Photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard, who was born in Normal, Illinois, in 1925 and died of cancer in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1972, worked his entire adult life as an optician, making lenses for glasses. Though he took and developed thousands of pictures, only a sampling of his work has been published. By vocation an optician, byContinue reading “Dolls and Masks: The Wildly Strange Family Album Photos of Ralph Eugene Meatyard”
Category Archives: strange and wtf
Vintage Photos of Baby Cages Hanging Outside London Apartment Windows in the 1930s
They were designed in a more innocent age and with the best of intentions. With this wire enclosure, parents didn’t need to leave the house to give their children a healthy dose of sunshine and fresh air. The only problem was that the cage was suspended precariously off the side of a building. According toContinue reading “Vintage Photos of Baby Cages Hanging Outside London Apartment Windows in the 1930s”
Bernard Philip Hopkins: The Most Hated Man Who Ever Lived
An honest tombstone, finally: “Liar – Thief – Cheat – Selfish – Unsharing – Unloving – Unkind – Disloyal – Dishonorable – Unfaithful”. Bernard Philip Hopkins was born on December 02, 1904 in Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Missouri, United States. He was the son of Peter Paul Hopkins (1865–1937) from Ireland and Cathrine Noger (1880–1943)Continue reading “Bernard Philip Hopkins: The Most Hated Man Who Ever Lived”
In 1896 Workers Attempted to Eradicate Moth Larvae From a Large Elm Tree in Malden, Massachusetts
Medford, being one of the oldest towns in the State, had many very large elms. This was also true of Malden. It was believed by some of the residents that it would be impossible to clear the moths from these trees except by the aid of a balloon. The largest tree in the infested regionContinue reading “In 1896 Workers Attempted to Eradicate Moth Larvae From a Large Elm Tree in Malden, Massachusetts”
Believe It or Not: Human Zoos Really Existed in the Past, And There Are Pictures to Prove It
Have you ever heard of a human zoo? A human zoo was a place (and yes, they really existed in the past) where people were kept for display, just like animals are kept in zoos. The displays often emphasized the cultural differences between Europeans of Western civilization and non-European peoples or with other Europeans whoContinue reading “Believe It or Not: Human Zoos Really Existed in the Past, And There Are Pictures to Prove It”
Annie Edson Taylor: The First Person to Survive Trip Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel in 1901
Annie Edson Taylor (1838-1921) was an American adventurer who, on her 63rd birthday, October 24, 1901, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Desiring to secure her later years financially, and avoid the poorhouse, she decided she would be the first person to ride over Niagara Falls inContinue reading “Annie Edson Taylor: The First Person to Survive Trip Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel in 1901”
Meet Ann Hodges, the Only Woman Who Ever Got Hit By a Meteorite Survived
Very few people in recorded history have the distinction of being on the receiving end of a meteorite. In fact, there’s only one person with proof: Anne Hodges, an Alabama woman struck by a football-sized rock from outer space.. and lived to tell the tale. You’d think only someone awfully fortunate could survive an ordealContinue reading “Meet Ann Hodges, the Only Woman Who Ever Got Hit By a Meteorite Survived”
18 Vintage Cast Photos From Tod Browning’s 1932 Cult Classic ‘Freaks’
Freaks has earned its place in history as one of the all-time great cult films, though it wasn’t always beloved. The film was reviled by both critics and audiences upon release in 1932. While it may have been seen as taboo at most had it been released within the past 10 or so years, itsContinue reading “18 Vintage Cast Photos From Tod Browning’s 1932 Cult Classic ‘Freaks’”
The Isolator: This Insane Anti-Distraction Helmet From 1925 Would Fit Into Any Modern Open Office
Maybe you blame your smartphone or your open office for the fact that you can’t concentrate at work. But distraction isn’t exactly a new problem: In the 1920s, Hugo Gernsback published a design for a creepy-looking helmet that blocks out sound and vision so someone can focus on their work. As a writer, editor andContinue reading “The Isolator: This Insane Anti-Distraction Helmet From 1925 Would Fit Into Any Modern Open Office”
10 Sad and Strange Facts About Victorian Post-Mortem Photography
The invention of the daguerreotype in 1839 made portraiture much more commonplace, as many of those who were unable to afford the commission of a painted portrait could afford to sit for a photography session. This cheaper and quicker method also provided the middle class with a means for memorializing dead loved ones. Post-mortem photographyContinue reading “10 Sad and Strange Facts About Victorian Post-Mortem Photography”
