1930s
Prettiest Waitress and Most Handsome Bellboy Contest
This item in our "Odd Beauty Contest Files" appears to represent a one-time-only competition, held as part of the famed 1939 World's Fair.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 25, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s
Malvaz Malt Tonic
Oh, it's not beer, despite coming from Monarch Brewing--it's just a healthy Malt Tonic!As this site says of a similar brand from the same period: "the concoction—actually just simple beer with the addition of honey—was advertised as a 'liquid food' for the treatment of various ailments, from insomnia to 'old age' to 'expectant motherhood.'"
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 18, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Advertising, 1930s, Alcohol
Roadside America Miniature Village
Their Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 15, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category: Sightseeing, Tourists and Tourism, 1930s
Mystery Illustration 57
This complete kit equips you to...?
Answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 14, 2017 -
Comments (8)
Category: Fashion, 1930s
Parachute Plane
Apparently this thing did fly. It was designed by Steven Nemeth in the early 1930s. He boasted that it was so simple to fly that a person who had never been off the ground could learn to fly it in 30 minutes. Plus, it could be housed in a hangar not much larger than an average garage.There was only one prototype ever made, and it's not clear why the plane was never developed further. Disciples of Flight speculates that "the design’s low aspect ratio wing may have meant a lot of additional drag."
Newsweek - Mar 31, 1934
Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 11, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Air Travel and Airlines, 1930s
Psychic Baseball Game
No supernatural abilities actually required.
Original ad here.
Further information here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 10, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Games, Sports, 1920s, 1930s
Follies of the Madmen #325
Possessed pants try to ward off other occult rivals.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 09, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Fashion, 1930s
Mystery Gadget 52
Maybe this one is too easy? Purpose of this office machine?
The answer is here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 08, 2017 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Technology, 1930s
Mystery Illustration 56
Why?
The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 04, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Costumes and Masks, 1930s
The Demolition of a World’s Fair
The Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago occupied 427 acres and innumerable buildings, all specially constructed for the event.
Then, when it was over, the whole affair was wiped clean. How? See the article below.
Source of article.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 31, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, 1930s
| Who We Are |
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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 |