Eccentrics
Towing The Boat
A mobility scooter pulling a boat. You don't see that every day.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 28, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Boats, Disabilities, Eccentrics
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
Placenta Smoothies
Unsafe for Revulsion-prone Stomachs.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 22, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Blood, Cannibalism, Eccentrics, Fads, Food
The Englishman Who Posted Himself
So long as Alex has brought up this theme, I thought I would reference this great book, which I reviewed at the B&N REVIEW upon its release five years ago.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 15, 2015 -
Comments (1)
Category: Eccentrics, Books, Europe, Postal Services
Can You Flick It? A Subbuteo Story
The thrilling, incomprehensible, unnerving history of tabletop soccer.
Home page of Subbuteo.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 09, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Eccentrics, Games, 1940s, Europe
The Man Whose Mind Exploded
Documentary about a fellow with no ability to lay down new memories. Plus other "issues."
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 05, 2015 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Body Modifications, Eccentrics, Documentaries, Brain Damage
Welbeck Abbey
A famous eccentric, the Fifth Duke of Portland spent a fortune over twenty-five years constructing fantastical additions to his estate, Welbeck Abbey, including fifteen miles of underground tunnels.
The Duke was very introverted - he did not want to meet people and never invited anyone to his home. His rooms had double letterboxes, one for ingoing and another for outgoing mail. His valet was the only person he permitted to see him in person in his quarters - he would not even let the doctor in, while his tenants and workmen were told never to acknowledge his presence (a workman who saluted him was reputedly dismissed on the spot) and they received all their instructions in writing.
His business with his solicitors, agents, and the occasional politician was handled by post. The Duke maintained an extensive correspondence with a wide-ranging network of family and friends, including Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Palmerston. He is not known to have kept company with any ladies, and his shyness and introverted personality increased over time.
His reclusive lifestyle led to rumours that the Duke was disfigured, mad, or prone to wild orgies, but contemporary witnesses and surviving photographs present him as a normal-looking man.
He ventured outside mainly by night, when he was preceded by a lady servant carrying a lantern 40 yards ahead of him. If he did walk out by day, the Duke wore two overcoats, an extremely tall hat, an extremely high collar, and carried a very large umbrella behind which he tried to hide if someone addressed him.
If the Duke had business in London, he would take his carriage to Worksop where he had it loaded onto a railway wagon. Upon his arrival at his London residence, Harcourt House in Cavendish Square, all the household staff were ordered to keep out of sight as he hurried into his study through the front hall.
He insisted on a chicken roasting at all hours of the day, and the servants brought him his food on heated trucks that ran on rails through the underground tunnels.
Wikipedia page.
Long essay here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 27, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Architecture, Eccentrics, Europe, Nineteenth Century
Mechanic kept flower in his mouth
I know that some people have the habit of holding a pen or pencil in their mouth while working. But that seems quite normal compared to holding a flower in your mouth almost continuously for 63 years.Source: Corsicana Daily Sun - Sep 29, 1960.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 14, 2014 -
Comments (0)
Category: Eccentrics, 1960s
Wrong-Way Corrigan
Always a pleasure to revisit this famous incident and charming fellow, with some "new" vintage footage of him at a press conference.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 12, 2014 -
Comments (3)
Category: Eccentrics, Air Travel and Airlines, 1930s
Car with Thatched Roof
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 03, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Eccentrics, Hobbies and DIY, 1960s, Cars
| 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 |