Automatic Devil Dog Car Alarm

Contrary to the delightful ad, alarm did not speak phrases, but merely sounded the horn, as with modern car alarms.

See the actual device here, with explanation.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 13, 2016 - Comments (2)
Category: Crime, Technology, 1930s, Cars

Fashion 2000

Interestingly, I think the predictions from farther away from the year 2000 were a bit more accurate than those that were closer!

Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 15, 2016 - Comments (1)
Category: Fashion, Futurism, 1930s, 1960s, Twenty-first Century

Follies of the Madmen #296

Original ad here.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 07, 2016 - Comments (1)
Category: Body, Business, Advertising, Products, Dreams and Nightmares, 1930s

The Green Corn Dance

Have a spanking good time!

Original page here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 03, 2016 - Comments (1)
Category: 1930s, Dance, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise

Caveman Wedding

Original photo here.

Also, more weird weddings at the link.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 27, 2016 - Comments (0)
Category: Archaeology, 1930s, Weddings

Gadget-Filled Car

Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 26, 2016 - Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, 1930s, Cars

Newspapers by Radio Fax:  1930s

Newspapers transmitted into your living room by radio waves!

Get the whole fascinating history here. More fotos also at the link, but not the one above, which I found independently.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 16, 2016 - Comments (0)
Category: Journalism, Radio, Technology, 1930s

Jimmie Lynch:  Death Dodger

More info here.

And here.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 14, 2016 - Comments (0)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, 1930s, Cars

Attempts record for fasting

Raymond Tac begins attempt to set world record for fasting

February 1931: Fifty days into a fasting contest, Alf Wilson, of England, had to withdraw from the contest on the advice of his doctor. This left Raymond Tac, of New Zealand, the winner.

However, Tac was eager to keep fasting. So soon after he launched into an attempt to break his personal record of going ninety days and four hours without food — which apparently, at the time, was also a world record.

Tac sealed himself behind a glass wall, through which spectators could view him, having announced that he would live for over three months with mineral water and cigarettes as his only nourishment.

Unfortunately I don't know if Tac succeeded in his attempt to break his record. I haven't been able to find any reports about it. In fact, it's difficult to know what the world record for fasting is since Guinness doesn't maintain an official record for that activity, and there's a number of different claims to the title.

Reno Gazette Journal - Feb 18, 1931

Manitowoc Herald Times - Mar 3, 1931

Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 06, 2016 - Comments (1)
Category: Food, World Records, 1930s

Hindu Ceremonial Animal Marriages

1932 report here.

The practice of having a human marry an animal for various mystical reasons has been a part of Hindu religion for who-knows-how-long, and continues to the present.




Full article here.

And then of course there is marrying a tree as well.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 10, 2016 - Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Religion, Husbands, Wives, 1930s, Asia