1940s
Mystery Illustration 39
"We are from France!"
Or not.
Explanation here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 10, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: 1940s
Follies of the Madmen #303
Yes, Dumont TV is as destructive and unstoppable as an atomic explosion.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 08, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Destruction, Television, 1940s, Weapons
Cry of ecstasy or yell of pain?
November 1949: Mrs. Valerie Humphries accused artist Rodney Roth of biting her bare midriff during a Halloween party — so hard that she yelled out in pain. Roth didn't dispute the bite but insisted that the sound she made was actually a "cry of ecstasy." The judge ruled in favor of Mrs. Humphries.
Arizona Republic - Nov 26, 1949
Posted By: Alex - Sat Feb 04, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Noises and Other Public Disturbances of the Peace, Lawsuits, 1940s
Mystery Illustration 38
These three performers had a stage act. They even appeared on Milton Berle's TV show. What was their shtick?
Answer after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 04, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Entertainment, 1940s
From the Indies to the Andes in His Undies
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 01, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Humor, Music, Regionalism, 1940s
Mystery Illustration 37
What horrors are causing the eyes of this Bride-of-Frankenstein lookalike to bug out?
Answer after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 22, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Horror, Advertising, 1940s, Eyes and Vision, Face and Facial Expressions
Non-Terrifying Gas Mask
1941: Charles Leguillon, a manager at the B.F. Goodrich Co., invented a "non-terrifying gas mask" that a pretty girl could wear "and remain a pretty girl and not become a gargoyle."The media proclaimed that for this he deserved "female thanks," because of course all women want to continue looking their best, even during chemical warfare.
But was the new gas mask actually non-terrifying? I'll let you be the judge.
American Legion Magazine - Aug 1941
The Akron Beacon Journal - June 11, 1941
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 09, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Military, 1940s
Irv Pollock, Auto Dealer
According to this verbal portrait of the era,, the Toledo, Ohio, car-dealership scene of the 40s, 50s and 60s was a vibrant, competitive time. Certainly a dealer would want to come up with wild ads to stand out. Irv Pollock must have felt that way anyhow!
Note: you might have to scroll left or right at the links to see the original ad.
Original ad here.
Original ad here.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 07, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Regionalism, 1940s, 1950s, Cars
Mousetrap Cigarette Lighter
Introduced at the 1941 meeting of the Inventors of America society in New York — a combined mousetrap and cigarette lighter.The caption on the first image is confusing. It says "a lever sets the mouse in motion," but I assume that's a mistake. It should probably read, "The mouse sets a lever in motion."
Another newspaper offered the following explanation of the device's operation: "When mouse springs trap, it sends pinball down ramp. Ball releases spring, and up pops an arm which strikes a match."
When the Inventors of America met again later that year in Los Angeles, one of their members showed off some mice-killing
The San Bernardino County Sun - July 25, 1941
The Pittsburgh Press - July 27, 1941
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 06, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Inventions, 1940s
The Case of the X-Ray Camera
New Year's Eve, 1946 was the occasion of a classic weird crime.19-year-old Pearl Lusk thought she had been employed to do some detective work by Allen La Rue, whom she had met on the subway. He told her that he was an insurance investigator. Her mission was to track a suspected jewel thief, Olga Trapani, and collect evidence to build a case against her.
Lusk trailed Trapani for a few days, and then La Rue added a new twist to the assignment. He gave her what he described as an "X-ray camera" camouflaged as a gift-wrapped package and instructed her to take a picture of Trapani with it. The resulting photo, he said, would reveal the jewels that Trapani kept pinned inside her dress, around her waist.
Lusk dutifully followed Trapani into the Times Square subway station, pointed the camera at her, and pulled the trigger wire. A shot rang out and Trapani collapsed to the ground.
It turned out that the "X-ray camera" was really a camouflaged sawed-off shotgun. And Trapani was really La Rue's ex-wife, of whom he had grown insanely jealous. La Rue's real name was Alphonse Rocco. He had been stalking his ex-wife for several months.
Lusk was totally clueless about what she had done. As the subway police rushed up after the shooting, she told them, "I just took this woman’s picture and somebody shot her."
Rocco fled to upstate New York, where he died in a shootout with the police several days later.
Trapani survived, but lost her leg. She and Lusk reportedly became friends after the incident.
You can read more about the case at EinsteinsRefrigerator.com, or the New Yorker.
Philadelphia Inquirer - Jan 1, 1947
Washington Court House Record-Herald - Jan 3, 1947
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 31, 2016 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, 1940s
| Who We Are |
|---|
| 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 |