Death
Cyriak and Sparks: The Existential Threat
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 12, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Death, Destruction, Music, Philosophy, Surrealism, Special Effects
Steam-Powered Motorcycle
What happens in a crash that splits the boiler open?
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 31, 2020 -
Comments (4)
Category: Death, Inventions, 1930s, Motorcycles
The Chelsea Flash Pistol
Source of first pic.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 22, 2020 -
Comments (0)
Category: Death, Destruction, Photography and Photographers, Technology, Nineteenth Century
The Life Coffin
The idea behind this coffin, created and sold by Tibbetts Woodworking of Windsor Massachusetts during the early 1990s, was that you would buy it while you were still alive and healthy — use it as a bookshelf, wine rack, or display case — and then get buried in it. It cost $365 for knotty eastern white pine, or $505 for oak or cherry. Below is text from the brochure:
It is a simple, honest, rectangular wooden coffin, custom-made to your dimensions in a small woodworking shop in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts.
Until your funeral, your coffin can be used as a bookcase (by ordering a number of adjustable shelves), or for wine storage (by ordering twelve-bottle storage units), or for a combination of books and important objects in your life.
The coffin lid hangs on the back of the coffin while it is being used as a bookcase. When you're ready for burial, the lid is attached with maple dowel pins. No liner is included.
Why Would Anyone Buy a Life Coffin?
Death is an inevitable part of your life. Buying a coffin now can help begin a process of education and acceptance. By seeing your coffin every day, you will be reminded of the preciousness of your physical life. This perspective on your daily hassles can bring you to celebrate the miracle of your life.
A Life Coffin will act as a catalyst for discussion with your family and friends, helping you to open up to difficult feelings concerning your death and funeral. And when all is said and done, you can rest peacefully, knowing that you are enclosed in a coffin to which you have added personal meaning.
Source: Harper's Magazine - March 1991
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 14, 2020 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, 1990s
Alligator Joe’s
Florida alligator farms as tourist attractions are legendary and well known. One of the first such was Alligator Joe's.Here is a long read about the place.
And after the images is the account of one fellow who almost did not return from a visit to Joe's.
Article source.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 09, 2020 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Death, Regionalism, Tourists and Tourism, Twentieth Century
Follies of the Madmen #485
No infants were harmed in the making of this ad. Oh, wait a minute, they're not breathing...
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 08, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Babies, Business, Advertising, Death, 1950s, Goofs and Screw-ups
Follies of the Madmen #484
Somehow not quite as humorous nowadays.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 29, 2020 -
Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Death, Family, Photography and Photographers, 1960s
RIP Chicken Fried Steak
On July 26, 1985, the Taste of Texas restaurant in Houston buried a chicken fried steak and put up a tombstone for it, which remains there to this day.
It reminds me of the grave of Blinky the frozen chicken in L.A.
via Click2houston
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 21, 2020 -
Comments (0)
Category: Death, Food, 1980s
The Wreck of the City of San Francisco
One weird thing about this once-famous train crash: no perp was ever found.
Even with this lead, from a contemporary account.
Rather reminiscent of the One-Armed Man from the 1960s TV show THE FUGITIVE.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 15, 2020 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Destruction, Unsolved Mysteries, 1930s, 1960s, Trains
Will to be read in 2163
Adolph Metzer loved cats and dogs. So, in his will, he gave $1000 to the city of Evanston, as well as to ten states, with the stipulation that the money be put in a bank account and not touched until 2163. By that time, he figured, his money would have grown to $201,559,641.30. All of which could be spent to help homeless cats and dogs.I haven't been able to find out what happened to his money. My guess is that it's long gone.
Washington Post - Mar 13, 1913
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 14, 2020 -
Comments (6)
Category: Death, Inheritance and Wills, Law, 1910s
| 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 |