1. A record of 1960s Lebanese life, long hidden from view
At the height of his popularity in the 60s and 70s, Studio Shehrazade, run by local man Hashem El Madani, would have up to 100 customers a day passing through in the upmarket Shehrazade building, in the port city of Saida.
Not only did Madani document 90% of the town’s inhabitants over five decades but there are some extraordinary portraits in his archive.
For young men, a studio photo was a chance to show off their muscles and goof around with props – cowboy outfits were popular – others wrestled in front of the camera.
Movies were a great source of inspiration for Madani’s sitters. This included acting out a kiss – but only men kissing men and women kissing women. “In a conservative society such as Saida, people were willing to play the kiss between two people of the same sex, but very rarely between a man and a woman,” Madani told Zaatari. He remembers that happening only once. “If you look at it today you think – is it gay culture? But in fact it is not,” says Zaatari. Social restrictions were different then. “If you wanted to kiss it had to be a same-sex kiss to be accepted.”
Article found on the BBC.
2. Makeup Automat, 1931
Instructions translation:
1. Adjust pointers to the correct color tones.
2. Insert a 10-pfennig piece in the top right.
3. Press your face into the opening.
4. Turn crank clockwise.
5. When the make-up is finished, the bell sounds.
6. Slowly pull your face back.
Found here.
3. The Mutter Museum’s collection of over 2000 objects removed from people’s throats, esophagi, and lungs by a single doctor
Found on the Mutter Museum (based in Philadelphia).
4. The society devoted to identifying and classifying occlupanids (bread clips), complete with an official taxonomy and morphology
Class Occlupanida (Occlu=to close, pan= bread) are placed under the Kingdom Microsynthera, of the Phylum Plasticae. Occlupanids share phylum Plasticae with “45” record holders, plastic juice caps, and other often ignored small plastic objects.
Found here.
5. Aerial Embroidery
Aerial fields of vision emerge from Victoria Rose Richards’ embroidered landscapes.
6. The “least known consequential” president
President James K. Polk is nicknamed by some historians “the least known consequential president.” He promised to serve just one term, and he achieved ALL of the agenda he set at the beginning of his term.
Found on Wikipedia.
7. A replica German village the American military built in the Utah desert
During WWII the American military built a replica German village in the Utah desert as a testing ground for the bombing of civilian targets. The village was authentic down to the smallest details, including authentic German heavy furnishings, clothes hanging in closets and children’s toys.
Found on Wikipedia.
8. Just a Victorian Home for sale with its own working railway (& other things)
The property near Central Illinois Regional Airport is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a restored 36-passenger MTC train and vintage 36-horse carousel operate out of two Morton commercial-grade buildings.
Listed for $4.5 million on Zillow.
9. The world’s first minivan? The Stout-Scarab, circa 1934
Found on the WSJ.
10. In medieval Europe, the Fashion Police were a very real thing indeed
They used to patrol the streets of Italy to moderate excessive spending and enforce strict ‘sumptuary’ laws, issuing on the spot fines for over extravagance. Male offenders outnumbered female by 2:1.
Italy wasn’t alone in having sumptuary laws – the obsession with legislating against costly clothes spread across Europe during the Middle Ages. “The purpose of the laws is a matter of some debate. Their wording suggests concern that luxury goods could damage the morals of those who consumed them. Fashion itself was seen as immoral: its transitory nature stoked an acquisitive lust for new goods.”
Read the article on The Medievalists.
11. Alphy’s Soda Pop Club, the 1980s disco for underage Hollywood actors where under-16 elites could dance all night
Alphy’s Soda Pop Club, the one and only disco designed for kids “in the industry,” enjoyed a Hollywood lifespan of three years, from 1986 to 1989. With a clientele aged 16 and under, the club guaranteed a dance floor full of the hottest teen stars as well as all the free soda you could drink. It was the ultimate teenage wonderland.
The flip side, however, was that the club was super-exclusive. If you were an everyday kid living in Hollywood, you knew about Alphy’s, but only those lucky enough to have an in could attend.
Found on Vice.
12. Egyptian night club photographyy calling cards
Egyptian night clubs in the 1960s-70s-80s often used to have their own in-house photographer. This photographer took photos of the guests, often in interaction with the performing artist of the night and at the end of the night the guest could buy a print of said image. Most of the places would have dedicated envelopes that would both hold these photos but also serve as an advertisement. Often these came with incredible designs.
Found on Habibi Funk.
13. Twin Peaks 12 Days of Christmas
Recorded by some cast members for the L.A.- based modern rock radio station KROQ-FM in December of 1990.
