1950s
Television Set for the Differently Abled
Very forward-looking and thoughtful of Westinghouse to create a TV set that aided one-handed people. Of course, nowadays you only need one finger (on the remote) to tune!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 27, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Television, Advertising, 1950s, Differently Abled, Handicapped, Challenged, and Otherwise Atypical
Corpse by Mail
Original article here.
Was she found innocent or guilty?
The answer is here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 22, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, 1950s, Postal Services
Atomic Armor for Children, 1951
Designed by Lee Pauwels of Los Angeles to protect his six-year-old son from harmful atomic rays given off by a nuclear explosion. He noted that the suit wouldn't protect his son from the concussion of the blast, "But authorities believe a person could survive the blast at much closer range if he were lying down and wearing the suit. Afterward he'd be able to leave the area that had become contaminated by harmful rays."I wonder if this suit still survives somewhere, stored in someone's attic. Well, it must be around if even atomic rays couldn't harm it. This is the kind of thing that should be on display in the Smithsonian (if I were running it).
The Eugene Guard - Jan 1, 1952
Traverse City Record-Eagle - Dec 26, 1951
Posted By: Alex - Sat Nov 21, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Armageddon and Apocalypses, Fashion, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Push Button Weather
The miraculous Chronotherm! First line of defense!
Sad to contemplate that all these decent-paying job that once provided a good living for so many families have been farmed out to robots and other nations today.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 19, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Technology, Industry, Factories and Manufacturing, Appliances, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #265
Hey, wait, most beaches don't allow pets!
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 17, 2015 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Fashion, 1950s, Women
Texas Ranger Cowboy Outfit
[Click to enlarge]
Original image here. (Page 10).
Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 12, 2015 -
Comments (19)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Comics, 1950s
Army puts price tags on equipment
Back in 1951, the U.S. Army was told it needed to cut costs, so it initiated the "cost-consciousness" program. This involved putting price tags on all the equipment, so that the soldiers could see how much everything cost. The theory was that this would make them use the equipment more "wisely and well."After the program was implemented, one Army Reserve staffer said, "It looks just like a department store here."
There were claims that the program saved the Army millions of dollars. So I wonder what caused it to be shelved?
The News-Herald (Franklin, Pennsylvania) - Dec 14, 1951
The Spokesman-Review - Feb 27, 1952
Posted By: Alex - Thu Nov 12, 2015 -
Comments (14)
Category: Military, 1950s, Armed Forces
The Atom Blanket
Tuck your kids into bed with the "Atom Blanket" and you know they'll be safe from surprise nuclear attacks!
Source: Newsweek - Apr 26, 1954
Note: Although Newsweek claimed this blanket was widely publicized, I haven't been able to find any references to it in papers and magazines from the 1950s -- beyond the reference in Newsweek itself. Perhaps it was advertised in trade publications that have never been scanned and placed online.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 11, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: War, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #264
That young couple is stopping not to admire the tablecloth but to gawk and laugh at the grade-school-dropout, simpleton-style hat worn by Dad.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 10, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Family, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, Headgear, 1950s
Killed by washing machine while reading comics
A number of things puzzle me about this 1955 news story. First of all, why was the washing machine outside beneath a tree?Second, was the kid really so lazy that he felt the need for an elaborate method of supporting his head while reading? Or was he trying to kill himself?
Finally, what kind of washing machine has a lid that rotates? I found a picture (below) of a washing machine from the late 1940s that may have a lid that could rotate, but it doesn't look like it would have been comfortable to sit on, which would support the suicide theory.
But whatever happened to John Mattson, his death clearly demonstrates the danger of reading comic books.
Gettysburg Times - July 20, 1955
Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 06, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Death, 1950s
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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 |