Twentieth Century
Unauthorized Dwellings 5
Keeping one's lover in the attic, hidden from the resident husband, has to require some chutzpah.
Full story here.
Dolly Oesterreich, 33 at the time, first became friendly with 17-year-old Otto Sanhuber (Jul 16, 1888 - ?)around 1913 and described him as her "vagabond half-brother." The two quickly became lovers and met clandestinely at Sanhuber's boarding room or at a nearby hotel. They also arranged trysts at Dolly's home but, when neighbors began noting Otto's increasingly frequent comings and goings and alerted her husband, Dolly suggested to Otto that he quit his job and secretly move into the Oesterreichs' upstairs attic to allay any further suspicions. He readily agreed to the arrangement. Not only would this put him in closer proximity to his lover but it would also give him time to pursue his dream of writing pulp fiction stories. Sanhuber would later describe himself as Dolly's "sex slave".
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 30, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Unauthorized Dwellings, Death, Sexuality, Twentieth Century
Procession of the Holy Carpet
A vanished, rather homely and charming rite of the Islamic religion.
Full essay here.
At the beginning of the century, there were several types of popular ceremonies in Egypt that have disappeared or faded with time. One such ceremony is the procession of “El Mahmal” or “The Holy Carpet.”
The yearly celebration involved the Egyptian government manufacturing a new cover for the Holy Kaaba and offering it to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After the cover is prepared in the factory, a large ceremony takes place in Cairo, where a parade organised by the Egyptian army tours the different districts of the city.
The parade included a caravan of decorated camels carrying the Holy Carpet, as well as many other gifts. After the caravan ends its tour in Cairo, it starts its long trip, guarded by the Egyptian army, across the eastern desert, then on to the Suez Canal and Sinai till it reaches Palestine.
From Palestine, it goes directly to Saudi Arabia, crossing its northern borders to the heart of Hijaz, then to Mecca. Normally it reached Mecca before the pilgrimage season, where another ceremony takes place that ends with the covering of the Kaaba with the Holy Carpet.
Posted By: Paul - Sun May 06, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Religion, Interior Decorating, Middle East, Twentieth Century
RIP Luiz Gasparetto
Gasparetto was a medium who claimed that the spirits of famous artists created new works by employing him as a channel. Above is a little trifle that Degas dictated.
Here he is in action.
More on the man here.
His obit, in Portuguese.
Posted By: Paul - Sat May 05, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, New Age, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
Vogue Picture Records
For a brief time, one company produced records with illustrations imprinted into the vinyl.Visit this site for a big archive of charming, sometimes bizarre artwork.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 02, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Art, Music, Twentieth Century
Hair Dressing with Quinine
Source.
Source.
Eau de Quinine compound hair tonic was introduced in the 1850s by Ed. Pinaud’s (Edouard Pinaud), a Paris parfumerie. Advertisements indicate that the product was sold into the 1960s. Quinine is a toxic alkaloid derived from the cinchona tree. When heavily diluted, it was used in hair products, specifically as a treatment for hair loss. Pinaud’s was advertised as the favorite hair dressing of "Cultured Women" and the only tonic "used by the crowned heads of Europe." It was an "indispensable preparation for the refined toilet" with a "delicate fragrance that overpowers the unpleasant effects of excessive oiliness on the scalp. Pinaud’s product was imported to the United States from France and many barbers apparently tried to pass off domestic preparations as genuine Eau de Quinine. In the mid-1920s, Pinaud filed an injunction against companies making the counterfeit product.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 27, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil, Hair Styling, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century
The Rickshaw: Invented and Made in USA
Source of quote.
Source of photo.
More on James Birch.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 20, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Transportation, Asia, North America, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century
Raus the Maus
Surely of interest to WU-vies.Learn more here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 15, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism, War, Cartoons, Europe, Twentieth Century
Cigar Girl
From a travel article: "Stopping in front of King Corona Cigars & Café, I’m quickly reminded that Ybor City was once the “Cigar Capital of the World.” Factories within just a few miles of where I’m standing produced 700 million cigars a year, and all of those cigars were hand-rolled in the Cuban tradition. "
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 26, 2018 -
Comments (5)
Category: Regionalism, Tobacco and Smoking, Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, Twentieth Century
Mystery Gadget 57
What's it do?
Answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 21, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Technology, Twentieth Century
8 Dance Crazes
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 29, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Fads, Dance, 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 |