North America
Happy Fourth of July!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 04, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Holidays, Sex Symbols, North America
Sunshine Shangrila
There's nothing better for declaring that your production is second-rate than choosing as host not starlet Arlene Dahl herself, but her almost anonymous body double.
This is a capsule of so much early 1960s stuff, including Tikis (Polynesia in Mexico?) at about the ten-minute mark. Some splendid bikini cheesecake as well.
In the end, the weirdest and saddest thing here is that once upon a time Mexico was seen as idyllic, rather than plagued by drugs and violence.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 07, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Sightseeing, 1960s, North America
Diving for Buttons
"Today, little remains of the industry but the occasional telltale sign spotted on the ground—shells laced with perfectly round holes—and millions of mother-of-pearl buttons saved in button jars across the country, cut from blouses and shirts from a time when nothing was wasted."
The whole story, in depth. (No pun intended.)
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 24, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Nature, Regionalism, 1950s, North America
Odd Place Names of Missouri
Original article here.
Tightwad, MO
Crybaby Holler, MO
Barely Do, MO
Old Dishrag, MO
Hell on the Line, MO
Not, MO
Rat, MO
Competition, MO
Koshkonong, MO
Peculiar, MO
Frankenstein, MO
Romance, MO
Braggadocio, MO
Yup, them's some odd names, allright.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 15, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Regionalism, Weird Names, North America
Camp Siegfried
I always wonder, when watching vintage movies from the 1930s and 1940s, about the preoccupation with Nazi spies and sympathizers in the USA. How justified were such fears? Pretty well justified, I guess, based on the video above, and this article.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 20, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Spies and Secret Agents, 1930s, 1940s, North America
The Angel of Hadley
I had long been aware of the WWI legend of The Angel of Mons, in which a piece of deliberate fiction was accepted as literal truth.
But I was unaware until recently that right in my own backyard, in nearby Hadley, Massachusetts, a similar bit of fiction-as-history existed, the Angel of Hadley, the account of how a mysterious elderly warrior saved settlers from the Indians.
Another good piece on the subject here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 29, 2014 -
Comments (1)
Category: Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Myths and Fairytales, Historical Figure, Europe, North America, Nineteenth Century, Seventeenth Century, Native Americans
If America Dies…
Not exactly a question I had ever previously thought to ask.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 02, 2014 -
Comments (8)
Category: Death, Nature, PSA’s, Advertising, 1970s, North America
Theodor de Bry
[Click to enlarge]
I love the almost-human arms and legs on this enormous alligator, which is being attacked, ostensibly, by Native Americans, as depicted by 16th-century artist Theodor de Bry.
"The verisimilitude of many of de Bry's illustrations is questionable; not least because he never crossed the Atlantic. "
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 14, 2014 -
Comments (10)
Category: Animals, Art, Europe, North America, Sixteenth Century
The Republic of Indian Stream
I love these charming bits of history that reveal a more eccentric America, where things were more fluid, creative and wild.
More info here and here.
And here's what the bustling center of the Republic and its citizens look like today.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 26, 2014 -
Comments (9)
Category: Politics, Regionalism, Curmudgeons and Contrarianism, North America, Nineteenth Century
Life in America: 1948
Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 22, 2014 -
Comments (7)
Category: Customs, 1940s, North America
| Who We Are |
|---|
| 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 |