1. Hundreds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Designs Were Never Built. Here’s What They Might Have Looked Like
So far, David Romero has digitally reconstructed over 20 of the famous architect’s unrealized projects.
Full article found on The Smithsonian.
2. A countryside village frozen-in-time surrounded by massive tower blocks buildings in Berlin
It includes a functioning windmill & an animal farm. All within city limits.
It’s basically a typical German village that got caught up by rapid urban development during GDR times in the 70-80-90s. East-German authorities built on open land surrounding that village, and by 1990, the village of Alt-Marzahn was in the middle of the biggest towerblock-based urban project in Germany to date! So nowadays, you can visit a place with a cute church, small streets, a real wooden windmill & an animal farm, right next to giant towers blocks. The contrast is pretty striking in person. It becomes immediately obvious on GoogleEarth. Here’s a short video about how/why it all happened.
Found on Reddit.
3. A castle-shaped 1930s-era portable metal diner, FREE if moved
Years ago it was home to a Wichita burger stand on East Douglas but has been hidden on a rural property in Butler County for decades could find new life if moved. This building was constructed by Ablah Hotel Supply sometime between 1934-1935. Ablah was based out of Wichita, KS; they built these pre-fab diners in the late ’20s through mid to late 1930s. With the help of a few historical diner experts, it was determined that the building was most likely either the former Little Palace Lunch No. 1 from 3037 E. Douglas or the Continental Grill No. 2 from 3012 E. Douglas. This is the only definite Ablah Hotel Supply castle-shaped diner survivor and is in remarkable shape. It’s an important building both from an architectural and a roadside Americana standpoint.
Currently located in Douglass, KS, if you’re interested in acquiring, moving, and restoring this building, find the contact information on Cheap Old Houses.
4. Bell Telephone Launched a Mobile Phone During the 1940s
5. An Exploration of the Cake Aesthetic
Discover what Amy can do with cake.
6. Navigation signs in Thessaloniki (Greece) show how much calories you burn if you would walk the distance
Found on Reddit.
7. Bizarre ‘whirlpool’ appears in night sky above Hawaii
8. .Victor Dubreuil’s Cryptic Currencies
After supposedly stealing 500,000 francs from his bank, the mysterious Victor Dubreuil (b. 1842) turned up penniless in the United States and began to paint dazzling trompe l’oeil images of dollar bills. Once associated with counterfeiting and subject to seizures by the Treasury Department, these artworks are evaluated anew by Dorinda Evans, who considers Dubreuil’s unique anti-capitalist visions among the most daring and socially critical of his time.
Full article found on The Public Domain Review.
9. The Hunt for Nazi-Buried Treasure in a Dutch Village thanks to an 80 year old map released to the public
This newly released map is said to indicate the location of a treasure stash looted from the Arnhem bank vault by German soldiers in 1944. According to contemporary accounts by a German parachutist who served in Velp near Arnhem, the treasure contains jewellery, watches, and gems, buried in four zinc ammo boxes.
Full story found on the New York Times.
10. The largest car theft in history
In the 1970s, North Korea ordered 1,000 Volvo cars from Sweden, as a response to its emerging economy. The cars were shipped & delivered but North Korea just didn’t bother paying & ignored the invoice. To this day, the bill remains unpaid, making it the largest car theft in history.
Read the full story on Gizmodo.
11. How crash tests were conducted in the 1930s
12. Performer list from Woodstock, along with performance dates and fees
A few clarifications: Jimi got $50,000 and according to this, The Who got $6,250.
Source: Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music (2019) by Michael Lang, a book with lots of amazing photos and info like this.
Found on Reddit.
