April 2024
April 25, 2024
Device to self-administer gas
This curious device was featured in Mechanix Illustrated (July 1938), but no info was given about the inventor.
So I searched the patent archive. This patent granted to Justin Sholes in 1939 seems to be it:
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 25, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Drugs, Patents, 1930s
Fish Surgery
This is not a topic I had given much thought to, before encountering this report from 1955.Then I found more-current info.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 25, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Medicine, Fish, 1950s, Twenty-first Century
April 24, 2024
Buy bread in waxed paper
Buy bread in waxed paper and then lounge about with it while wearing a gown designed by Pauline Trigere.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 24, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Fashion, Food, Advertising, 1950s
Trick Gun for Secret Society Initiations
Imagine the sheer delight of the person being initiated, when the realistic looking gun is pointed at them, a loud explosion occurs--but only water emerges! High-larious!Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 24, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Guns, Patents, 1900s, Pranks
April 23, 2024
Balenciaga Towel Skirt
Balenciaga recently debuted a "towel skirt" that retails for $925. It's been receiving quite a lot of attention.
Ikea spoofed if by coming out with a "VINARN towel skirt".
A writer for Vogue tried wearing it on her morning commute. She wrote, "It looked like I’d locked myself out of the house while doing the bins... Only the bins were across town."
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 23, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Overpriced Merchandise
Les Fo’Plafonds
Somewhat, ah, unique instruments.Their YouTube channel is here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 23, 2024 -
Comments (5)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Inventions, Music, Europe
April 22, 2024
Miss Dial
In 1949, Terry Leah won the title of "Miss Dial" in a contest sponsored by Dial Soap. As far as beauty titles go, this one wasn't that unusual. But what was unusual was that, as part of the responsibility of being Miss Dial, Terry had to take a bath, using Dial Soap, in the window of Eckerd Drug Company in Charlotte, North Carolina.Adding to the public exposure, Dial promised that the person who took the best photo of Terry as she bathed would win $25.
Charlotte News - July 7, 1949
Charlotte Observer - July 8, 1949
Young Dickie Higgins was determined to win that prize. I'd bet that was the most exciting day of his life up until then. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out who did win the photo prize.
"Dickie Higgins takes a shot of dancer Terry Leah, who is posing in a bubble bath in a Charlotte, North Carolina, store window advertising a new line of bath soap."
NY Journal American - July 28, 1949
(left) Greenville News - July 9, 1949; (right) Raleigh News and Observer - July 14, 1949
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 22, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Hygiene, Photography and Photographers, 1940s
Follies of the Madmen #593
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 22, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Destruction, Movies, Advertising, Fantasy, Twentieth Century, Cars
April 21, 2024
Tails for humans
Millions of years ago our ancestors had tails. Design student Cheng Chang believes that when humans start living in space they'll need tails again. So he built one.When our hands and feet are no longer suitable for the task of controlling our movement in zero gravity. we need a new form of body extension
More info: Royal College of Art
Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 21, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Body Modifications, Space Travel
Sounds of the Office
Relaxing disc at home after a long day at work.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 21, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Offices, Business Supplies, Institutional Regulations, Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings, 1960s
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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 |
