North America
The New Liberty Bell
At the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, someone conceived of the notion of casting a second Liberty Bell (like the original famous one in Philadelphia) which could be safely struck and rung, having no crack. However, it ultimately had a sad fate, as you can read after the photos.
THE COLUMBIAN LIBERTY BELL.—Not least among the ideas natural to the Columbian year, and which finally embodied themselves, was that of casting a new Liberty Bell, one the very metal of which should have associations connected with the thought of liberty and a universal brotherhood. The plan of such a bell was conceived by Mr. William McDowell, of New Jersey, and it was he who carried it into execution. Correspondence was entered into on an extensive scale, contributions for the bell came from hundreds and thousands of sources, and it was cast in time to be one of the features of the Exposition, occupying a prominent place on the Plaza just west of the Administration Building, and being rung on different notable occasions. Unique gifts contributed to make the composition of the new Liberty Bell remarkable. The keys of Jefferson Davis’ house, pike heads used by John Brown at Harper’s Ferry, John C, Calhoun’s silver spoon and Lucretia Mott’s silver fruit knife, Simon Bolivar’s watch chain, hinges from the door of Abraham Lincoln’s house at Springfield, George Washington’s surveying chain, Thomas Jefferson’s copper kettle, Mrs. Parnell’s earrings and Whittier’s pen are all among the articles melted to make the bell. Surely if there be anything in association it should always ring strong and true for liberty. It was first sounded on the occasion of the opening of the World’s Congress of Religions, than which there could have been no better occasion for declaring the grandest liberty of all–liberty of thought. The bell is seven feet in height and weighs thirteen thousand pounds.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 23, 2025 -
Comments (1)
Category: Homages, Pastiches, Tributes and Borrowings, Monuments, North America, Nineteenth Century
Chicken Charlie
He can be seen starting about the 45-second mark in this short video.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 13, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, North America, Twentieth Century
The Outdoors Girl of Canada
The earliest reference I find is the one below, from 1955. The latest is from 1989. A respectable 40-year run. But too few pictures of the winners!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 02, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Nature, Day Camps, Away Camps, Outdoor Activities and Recreational Retreats, 1950s, 1980s, North America
Beaversprite
Dorothy Richards established a sanctuary for beavers in Little Falls, NY. Not so weird. Except that she also had several beavers at a time living in her home.Read her life story at the Internet Archive.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 12, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, North America, Twentieth Century
The Necco Garden
This entry courtesy of Sherry Mowbray.The creator's Wikipedia page.
Source of text and photos.
Another source reveals:
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 31, 2024 -
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Category: Art, Avant Garde, Candy, Reader Recommendation, 1980s, North America
An inglorious Columbus : or, Evidence that Hwui Shn and a party of Buddhist monks from Afghanistan discovered America in the fifth century, A.D
Why waste your red paint and enmity on statues of Columbus, when it was really the Chinese who discovered America?Read it here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 30, 2024 -
Comments (4)
Category: Explorers, Frontiersmen, and Conquerors, Fables, Myths, Urban Legends, Rumors, Water-Cooler Lore, Asia, North America, Nineteenth Century
The Role of Wine in the Great 1906 California Quake
Everyone knows the drama of the Great 1906 Quake that devastated San Francisco.. But since California is famous for its wine production, it was only natural that wine played a part. Here are two such incidents out of who knows how many.
And in nearby Santa Rosa.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 27, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Destruction, Regionalism, 1900s, North America, Alcohol
One Little Indian
One Little Indian, Grant Munro, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 08, 2024 -
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Category: Highways, Roads, Streets and Traffic, Magic and Illusions and Sleight of Hand, PSA’s, Stop-motion Animation, 1950s, North America, Native Americans, Circuses, Carnivals, and Other Traveling Shows
Miss Grey Cup
Read about this beauty queen title here, with lots more pictures.What's great though is the local titles of the individual beauty queens competing for the overall title. Nothing evokes femininity like "Winnipeg Blue Bomber" or "Calgary Stampeder."
CANADA - NOVEMBER 25: In training: Entrants in the Miss Grey Cup contest worked out at the Toronto Women's Club yesterday. Left to right are Miss B.C. Lion Debbie Kushner; Miss Calgary Stampeder Sherri Brooks; Miss Hamilton Tiger Cat Angie Balogh; Miss Montreal Concorde Lynda Mercier; Miss Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kim Walls; Miss Saskatchewan Roughrider Leslie McNaughton; Miss Toronto Argonaut Suzanne Housego and Miss Edmonton Eskimo Betty Jandewerth.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 18, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Odd Names, North America, Twentieth Century
Esquimalt Hockey Queen
For two or three years in the mid-Sixties, the little Canadian town of Esquimalt featured a Hockey Queen. I am surprised there is no national Canadian Hockey Queen.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 27, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Sports, North America
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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 |