps, Beggars, Panhandlers and Other Streetpeople, 1900s
Little Nemo in Slumberland
[Click to enlarge]
Surely one of the most enjoyably odd of the classic newspaper comic strips was Winsor McCay's famous LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND.
Many of the strips are finally available online at this site.
Of course, if you desire glorious hardcopy, there are plenty of books too.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 02, 2013 -
Comments (0)
Category: Dreams and Nightmares, Surrealism, Children, Books, 1900s, 1910s
Speedy Funeral Service
They get your loved ones in the ground in a third of the time!From the Washington Post - Apr 21, 1907.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 27, 2013 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, 1900s
Saving Money for the Weak of Willpower
I like this idea a lot. Why doesn't any bank offer such a plan today?
Original ads here (scroll down).
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 19, 2013 -
Comments (8)
Category: Money, Psychology, 1900s
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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 |