“The danger of an accident is always present in my mind, though I am never afraid.” – Camille du Gast, Motor Monthly, Dec. 1903. Camille du Gast (1868–1942) became the first woman to race consistently at international level in 1904. After witnessing the start of the Paris-Lyon road race, the following year she was satContinue reading “Camille du Gast, the First Woman to Race Consistently at International Level”
Tag Archives: event & history
“Blown Away Guy”: The Most Iconic Music Image of All Time
Maxell cassette tape in 1980 created the all-time iconic music image that will last far into the future, the “Blown Away Guy.” In the 1980s, Maxell became an icon of pop culture when it produced advertisements popularly known as “Blown Away Guy” for its line of audio cassettes. The campaign began as a two-page advertisingContinue reading ““Blown Away Guy”: The Most Iconic Music Image of All Time”
1923 Christie Monowheel, the Mother of All Monowheels
The product of the fertile imagination of a Professor E. J. Christie of Marion, Ohio, this gyroscopic unicycle was supposedly capable of speeds of up to 400 miles per hour, although at the time of an article from the April, 1923 issue of Popular Science, it had yet to be tested. To be fair, theContinue reading “1923 Christie Monowheel, the Mother of All Monowheels”
Scalped in 1867 by Cheyenne in Nebraska, Here’s the Story Behind William Thompson’s Scalp
Scalping is often depicted in old-timey cowboy-and-Indian movies with lots of quavering music and dramatic pauses. But then you see the real scalp under a bell jar and it isn’t so melodramatic anymore. William Thompson’s scalp, archived at the Main Library in Omaha, Nebraska, looks more like some sort of rodent than an impactful partContinue reading “Scalped in 1867 by Cheyenne in Nebraska, Here’s the Story Behind William Thompson’s Scalp”
A Look Back at Audrey Hepburn and Her Oscar Win in 1954
Audrey Hepburn had her first starring role in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953), also her first American film. The film was a box-office success and brought Hepburn to stardom. Her critical acclaim portrayal of the European princess won Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in aContinue reading “A Look Back at Audrey Hepburn and Her Oscar Win in 1954”
April 15, 1964: Gail Wise Was the First Person to Buy a Ford Mustang
On April 15, 1964, two days before the Ford Mustang was officially supposed to go on sale, one mistakenly left the dealership. The lucky new owner, the first person to buy a Mustang was Gail Wise, a 22 year old school teacher from Chicago. Her parents let her the money after she landed her newContinue reading “April 15, 1964: Gail Wise Was the First Person to Buy a Ford Mustang”
In the 1920s, People Thought Radioactive Water Was Good for the Health
Back in the 1920s, people thought that drinking radium, and thorium, infused water was healthy. One of the more famous varieties of this water was sold under the brand name Radithor. It was eventually famously implicated in the illness and subsequent death of an industrialist named Eben Byers, which was accompanied by the headline ofContinue reading “In the 1920s, People Thought Radioactive Water Was Good for the Health”
Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920
A mug shot is a photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is arrested. The original purpose of the mug shot was to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of an arrested individual to allow for identification by victims, the public and investigators. After the defeatContinue reading “Mug Shots of Criminals in Calgary, 1920”
Mechanical Hands With Remote Control: GE Master-Slave Manipulator by John Payne, 1948
The village blacksmith of Longfellow may have had “muscles like iron bands,” but scientist John Payne of General Electric has done him one better; he has arms and hands made of steel, and what’s more, he can operate his from the next room. Designed for use by re-mote control in radioactive areas, a pair ofContinue reading “Mechanical Hands With Remote Control: GE Master-Slave Manipulator by John Payne, 1948”
The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852
Considered to be the first photograph of a woman smoking, this is Lola Montez’s portrait by Southworth & Hawes. A savvy self-promoter, Lola Montez is the first woman ever to be photographed smoking. She made sure the cigarette is the focus of the picture. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) This is Lola’s third and most provocativeContinue reading “The First Photograph of a Woman Smoking: Lola Montez 1852”
