Susanne Wenger, White Yoruban Priestess

Interview with Susanne Wenger from Jeremy Weate on Vimeo.

You know all those campy old films where explorers find a leopardskin-clad white woman ruling an African tribe? Well, while not quite the same, here's the story of Susanne Wenger, who gave up European life for Yoruban culture.

And given that Wenger was once quite a looker, maybe the Hollywood version is not so far off.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 11, 2015 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Religion, 1960s, Africa, Europe

Prince Monolulu

His Majesty in typical garb.





The Prince comes on at the 16-minute mark.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 04, 2015 - Comments (1)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Eccentrics, Fashion, Television, 1950s, 1960s

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

"Multi-instrumentalist" was the term for Rahsaan Roland Kirk. But generally the term does not refer to simultaneous playing.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 27, 2015 - Comments (9)
Category: Eccentrics, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, Music, 1960s

The Little Foxes Club

I can't find too much information on the "Little Foxes Club," whose mission was to promote African-American female beauty. In 1958, they had a beauty contest in Detroit.

Original article here.

And they were mentioned in this 1966 cheesecake photo.

Original article here.

I can only imagine the loud controversy such an organization would bring down upon itself in these times.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 24, 2015 - Comments (4)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Ethnic Groupings, 1950s, 1960s, Women

Beatnik Beauty

Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 19, 2015 - Comments (9)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s

Follies of the Madmen #244

"Oral bad breath" as opposed to what other orifice?

Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 18, 2015 - Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Hygiene, 1960s

Rocky Roberts

This video offers a perfect pairing of weird personalities.

Rocky Roberts, a black man from the USA, once a boxer, who became a pop star, but only in Europe.

Jayne Mansfield, dancing and uttering the line, "My ears directed my body toward the sound." 'Nuff said.

More coverage below.



Original article here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 12, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Movies, Music, Sex Symbols, 1960s, Dance, Europe

Follies of the Madmen #243

Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 10, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Music, Toys, 1960s

The man who posted himself to Australia

On the theme of People Who Have Posted Themselves Through The Mail, so far we have already noted the achievements in this line of activity of Henry Bray, May Pierstorff, and Johann Beck.

We can add to our list Reg Spiers, about whom the BBC News recently ran an article. In the mid-1960s, Spiers posted himself from London to Australia as a way to cheaply get back home in time for his daughter's birthday. The cost of a plane ticket was actually cheaper than the cost of shipping such a heavy crate, but Spiers knew that he could send the crate cash-on-delivery, so that payment would only be required once he was in Australia.

His plan succeeded. When he arrived in Australia, the crate (with him inside it) was put in a storage shed from which he managed to escape and hitchhike home. He never had to pay the shipping fees.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 09, 2015 - Comments (6)
Category: 1960s, Postal Services

The Strange Ones

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 01, 2015 - Comments (7)
Category: Scary Criminals, Public Indecency, Children, 1960s