December 2022
December 16, 2022
Waterloo Teeth
Text from the British Dental Association:Replacement teeth were traditionally made from ivory (hippopotamus, walrus or elephant).
However such teeth did not always look natural and deteriorated more quickly than real teeth. If you wanted a really nice set of dentures these were made with an ivory base and then set with real human teeth.
These were expensive as it could take six weeks to make a complete set. They have subsequently become known as 'Waterloo teeth', as some were scavenged from dead soldiers on battlefields.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 16, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: War, Teeth
1920s Motorized Skis
We previously featured caterpillar-tread skis, but here's an earlier, alternate technology.Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 16, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Sports, 1920s
December 15, 2022
Nature’s air is best…
...for naked kite flying.I know times have changed, but even back in the 1930s this must have struck people as odd.
Saturday Evening Post - 1930s. Source: All-American Ads — 30s
Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 15, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, 1930s
Old Money
Article source: The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Indiana) 09 Dec 1959, Wed Page 31
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 15, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Destruction, Government, Money, 1950s
December 14, 2022
Santa Claus Foot
Ian Allison of Santa Rosa received a design patent in 2002 for his "Santa Claus Foot." I assume the foot is supposed to be hung inside a fireplace — the patent description doesn't specify. Though having Santa's severed leg hung beside the tree might add some Christmas cheer.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Dec 14, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Patents, Christmas
“The Mouse That Roared” Unsold Television Pilot
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 14, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Movies, Television, Unlikely, Improbable and Counterfactual Phenomena, 1960s
December 13, 2022
Psychic Ernesto Montgomery
Psychic Ernesto Montgomery claimed to have predicted many events (the assassination of JFK, the death of Princess Diana, various airplane crashes, etc.), but for some reason the authorities that he insisted he had contacted beforehand could later never remember having heard from him.Predictions are standard fare for psychics. But what really set Montgomery apart was the highly unique source of his psychic powers:
"Think of your TV antenna," he said.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any photo of his "appendages".
More info: pathtotruth.com
Chicago Tribune - June 1, 1979
Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 13, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Human Marvels, Predictions
Follies of the Madmen #549
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 13, 2022 -
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Category: Family, Newspapers, Restaurants, Advertising, Comics, Junk Food, 1960s
December 12, 2022
Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion
With a name like "Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion," its members must have been pretty badass. Survivors of Pearl Harbor perhaps?No, they were workers at Westinghouse's lamp division who had gone a year without being late or taking a sick day.
BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Mar. 15 — Member in good standing of the Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion is Doris E. Miller, who helps make airplane landing lights at the Westinghouse Lamp Division. The membership card she is displaying certifies that she has not been late nor absent since the Jap attack on Pearl Harbor. The "Legion" has been organized by the Joint Committee of Labor and Management to combat absenteeism and is open to any employee who has maintained a perfect attendance record for 12 months following Pearl Harbor. Miss Miller lives at 36 Brighton Terrace, Irvington, N.J.
Passaic Herald-News - Mar 16, 1943
Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 12, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, 1940s
Houses Integrated with Trees
I once ate at a restaurant in Medellin, Colombia, which featured a massive tree in the dining area that grew up through the roof. The urge to blend trees with houses is an ancient one.Here's an instance from 1920.
This article details modern occurences of the motif.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 12, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Architecture, Domestic, Nature, 1920s
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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 |
