1950s
Games couples play
"Johnson's wife, Iris Ann, 36, told [police] her husband was shot while they played a game in which he ran around the yard while she shot at him with a .22 caliber rifle."I guess Iris Ann won the game.
Source: The Hazleton Plain Speaker - Oct 10, 1958; Also here.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 24, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Husbands, Wives, Marriage, 1950s
Before the TSA
German travelers in the 1950s complained that beautiful women were routinely being singled out for strip searches by guards at border crossings. The pretext for these searches was usually something trivial, such as a few Swiss francs undeclared. Sounds like the TSA learned some lessons from these guys.Source: The Corpus Christi Caller-Times - Dec 6, 1951
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 22, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Government, Officials, Travel, 1950s
Dear 53310761
You might wonder what the hell this song is about, until you hear a certain name mentioned past the halfway mark. Even then, you have to know your pop music history to figure it out.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 17, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Celebrities, Music, 1950s, Armed Forces
Bicycle Clown
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 15, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, PSA’s, Children, 1950s
Sparkling Nibbler
Mrs. Marie Marks Schor, wealthy Miamian, charged with shoplifting because she liked to eat stuff from the shelves as she did her grocery shopping. Sounds like she was having quite a meal: ham, candy, strawberries, bananas, and string beans.
Source: The Bristol Daily Courier - Dec 19, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 14, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Crime, 1950s
Protest over plastic dog
From 1959. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals protested inclusion of a plastic dog in a toy rocket ship.I assume the plastic dog must have been inspired by Laika, the Soviet space dog, who was sent on a one-way ticket into space. Once people figured out that the Soviets hadn't bothered to plan any way for bringing Laika back from space (except for letting the rocket crash and burn), her launch pretty much turned into a PR disaster for them.
Source: San Rafael Daily Independent Journal - Oct 27, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 12, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Toys, 1950s
Johnson Smith Catalog Item #34
[Click to enlarge.]
Very egalitarian to have the female version too.
From the 1950s catalog.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 10, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Certificates, Diplomas, and Other Testaments of Achievement, Johnson Smith Catalog, 1950s
TV Set or Child?
The Williams family would have preferred a new TV set, but they got stuck with a kid instead. All because of the neighbors.
Source: Galesburg Register-Mail - Dec 28, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 07, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Television, Babies and Toddlers, 1950s
Free Elvis record with panties
Eddie Fisher, Perry Como the other options. 1950s, I assume.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 06, 2015 -
Comments (11)
Category: Music, Underwear, 1950s
Monster on the Campus
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 05, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, 1950s, Fictional Monsters
| 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 |