Regionalism
The World’s Most Unusual Drugstore
See their complete 1942 ad here.
"Stack it high and sell it cheap" was Doc Webb's motto. Over the years, he built his empire from a small drug store at Ninth Street and Second Avenue, opened in 1925, to a sprawling bazaar of 77 stores, covering seven city blocks. Webb was as much a national legend as his stores. The unorthodox, merchandising medicine man always had a gimmick to lure thousands of customers through the doors. At ten cents a dance, no wonder the Dancing Chicken generated excitement at Webb's City in this 1975 photo. He sold dollar bills for 89 cents and bought them back the next day for $1.35. He offered three-cent breakfasts, brought in animals that performed at the drop of a coin and mermaids who "talked." He made other merchants mad because he sold his wares below the suppliers' suggested prices.
Article source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 20, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Freebies, Come-ons and Loss Leaders, Eccentrics, Regionalism, Twentieth Century
Culver City Fiesta La Ballona Queen
Fiesta Queen finalists -- These ten girls are finalists in the Culver City Fiesta La Ballona queen contest to select five girls to reign over the community celebration Aug. 3-5. They will appear at Veterans Memorial Auditorium Friday night. July 14, when judges will pick the five finalists. From left they are Sally Adler of Westchester; Merry Allison of West Los Angeles; Marie Bailey of Culver City; Sandra Bettin of Santa Monica; Sally Jane Hutchison of Culver City; Mickey Jines of Venice; Doris Turner of Westchester; Barbara McMillan of Westchester; Connie Sue Moore of Culver City; Darlene Bevington of Culver City".
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 14, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1960s
World Black Pudding Throw Championship
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 08, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Eccentrics, Food, Regionalism, United Kingdom
Stoney Burke
Jack Lord AND Bruce Dern AND Warren Oates? How did this show not succeed?
Posted By: Paul - Thu May 02, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Regionalism, Television, 1960s
Miss Los Angeles Teenager of the Year 1960
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 25, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Regionalism, Teenagers, 1950s
Lodi Grape Festival Queen
Here is the first holder of the honor.
Read article here.
The festival continues to this day, but I find no reference to a queen.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 12, 2019 -
Comments (5)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Food, Regionalism, 1930s, Alcohol
Wisconsin Queens
A bevy of contest winners from Wisconsin, including "Miss Wisconsin Rural Electrification."
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 05, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Regionalism, 1950s, 1960s
The Hero Thrill Show Queens
"Hero Scholarship Thrill Show Queen competitors [1969] Carolyn McNish and JoAnne Bream are crowned by Police Captain Philip Baumgardner, Fairmount Park Lt. Joseph Salamone and Deputy Fire Chief Frank Bowen."
"Northeast Regional finalists for Thrill Show queen [1974] are Denise Needham, nominated by the police department, and Sandra Hartman nominated by the fire department. Standing are John Craig, chief police inspector, and Martin Preite, deputy fire chief."
What is the "Hero Thrill Show?" Their Wikipedia page has the answer.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 31, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Law, Regionalism, 1960s, 1970s
How We Do Things in Kansas
I love this genre of postcards that feature oversized common things like fish and various crops. This is one I had not seen before.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 19, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture, Enlargements, Miniatures, and Other Matters of Scale, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Horticulture and Gardens, Humor, Regionalism, Surrealism, Twentieth Century, Postal Services
The Lobster Waitresses of Hackney’s
Short entertaining history of Hackney's here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 09, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Culture and Civilization, Food, Forgotten Figures and Where Are They Now?, Regionalism, Twentieth Century
| 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 |