1930s
The February 12 Dance
Interpretive dancer Gladys Bowen doing her February 12 dance.
The Hope Pioneer - Feb 13, 1936
Pittsburgh Press - Jan 19, 1936
Coos Bay Times - Jan 21, 1936
Posted By: Alex - Mon Feb 12, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: 1930s, Dance
Deranged Robot
A 'mentally disturbed' robot at the World Fair in San Diego, 1935/36. A robot provides entertainment at the California Pacific Exposition in San Diego, [but] instead of giving the planned speech, it suddenly began to speak in a boisterous cabaret voice and afterwards emitted the sounds of an orchestra. After a little bewilderment the cause for this 'mental confusion' was discovered: due to a circuit error, the robot had transmitted the program of the exhibition's broadcast station. The photo shows the robot during a thorough inspection of its speech organs and its circuits.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 02, 2024 -
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Category: Robots, Expositions, World Fairs, Celebrations, 1930s, Mental Health and Insanity
Saddle Cigarette Lighter
Perhaps it prevented fires caused by burning matches, but what about the fires caused by cigarette butts?
Popular Science - Apr 1936
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 24, 2024 -
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Category: Inventions, Firefighting, Arson, Wildfires, Infernos and Other Conflagrations, Smoking and Tobacco, 1930s
Every Day is Miracle Day
Man, that's a big claim to make for beauty parlors!Here's the source, where you can magnify the text.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 11, 2024 -
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Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, 1930s
Warning Device for Speeders
Drivers not paying attention to their speedometer will receive a blast of air on their accelerator foot at a preset MPH.Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 10, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Rants, Warnings, Jeremiads, Prophecies and Cassandra-like Figures, 1930s, Cars
The Murder of Vivian Gordon As Explained by Mystery Writers
You can read the true crime story details at The Smithsonian Magazine site. But for the explanations from fiction writers, see below. I think police in 2024 should adopt this tactic. "So, Stephen King, how would you solve the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft?"
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 05, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Amateurs and Fans, Crime, Writers, 1930s
The Flying Flea
Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 15, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Eccentrics, Hobbies and DIY, Inventions, Air Travel and Airlines, 1930s
Shocking Presentation
Just to prove that B. F. Skinner was not the only guy who could do operant conditioning, Willard Hayes Yeager decided to teach his student to speak better in public by the use of electric shocks.You can read his textbook here.
Teachers shock students at George Washington U. Washington, D.C., Aug. 2. Public speaking students at G.W. U. are only too well acquainted with the shocking machine, invented by Dr. Willard Hayes Yeager, Head of the department, to take the "ahs" "ers" and "ums" out of their diction. He is shown putting on the shocker to Jane Hampton, 17. When the student makes a mistake the professor at the other end of the room, notifies her by a gentle electric shock.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 08, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Education, Sadism, Cruelty, Punishment, and Torture, Rhetoric, Eloquence, Public Speaking, and Vocabulary, 1930s
Unlikely Reasons for Murder No. 17
Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 22, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Family, Children, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, 1930s, Mental Health and Insanity
Man insists he’s in perfect health, then drops dead
Nov 1939: John H. Mills, 70, appeared before the city board of education to plead for his old job back. Insisted he was in perfect health. Then dropped dead.Sounds like a heart attack, probably triggered by the stress of the situation.
Roanoke World News - Nov 14, 1939
Los Angeles Daily News - Nov 16, 1939
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 08, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Death, 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 |