Category:
1920s

I Heard the Voice of a Porkchop



Man so hungry he experiences auditory hallucinations.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 10, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Food, Music, 1920s, Stomach

Natural Body Brace

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Unnatural is more like it!

Original ad here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 07, 2014 - Comments (4)
Category: Body, Injuries, Inventions, 1920s

Miss Chicken Feathers

A gold watch is actually a pretty nice prize for having hair most like that of a chicken's feathers.


Source: Milwaukee Journal - Jan 16, 1924

Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 28, 2014 - Comments (5)
Category: 1920s

Maine man counts one million peas to win bet of $2.50

Life moved at a slower pace in Meddybemps, Maine back in 1922. Probably still does. According to Wikipedia, the 2010 census listed Meddybemps as having a population of only 157.



Maine Man Counts Peas for a Month and Wins Bet of $2.50
To win a wager of $2.50, Henry Parish of Meddybemps, Me., has spent nearly a month counting peas. His eyes are in such condition that whether open or shut he sees peas and quart cans. When he sleeps he dreams of peas and quart cans.
On Washington's birthday, Parish and a neighbor named Wainwright engaged in an argument.
"Bet you $2.50 I can count a million peas between now and the middle of March," said Parish.
"I'll take that bet," said Wainwright. "You count them and put them in glass fruit jars."
Parish began. He took all his wife's empty fruit jars and all the peas he could borrow, and by Saturday night he had counted 100,000. This gave him hope, and he began to boast to Wainwright.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said the latter. "If you count the peas without making a mistake, I'll eat them all in two weeks; if you overcount or undercount you eat them."
Parish took this bet and counted the first batch over again to be sure he had made no error. Finding that he was three peas out of the way he got nervous.
A couple of days ago Parish finished in a rush and took all the cans over to Wainwright's house.
"There's the peas. Now eat them," he commanded, "and fork over the $2.50."
"But how do I know you have counted correctly?" protested Wainwright.
"You don't, so count them yourself," chuckled Parish.
"Well, I guess I'll take it for granted if you'll let me off on eating them," said Wainwright, after thinking it over. "I'll pay you the $2.50 and call it square."
"Oh, no, you don't," gurgled Parish; "a bet's a bet and you've got to count them. Then I'll bet you have to eat them."
Wainwright is now counting peas to see whether he does or does not eat them.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 24, 2014 - Comments (8)
Category: Boredom, 1920s

Dr. Bouchaud’s Flesh-Reducing Soap

"Will absorb all fatty tissues from any part of the body." I wonder if Dr. Bouchaud was related in any way to Dr. Anton Phibes?


From The Australian Home Journal, June 1926 [via Vintage Ads]

Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 29, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Advertising, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, 1920s

4-way Suicide

"Wearied of a life of egg frying," the unfortunate Jim Smith decided to end it all. But despite trying to torch, hang, poison, and shoot himself simultaneously, his plan didn't succeed.

I'm skeptical that this ever happened. It sounds like the kind of thing reporters used to make up to pad newspaper columns. From The Seattle Star - March 24, 1922. (via Weird Shit in Historic Newspapers)

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 27, 2014 - Comments (8)
Category: Death, Suicide, 1920s

Mystery Gadget 23

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Take your best guess!

The answer is here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 14, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Technology, 1920s

John and Mary Newlywed

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In 1925 and 1926, Popular Science featured the antics of "John and Mary Newlywed," a young married couple so stupid they did everything wrong around the house. In the instance above from March 1926, John and Mary--despite having perfected anti-gravity as attested to by the unsupported car--are about to blow themselves up and smother themselves with gas fumes.

I regret the Newlyweds did not have a longer run. They would have been the Gallant-less Goofuses of the hobbyist set.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 11, 2014 - Comments (20)
Category: Husbands, Wives, 1920s, Goofs and Screw-ups

Andrew “Bossy” Gillis, Two-Fisted Mayor of Newburyport

As intermittent mayor, he ran Newburyport, MA, from his gas station, and when out of office was not averse to punching the current mayor in the face.

There's a good summary of his antics here.

The kind of authentic politician so lacking today. The article from 1937 below gives some of his flavor.

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Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 04, 2014 - Comments (6)
Category: Politics, Curmudgeons and Contrarianism, 1920s, 1930s

Wolrd’s First Mobile Phone from 1922

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 07, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Telephones, 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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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