1950s
The Talking Fish Lure
Ads for the "Talking Fish Lure" began to appear in papers in 1959. They promised that, thanks to this new talking lure, fishermen would be guaranteed to catch fish:
The Vancouver Province - May 30, 1959
Eight years later, the promoter of the lure was indicted on 60 counts of mail fraud. From the New York Daily News (May 12, 1967):
Named in the indictment was Monroe Caine, 38, of 222 Daisy Farms Drive, Scarsdale, described as an advertising man and mail order promoter whose ads for a "remarkable European talking fish lure" ran July 19, 1964, in newspapers across the country.
The jurors, who were shown the ads, found the whole thing somewhat fishy, especially after being told that fishermen who sent in $1.98 or $2.49 for the lure got either a worthless gadget or nothing in return.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 16, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, Sports, Fish, 1950s, 1960s
Miss Hot Dog 1959
Photo source: Daily News (New York, New York) 12 Jul 1959, Sun Page 36
Text source: The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) 27 Jun 1959, Sat Page 6
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 10, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Food, 1950s
UK Shopping: 1949
Halfway to Christmas!
Source: Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) 29 Jun 1949, Wed Page 3
Uncle Holly apparently dates to 1950:
Source.
Info on Ginger Nutt here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 02, 2021 -
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Category: Holidays, Advertising, Retailing, Myths and Fairytales, Cartoons, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, United Kingdom
King Dinosaur
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 31, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Creatures, Science Fiction, Space Travel, 1950s
Fantastica: Music from Outer Space
The composer's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 26, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Music, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1950s
Stripper Unsexy?
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada)14 Sep 1957, Sat Page 2
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 25, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Theater and Stage, Lawsuits, Sex Symbols, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #507
Lecherous donut wants new franchisers.
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 18, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Food, 1950s
Isotopia—an atomic pantomime
In 1950, Muriel Howorth, who was a great believer in the benefits of atomic energy, wrote and staged a ballet/pantomime about the atom. It was titled Isotopia: An Exposition on Atomic Structure. This description from Time magazine, Oct 30, 1950:Before a select audience of 250 rapt ladies and a dozen faintly bored gentlemen, some 13 bosomy A.E. Associates in flowing evening gowns gyrated gracefully about a stage in earnest imitation of atomic forces at work. An ample electron in black lace wound her way around two matrons labeled "proton" and "neutron" while an elderly ginger-haired Geiger counter clicked out their radioactive effect on a pretty girl named Agriculture. At a climactic moment, a Mrs. Monica Davial raced across the stage in spirited representation of a rat eating radioactive cheese.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any pictures of the event. But you can read the entire pantomime over at atomicgardening.com.
Muriel Howorth, founder of the Atomic Energy Association of Great Britain
Posted By: Alex - Sat May 15, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Theater and Stage, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Various Commercials 1950s and 1960s
A few observations.
* Nowadays, to our shortened attention spans, sixty seconds feels like WAR AND PEACE.
* Is that the voice of Orson Welles for American gasoline?
* Why is the narration for the Coke stewardess ad a hybrid of THE TWILIGHT ZONE and DRAGNET?
* This was surely the apex of pop surrealism in advertising.
Posted By: Paul - Sun May 09, 2021 -
Comments (7)
Category: Advertising, Surrealism, 1950s, 1960s
Faye Garriott - Chewing Gum Artist
Faye Garriott gained some minor fame as a chewing gum artist in the early 1950s. Though I can't find any examples of her work for sale today.
The Akron Beacon Journal - Apr 7, 1953
The Fresno Bee - Nov 5, 1953
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 07, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, 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 |