Contests, Races and Other Competitions
The May Queen of the Pennsylvania College for Women
Flanked by her attendants, May Queen Anna Negley '27, sits on her seashell throne. By the mid-1920s, Pennsylvania College for Women held a May Day pageant every other year. The 1927 pageant had an undersea theme and featured a magic throne, pirates, Neptune, Davy Jones, mermaids, and other sea people. Titled, “Deep Sea Caverns,” the festival was written by Helen Gordon ’28 and Ethel Hamilton ’28 (Hamilton passed away before graduating.). Vanda Kerst once again directed the production and designed the costumes.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 02, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1920s, Universities, Colleges, Private Schools and Academia
Stock Show Beauty Queens of 1956 and 1957
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 23, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Regionalism, 1950s
The Bosom Battle of Mesquite
April 1988: In Mesquite, Texas, two women came to blows at a truck stop while arguing over which of them had the biggest bosom.
Abilene Reporter News - Apr 21, 1988
About a year later, a reporter tried to track down more info about this incident. He was able to speak with both the police officer who investigated the case and an employee at the truck stop, both of whom remembered the incident very well. But no record remained of who these women were, or which of them won the size contest.
Clarion Ledger - Sep 26, 1989
Posted By: Alex - Thu Feb 03, 2022 -
Comments (9)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1980s
Miss Riviera
Why would this lovely Mademoiselle, perhaps hailing from Cannes or Nice and crowned "Miss Riviera," be posing in what looks like a furniture showroom, instead of at the beach or casino?Because she is Miss Riviera Manufacturing of 1956.
"Mrs. Grace Boeckmann is fast acquiring beauty titles. She is Miss Riviera (chosen by the Riviera Manufacturing Co.), Miss Sun Valley and Miss San Fernando Valley. She now is representing the Valley as a contestant in the California finals of the Miss Universe competition."
Source.
"A huge expansion sale is under way at both of the Valley locations of the Riviera Manufacturing Co., maker of sofa beds. Shown above is the North Hollywood location at 11015 Magnolia Blvd., where a new annex is being constructed. The other location is in Reseda."
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 11, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Domestic, 1950s
Virta Warrens, From Miss Portland 1930 to the Racetrack
Somewhat in our line of Weird Beauty Queens: her title as a queen wasn't weird, but maybe her subsequent career was--for the times!
Source of article below.
Read a short charming memoir written by Virta's daughter here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 24, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s, Cars
Pageant Planet
I just stumbled across this website, which curates all the ongoing beauty pageants everywhere. It ties in of course with our WU quest for odd beauty contests. But it's almost too rich, like shooting fish in a barrel. Of course, it doesn't cover great historical items, like best housewife or Miss Atomic Bomb. Nonetheless, you might like to wander its pages.Miss Gamecock.
Miss Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo Beauty Contest
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 09, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, World
Japanese Encoffiner Contest 2016
I had no more luck than Alex in searching for "Miss Metallic Casket." But I did find a Japanese competition for "encoffiners."
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 23, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Body, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Conventions, Death, Asia
Bailey’s Comets
The Wikipedia page.
According to Mark Arnold's book, Think Pink! The Story of DePatie-Freling Productions, producing the show was a nightmare, due to the massive amount of characters. Not only did the series do extremely poorly in the ratings, it got so costly to produce it nearly broke the studio, curtailing production for that year.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 08, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Fads, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Sports, Cartoons, 1970s
Miss Cheesecake of 1951
Unlike many beauty queens, Franca Faldini did not hit a dead end with the assumption of her bogus title, but went on to have a decent career.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 04, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Movies, 1950s, Europe
The Aeolus Wind Car Competition
The event got cancelled in 2020, but plans to resume this year.Forty seconds of narration in French preface this second video.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 10, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Technology, Environmentalism and Ecology, Cars
| Who We Are |
|---|
| 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 |