1950s
Mississippi’s Queen of the Forest
I believe the title of this post alone would make the basis of an excellent fantasy franchise. Netflix, Apple+ or Amazon Prime--you know where to find me!
Senator John C. Stennis poses with Miss Katherine Alexander of Booneville, Mississippi and Governor of Miss. J. P. Coleman at the State Queen of the Forest Pageant in 1956. Left to Right: Senator Stennis, Miss Katherine Alexander, and Governor J. P. Coleman.
1959 Press Photo Dixie Shadburn, "Queen of the Forest" for Southeast Mississippi
Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 31, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1950s, 1960s
Blast-Resistant House
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 30, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Architecture, Advertising, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
No Pink Tax in the 1950s
Proof that the past was a happier era. No "Pink Tax" in effect. Daintiness at a discount!Although of course the base prices were outrageous. See the screenshots below the video.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 30, 2022 -
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Category: Education, Hygiene, Advertising, 1950s
Magic Oval Panties
The Magic Oval Pantie lady had no qualms about parading around in public in her underwear and evening gloves, while her alter ego frantically tried to save herself from a wedgie.
Charm - Apr 1957
Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 26, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, Underwear, 1950s
Hal Hayes’s Swinging Bachelor Mansion
For $600,000 -- adjusted for inflation, about $4.9 million today -- Hayes got a six-level, steel-and-glass pad with masculine, maximum technology and minimal custom decoration. He parked on girders projecting from the edge of his hillside lot, piped in hi-fi music, poured drinks from an ultra-sleek mini kitchen designed for catering, not for cooking, seduced brunettes in an orchid greenhouse and did what bachelors do in a free-standing “playroom.”
There was a circular fireplace, a louvered skylight, a mirrored master suite and an artificial beach for topless tanning. An outdoor hearth in gunite lava rock warmed women chilled by gin martinis.
Guests in the bomb shelter of Hal Hayes's house.
Retrospective write-up at the LA TIMES.
1958 feature in LIFE magazine.
Some great pix with this article.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 26, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Architecture, Domestic, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1950s
Old Money
Article source: The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Indiana) 09 Dec 1959, Wed Page 31
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 15, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Destruction, Government, Money, 1950s
Miss Coaxial Cable
Cable TV was coming to Phoenix in 1952, and to celebrate a local TV store organized a "Miss Coaxial Cable" contest.
Arizona Republic - July 1, 1952
Arizona Republic - June 29, 1952
I can't find who was eventually crowned "Miss Coaxial Cable," but around the same time Mary Perkins was awarded the title of "Miss TV Cable," also in Phoenix. I'm guessing these must have been two rival beauty contests.
Arizona Republic - July 7, 1952
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 11, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Television, 1950s
Cosmic Vision Helmet
Not a bad toy, but the advertising claims sure laid it on thick.This sensational discovery is as new as the hydrogen bomb! As exciting as a ride through space. Makes you a super space cadet.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 01, 2022 -
Comments (5)
Category: Toys, Headgear, 1950s
Beatnik Fly
Their Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 01, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Insects and Spiders, Music, Gonzo, Demento, Kooky, Wacky and Out-there, 1950s, 1960s
Krylon Man
I wonder if Krylon Man is supposed to be sentient. He has a nozzle instead of a head, but he's guided by some kind of instinct to press his nozzle and release his contents.I also wonder if they tried putting a head on him but decided that he looked better with just a nozzle.
You can buy a screen print of Krylon Man for $25 and hang him on your wall.
Life - Sep 23, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 30, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, 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 |