1950s
Lys Chelys, French Female Fakir
Modern performers like David Blaine, who entomb themselves in glass boxes, are carrying on an old tradition, as seen below in the first video with Lys Chelys.The still photo shows her exiting her "sarcophage" after 57 days without eating.
After her items, we have a full movie utilizing the same theme.
Photo source.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 05, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Magic and Illusions and Sleight of Hand, Performance Art, 1950s, Europe, United Kingdom
Miss Cheesecake of 1951
Unlike many beauty queens, Franca Faldini did not hit a dead end with the assumption of her bogus title, but went on to have a decent career.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 04, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Movies, 1950s, Europe
Follies of the Madmen #501
Our jockey shorts will have every male emulating a hula girl.Source.
(Scroll down.)
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 03, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Underwear, 1950s, Gender-bending
Kirby’s Flying Ballet
This is the apparatus that famously caused Mary Martin to fly as Peter Pan.
Wikipedia page for Peter Foy.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 18, 2021 -
Comments (4)
Category: Technology, Theater and Stage, Special Effects, 1950s, 1960s
Follies of the Madmen #500
I suppose I should have come up with something super-special for the 500th installment of this series, but this will have to suffice!
Sure, kill the talking lion and then...style his mane?
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 17, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Death, Comics, 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling
Miss Welder
Between 1951 and 1954, the National Eutectic Welders' Club annually awarded the title of "Miss Welder". The winner was supposed to represent the "girl we would most like to weld with." The club also expressed its hope that Miss Welder would "inspire women throughout the nation to join the ranks of the labor force so vitally needed for America's defense effort."The winners included some well-known names. In particular, Sophia Loren (1954). Missing from the list below is Miss Welder of 1953, Barbara Nichols, for whom I couldn't find an image.
1951: Dagmar
1952: Denise Darcel
1954: Sophia Loren
Posted By: Alex - Fri Feb 12, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, 1950s
American Look
Your head will be spinning with Midcentury Modern designs by the end of this film. A Utopia that never was.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 03, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Design and Designers, Recreation, Interior Decorating, 1950s, Cars, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Index of Boredom
In 1957, advertiser John P. Cunningham came up with the concept of an "Index of Boredom" in an attempt to quantify how bored TV viewers were while watching shows. His research team studied 160 viewers in New Brunswick, NJ, and concluded that the most boring show on TV was Milton Berle, while the least boring show was "I Remember Mama".But they also came across an unexpected finding: people would continue to watch TV shows even if they found them boring.
Deseret News - Oct 29, 1957
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 31, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Boredom, Television, Psychology, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #498
This is a fine example of pushing a metaphor to the point of absurd surrealism.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 29, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Miniature People in Ads, Television, Surrealism, 1950s
The Sunken City of Shicheng
What many believe to be a mystery isn't actually so mysterious. Lion City, famed for sitting at the bottom of the Qiandao Lake, has a surprising history. The once thriving city, known for its powerful statue throughout all of China, now resides over 100 feet below the lake's surface. This was not due to a natural disaster or any type of destructive force unless you consider human nature to be one. The ancient city met its watery fate due to the hands of humans, specifically those who gave up the land the city once sat on to make way for modern machinery.
While there are many details surrounding the reasoning for this -- much of which we'll get into later on -- there's no denying that the fact that this city is fully preserved is a modern miracle. Although it sits deep under the water, all of its structures, statues, memorials, and archways all sit in perfect stature. Its rediscovery happened almost two decades ago and since then, divers have been repeatedly making trips below the surface to see what new aspects of the city they can explore. Inside these preserved walls lie the tale of several powerful dynasties, an ancient way of life, and some of the most stunning architectural features that are so indicative of China's history.
Full story with more pictures.
Daily Mail coverage.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 28, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Architecture, History, Archaeology, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s, Asia
| 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 |