1950s
The National College Queen
This contest for top female college student ("fifty percent beauty, fifty percent brains") appears to have begun in 1953:
Source: ETSU Collegian (Johnson City, Tennessee) 01 Apr 1955, Fri Page 5
The first photo below is from 1969, and I can't envision the contest surviving much beyond that revolutionary date.
Source: The Aggielite (Tishomingo, Oklahoma) 15 Mar 1955, Tue Page 1
It was once so popular, it was televised nationwide.
Source: The Kingston Daily Freeman (Kingston, New York) 10 Jun 1967, Sat Page 16
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 23, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Intelligence, Television, 1950s, 1960s
Armored Shorts
According to info on quora.com, there's been a long, ongoing effort to develop armored shorts. However, soldiers inevitably find them uncomfortable, even though they appreciate the effort to protect their private parts.Such shorts are sometimes referred to as 'tactical diapers' or 'battle nappies'.
I like the detail that the armored shorts (below) developed during the Korean War were "capable of deflecting about 65 per cent of all missiles."
Louisville Courier-Journal - Dec 11, 1952
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 20, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fashion, Military, 1950s
The Royal Teens, “Short Shorts”
What were those lyrics again?Their Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 17, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Music, Public Indecency, Teenagers, 1950s
EMAG-3
I did a science fair project in high school, but I put so little effort into it that I'm now embarrassed thinking back on it. The topic I chose was "The Electrolysis of Water." I basically just had some electrodes splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.David Ecklein, however, had an extraordinary high school science fair project. Back in 1959, he built a computer, which he named EMAG-3, that was capable of playing "an interesting and reasonable game" of checkers. It was made from 3200 vacuum tubes and three miles of wiring. It stood 15 feet tall.
On his website, he notes that he designed it to fit the science fair floor space requirements, knowing that the regulations had omitted to mention anything about how high a project could be. Height restrictions were introduced the following year.
More info: MIT Museum
Great Falls Tribune - Apr 17, 1959
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 13, 2022 -
Comments (6)
Category: School, Technology, Computers, 1950s
Texaco Toy Tanker
Embrace your large carbon footprint with a model tanker ship!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 08, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Kitsch and Collectibles, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Toys, 1950s, 1960s, Power Generation
Atomic-Powered Vacuum Cleaners
Alex Lewyt, owner of the Lewyt Vacuum Corporation, has been mocked for his 1955 prediction that vacuum cleaners would one day be atomic-powered.But he also predicted self-guided, robotic vacuums, and he was right about that.
Louisville Courier Journal - May 19, 1955
Albuquerque Tribune - Jun 7, 1955
Below: a 1950 ad for Lord Calvert whiskey that, for some reason, featured Alex Lewyt. Note the vacuum cleaner in the glass case behind him.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 26, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, Appliances, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Pal Yat Chee
Our hillbilly lass.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 16, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Hillbillies, Country Bumpkins, Ruralism and Flyover Country, Television, 1950s, Opera, Parody
Mystery Gadget 102
Automatic fingernail painter? What's your guess?The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 15, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Technology, 1950s
Angry Boy
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 10, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Family, Children, Hygiene, PSA’s, 1950s, Mental Health and Insanity
The Cyclops Eye Speedometer
Watching this great old Studebaker commercial, I was intrigued by the mention of a "Cyclops Eye Speedometer." It turns out that it was a barrel painted with the MPH numbers that revolved behind a lens to measure the speed. Highly imprecise, I would think, perhaps explaining its demise. Apparently, some Citroens used it too (last foto).
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 09, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Engineering and Construction, Kludges, Hacks and Duct-tape Repairs, 1950s, Cars
| 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 |