1950s
Fish Full of Freight
It's the 21st century and we don't have flying cars. Nor do we have atomic-powered submarine freighters towing underwater barges.However, this did remind me of the Russian scheme to use nuclear submarines as oil tankers.
Fortune - Feb 1959
Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 22, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Boats, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, Transportation, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Oklahoma’s Square Dance Queen
Fifty-one ladies representing 51 towns competed. I wish I had a better picture of the winner.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 19, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Charities and Philanthropy, Regionalism, 1950s, Dance
Miss Idaho Petroleum
Joanne Hopkins had the honor of being named Miss Idaho Petroleum of 1951. As far as I can tell, 1951 was the only year in which this title was awarded.
Idaho Daily Statesman - Oct 14, 1951
Idaho Daily Statesman - Jan 8, 1952
Three other states awarded Miss Petroleum titles in 1951. The University of Southern California library has some photos of the four petroleum beauty queens together. From left to right, there's Miss Idaho Petroleum, Miss Montana Petroleum, Miss Wyoming Petroleum, and Miss Colorado Petroleum.
In this photo it looks like they're about to throw Miss Colorado Petroleum in the pool:
I hadn't realized that Idaho was a petroleum-producing state. Some google searching produced this list of all the petroleum states in order of how much they produce. Texas is the top, by a wide margin. Idaho is third from bottom. Maybe Idaho produced more in 1951. I don't know.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 17, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Fossil Fuels, Carbon Footprint, and Climate Change, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #561
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 14, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Cryptozoology, Human Marvels, Hygiene, Advertising, 1950s, 1960s
Truman Capote, Broadway Lyricist
Did the same author who penned IN COLD BLOOD write "Two Ladies in De Shade of De Banana Tree?"Indeed he did!
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 09, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Ethnic Groupings, Fey, Twee, Whimsical, Naive and Sadsack, Stereotypes and Cliches, Theater and Stage, 1950s
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 49
Eugène Brands: De Tang - The Pincers signed and dated '8/51
The artist's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 08, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, 1950s
Zoom!
Before it was videotelephone software, Zoom was a bustline enhancer.
Cosmopolitan - Feb 1957
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 05, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Body Modifications, Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil, 1950s
Egg Blowing
According to Life magazine (Dec 15, 1952), in the early 1950s the sport of egg blowing (Eieren Blazen) was all the rage in Holland.
The rules of the game:
I can't find any references to the game beyond this one article in Life.
I can see why it would be an amusing game at parties. But probably not appropriate for the age of Covid.
"Players and spectators go into convulsions of laughter as a woman blows so hard at egg that she blows out her false teeth on the table"
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 03, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Sports, Eggs, 1950s
Peter Gunn Theme—With Lyrics
A very famous song, in one of its lesser known, more wild-eyed versions.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 02, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Music, Television, Adaptations, Reworkings, Recastings and New Versions, 1950s, 1960s
Miss Alarming of 1952
Canonsburg Daily Notes - Oct 8, 1952
Posted By: Alex - Tue Mar 28, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1950s
| 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 |