1960s
The Wrong Williams
September 1969: 50 policemen and 100 members of the Republic of New Africa black separatist group waited at the Detroit airport for the expected arrival of the group's leader, Robert Williams. Authorities in London had tipped off the police that Williams was on the plane, and the police wanted to arrest him on a 1961 kidnapping charge.But it turned out to be the wrong Williams on the plane — not Robert Williams, the black separatist, but instead Edward Williams, "a neatly-dressed somewhat amazed English businessman."
(Edward) Williams later commented, "When I saw the honor guards and the crowd, I thought you perhaps did this all the time for foreign visitors."
Detroit Free Press - Sep 8, 1969
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 25, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: 1960s
Do-it-yourself dress
Created by designer Betsey Johnson in 1966 and modeled below (for Life magazine) by Lauren Hutton.Minneapolis Star Tribune - July 10, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 24, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, 1960s
Resurrecting Peter Lorre
In 1964, police managed to thwart the dastardly scheme of the "Covenant of the 73rd Demon" (a group of teenage boys) to resurrect Peter Lorre. The actor had died on March 23, 1964, and the boys' plan was found out three months later.Wilson said an "order" signed by one of the boys and passed on to other cult members indicated the cult planned to exhume Lorre's body and restore life to it. Lorre was one of the cult's idols, the officer said.
The "order" did not explain how the boys planned to restore life, and the youths would not tell officers about it.
The Lawton Constitution - June 25, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 20, 2018 -
Comments (12)
Category: Celebrities, Death, 1960s
Howie
Will Hutchins prefigures Jim Carrey in DUMB AND DUMBER.
Three subsequent parts of the episode separately on YouTube.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 17, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Television, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
Impact Therapy
Shamokin News Dispatch - Aug 31, 1968
LONDON (AP) — Dr. John Tracy says if you can't cure it any other way, hit it.
Tracy explained in today's issue of the Practitioner Medical Journal that he uses sandbags to bash his patients into shape. He calls it "impact therapy."
Tracy says that repeated blows with a 20-pound sandbag, carefully timed and judged, send pressure waves through joints that cure aches and pains.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 13, 2018 -
Comments (5)
Category: Health, Medicine, 1960s
A long, awkward silence
With the Trump-Kim summit all over the news, this 1969 N.Korea/U.S. meeting seems timely:Back then, an American and North Korean general sat across a table from each other for 11 hours and 35 minutes. For the entire time, no one took a bathroom break or ate, and during the final 4½ hours, no one even spoke. They just stared at each other in silence.
Palladium-Item - Apr 11, 1969
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jun 12, 2018 -
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Category: Politics, 1960s
Top Ten Teen Idols of 1967
I would have liked to see the sample cohort of teens that voted in this poll.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 10, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Celebrities, Music, Politics, Teenagers, 1960s
The Mad Clipper
He briefly terrorized the housewives of Charleston in the Summer of 1969:
Beckley Post-Herald - June 24, 1969
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 07, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: Crime, 1960s, Hair and Hairstyling
Homage to New York
Paul posted yesterday about the Metamatics (art machines) of Jean Tinguely. Another certifiably weird work by Tinguely was his "Homage to New York" (aka "self-destroying work of art"). It was an elaborate sculpture designed to destroy itself, which it did for the amusement of an audience on the night of March 17, 1960. As described on Moma.org:Some more footage (non-embeddable) here.
Waterloo Courier - Mar 18, 1960
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 06, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, 1960s
The Pirate Queen of the Orange County Fair
Yet another in our oddball beauty contest category.
Velda Boyd, 18, Miss Santa Ana, chosen as Pirate Queen of Orange County Fair. Princesses to reign with her are: Karen Foster, 18, Miss Newport Harbor, and Garland L. Grimsley, 18, Miss La Habra.
Original foto here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 01, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Pirates, Regionalism, 1960s
| Who We Are |
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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 |