Reasons for admission into the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia from 1864 to 1889 included laziness, egotism, disappointed love, female disease, mental excitement, cold, snuff, greediness, imaginary female trouble, “gathering in the head,” exposure and quackery, jealousy, religion, asthma, masturbation, and bad habits. Spouses used lunacy laws to rid themselves of their partners andContinue reading “125 Reasons You Could End Up in a Lunatic Asylum in the 19th Century”
Category Archives: strange and wtf
A Street Vendor Selling Mummies in Egypt, 1875
Egyptian street vendors have been catering to the whims of tourists since forever, apparently: Selling ancient mummies to wealthy European and American tourists as “tourist souvenirs” was apparently commonplace in Egypt around the nineteenth century. Mummies were readily available from street vendors — such as the one pictured below from 1865 — for tourists toContinue reading “A Street Vendor Selling Mummies in Egypt, 1875”
18 U.S Presidents Who Were Really Strange People
Throughout American’s history, many of the men who ultimately served as president of the United States have had some pretty head-scratching facts attached to their biography. Here now are the very strangest: Abraham Lincoln: Booze Slinger Long before Abraham Lincoln became president or hunted any vampires, he briefly paid the bills by running a combinationContinue reading “18 U.S Presidents Who Were Really Strange People”
Major General Horatio Gordon Robley With His Collection of Tattooed Maori Heads, 1895
Horatio Gordon Robley (1840-1930) was a British army officer and artist who served in New Zealand during the New Zealand land wars in the 1860s. He was interested in ethnology and fascinated by the art of tattooing as well as being a talented illustrator. He wrote two books relating to his time in New Zealand,Continue reading “Major General Horatio Gordon Robley With His Collection of Tattooed Maori Heads, 1895”
Vintage Photos of Men Shaving Their Faces With Axes From the 1930s and 1940s
Believe it or not, there is photographic evidence of men, some who were lumberjacks or loggers, who shaved their own faces, and the faces of others, with an ax. There were a couple of notable manly men who were known for performing the feat in front of crowds such as Paul Criss whose moniker wasContinue reading “Vintage Photos of Men Shaving Their Faces With Axes From the 1930s and 1940s”
39 Vintage Photographs of People Dressed in Weird Costumes
There are many ways to express ourselves, and these people wore some weird costumes to make more impressive.
27 Strange Vintage Photos From The Annals Of New York City History
15 Unusual and Bizarre Beauty Devices From Between the 1920s and 1940s
These vintage pictures below describe how terrible beauty care procedures looked like in the 1920s and 1940s. Women now must be happy they don’t have to spend many hours sitting under strange devices or put weird things on their faces.
