Category:
1950s

Cyrus Eaton III, Runaway Scion

We often hear of folks such as "Clark Rockefeller" who are born poor and masquerade as rich people. But what about a fellow born rich who wants to be poor?

image

Original article here.

A picture of Cyrus Eaton III circa the runaway period.

image

No doubt it was hard being the grandson of Cyrus Eaton the First, creator of the family fortune.

Here's Grandpa leading the pack in 1958, with Cyrus the Third appearing as the third child behind Grandpa.

image

Cyrus Eaton the Second followed pretty much in his father's mode, as we learn from the obituary of Cyrus Eaton II.

And guess what else we learn from that obit? Cyrus Eaton the Third has become "Cyrus Wind Dancer." A little googling finds out he now runs a clock repair business in Santa Rosa, CA.

Free from the burdens of wealth at last!

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 07, 2014 - Comments (8)
Category: Family, Misbehavior, Rebellion, Acting-out and General Naughtiness, Money, 1950s, 1960s

Eva the Kitler Cat, 1951

Kitler cats (aka cats that look like Hitler) are very popular on the Internet. But people were noticing that some cats look like Hitler long before the Internet ever existed.

A case in point is Eva here, who received national attention back in 1951. The image and brief text are from Newsweek - Oct 1, 1951.


"Offered for adoption on a Chicago television show, Eva found no takers because of an unfortunate resemblance. The Animal Welfare League gave her a job, however, chasing mice in the kennels."

Posted By: Alex - Sun May 04, 2014 - Comments (8)
Category: Animals, 1950s

You Be the Electronic Man!

image
[Click to embiggen]

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 30, 2014 - Comments (4)
Category: Robots, Toys, 1950s

Fumble Parties


Back in the early 1950s, fumble parties became all the rage, according to Life magazine (July 14, 1952), which offered this description of them:

A person is chosen 'it' by drawing the high card from a deck. 'It' goes to another room while the other players add and subtract clothes, put on masks or disguise themselves in other ways.
When everyone is disguised, they all fling themselves down into a huddle on the floor, making a confused tangle of bodies, arms, and legs. Then the lights are turned off. 'It' reenters the room and, by fumbling among the tangled bodies, tries to identify a person. If someone is identified, then he or she becomes 'it'. But if the fumbler makes an error he must pay a penalty decided upon by the group.

So it was a bunch of adults feeling each other up in the dark. Sounds like a swinging good time!

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 22, 2014 - Comments (8)
Category: 1950s

Bug Invasion


In July 1957, Hastings Minnesota was invaded by fish flies. Millions of them. So many that they piled up on roads in enormous drifts and prevented cars from getting through.

From the History of Hastings blog:
The cops were called. The Fire Department was called. State highway sanders were useless against the combined efforts of the millions of fish flies who piled up their little bodies against all human efforts. Meanwhile the deck of the bridge became as slippery and slimy as grease, stalling cars that had to be moved to release the motorists stalled and steaming in cars with all windows closed against the bugs.
For over an hour a group of strong-backed youths, who volunteered their help, pushed and tugged cars through the 2 1/2 ft. bug-drift in the center of the bridge. Some were members of the very commendable teenager Cavalier Auto Club, supported by the Greater Hastings Association. The young men did a terrific job, some wearing bathing trunks, as they waded through the piles of bugs to help motorists. They pushed, advised, sweated with flies in ears, mouths, eyes. Look at those spots in front of the camera lens. They’re bugs…. stacked up on the car hood, piled up in drifts. How prolific-the hatch was terrific.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 06, 2014 - Comments (2)
Category: Insects and Spiders, 1950s

Eat More Sugar

An advertisement run in 1959 by "Sugar Information Inc.", which was an organization created by sugar producers in order to convince Americans to eat more of their product. All indications are that they succeeded. [via Backstory Radio]

Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 20, 2014 - Comments (11)
Category: Advertising, 1950s

Three Decades of Slimming







Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 14, 2014 - Comments (5)
Category: Exercise and Fitness, Food, Self-help Schemes, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Slideshow, 1957-style






The camera: $26.75 in 1957 = $222.68 in 2014

The projector: $64.50 in 1957 = $536.92 in 2014

Total costs to take pictures and display them for others to admire: $759.60

16GB iPhone, no contract: $649.00

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 09, 2014 - Comments (18)
Category: Photography and Photographers, Technology, 1950s

Page 99 of 135 pages ‹ First  < 97 98 99 100 101 >  Last ›




weird universe thumbnail
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
Monthly Archives
December 2024 •  November 2024 •  October 2024 •  September 2024 •  August 2024 •  July 2024 •  June 2024 •  May 2024 •  April 2024 •  March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •