Eccentrics
The Collector
Nowadays, stories about men, women and children being kept prisoner in strange circumstances--sometimes for years or decades--are so common that I'm certain Chuck will soon declare them "no longer weird."
But fifty years ago, such stories seemed more rare. One such inspired the classic novel by John Fowles, The Collector, which appeared in 1963.
The trailer of the film version can be seen above.
Fowles was inspired in part by a true story. I believe I've found that account, as seen below.
Enjoy the debut of what was to become a whole category of weird news.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 02, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Eccentrics, Collectors, Scary Criminals, Stupid Criminals, 1950s, 1960s
Moose Motorboat
Or should that headline be "moose-motor boat"...?
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 18, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1920s
La Napoule
According to this LIFE magazine article, art collector Henry Clews had a taste for the bizzare, as seen in the statue above. His French Mediterranean home is now a museum, and you can visit, or even apply for an arts residency there!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 09, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Aliens, Art, Avant Garde, Surrealism, Dreams and Nightmares, Eccentrics, Collectors, Museums, 1950s, Europe
The Wellcome Collection
This might be a museum WU-vies wish to visit when they are next in London.
Home page.
PS: if I shut my eyes and just listen to this video, why do I think I'm hearing the cast of A Hard Day's Night?
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 23, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Skin and Skin Conditions, Eccentrics, Museums, Weird Studies and Guides
Long Lance
I'm trespassing on Alex's territory here, with an hour-length documentary on what was once a famous hoax.
Here's the story in a nutshell.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 21, 2012 -
Comments (1)
Category: Eccentrics, Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, North America, Nineteenth Century, Native Americans
Church of Aphrodite
How far back do the roots of New Age wackiness go? Probably all the way to the 1800s, when spiritualism first broke.
But surely one of the 20th century landmarks is the establishment of the Church of Aphrodite in 1939.
Original news here.
Wikipedia info here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 19, 2011 -
Comments (4)
Category: Eccentrics, New Age, Religion, 1930s
Herb Bartlett
[Click above image to enlarge]
Let us all hail the great American tradition of amateur inventors, personified today by the forgotten Herb Bartlett, whose love for hovercraft extended to making his plans available to the youth of the USA, contacted through his ad in Boys' Life magazine
Original ad here. (Scroll down a bit.)
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 07, 2011 -
Comments (4)
Category: Eccentrics, Engineering and Construction, Inventions, Mad Scientists, Evil Geniuses, Insane Villains, Motor Vehicles, 1960s, 1970s
Heavy Metal Violin
Let me know how long you last!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 02, 2011 -
Comments (4)
Category: Annoying Things, Eccentrics, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust
Peg Leg Sam
A nice little documentary in two parts about a true eccentric for your weekend viewing!
The hard facts here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 11, 2011 -
Comments (1)
Category: Body Modifications, Eccentrics, Elderly and Seniors, Music, Regionalism, Documentaries, 1970s
I Like to Stay Home
More about Moore here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 27, 2011 -
Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, Music, Avant Garde, 1980s
| 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 |