1920s
The Safety Pea Knife
Invented in the 1920s. For those who prefer to eat their peas with a knife rather than a spoon.
The Iola Register - Mar 20, 1929
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 17, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Food, Inventions, 1920s
Tries suicide to escape persistent life insurance salesman
The present-day equivalent of this, I think, would be the feelings of desperation and rage that persistent telemarketers can cause. (Though thanks to caller ID, I just never pick up when they call, which is multiple times every day since the "do not call list" is apparently a complete farce.)
Kingsport Times - Apr 10, 1929
CONCORDIA, Kans., April 10 (AP) —Hoping to rid himself of a persistent life insurance agent, Walter Cyr, a young farmer, left a goodbye note to friends and then disappeared.
For three days he was sought in the vicinity of his farm home by hundreds of men and finally was located sitting on a straw stack. When searchers approached he swallowed a small quantity of poison but experienced no ill effects because of prompt medical attention.
Cyr said he had wandered about the countryside for 72 hours, attempting to nerve himself to suicide. He asserted he knew no other way to escape attentions of the insurance man who had been "bothering" him.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 12, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Annoying Things, Insurance, Suicide, 1920s
Motorcycle + Parachute = Disaster
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 04, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Air Travel and Airlines, 1920s, Motorcycles
The Huntress
I would love to see this 1923 film starring Colleen Moore remade today. A white actress playing a Native American, who is so desperate for a husband she kidnaps a stranger? Uncontroversial box-office gold!
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 03, 2016 -
Comments (8)
Category: Movies, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1920s, Native Americans
Uncle Wiggly vs. DONNIE DARKO Rabbit
Equally creepy? The earlier guy the inspiration for the later one?
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 20, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Games, Movies, 1920s, 2000s, Fictional Monsters
Cannibalistic Ducks
Cannibalistic terror in the world of ducks:
El Paso Herald - Aug 18, 1926
A quick google search reveals that cannibalism is a "vice" that ducks are known to sometimes develop. As noted on an Australian government website about the brooding and rearing of ducks:
overcrowding
lack of ventilation
faulty nutrition.
The only known way to stop it is to remove the rim at the front of the bird’s upper bill. Commercial beak-trimming machines are available. They have heated cauterising blades and run on electricity or butane gas. Beak trimming should be performed only by a competent operator and only when it is essential to reduce damage and suffering in the flock.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 19, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: Animals, 1920s
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 26, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Death, Food, Holidays, 1920s
Fondles horse, but not his wife
I'm guessing the copy editor had fun coming up with this headline...
Portsmouth Daily Times - Jan 8, 1926
TOLEDO, O. Jan. 8—(United Press)—A horse is named co-respondent in a divorce suit filed here by Mrs. Johanna Uller against Wolf Uller of Wyandotte, Mich.
"My husband pays more attention to his horse than he does... to his family," Mrs. Uller charged.
"He spends hours fondling the animal and shows no affection for me," she asserted.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 15, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Divorce, 1920s
Rolling Pin Throwing Contest, 1928
Providing the proper motivation:
The Salem News (Salem, Ohio) - Aug 17, 1928
Winners of a 1932 rolling pin contest (via NCSU Libraries):
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 29, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Sports, Husbands, 1920s
Cattle Delivery Via Motorcycle
I really wish this practice had caught on, for I would be delighted to be driving down a highway and see such a sight.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 28, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Farming, Inventions, 1920s, Motorcycles
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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 |