As lovers of all things “Quack Medicine” we never tire of stories about unabashed quacks in medical history. One of our favorites would have to be the tale about a fellow named John R Brinkley, aka the “Gland Doctor” (1885-1942). History has it that Brinkley performed hundreds if not thousands of surgeries on men who […]
A WWII battlefield complete with the remains of Japanese soldiers was found in the jungles of Papua New Guinea in 2010. Former army captain Brian Freeman found the battlefield about a half mile from the village of Eora Creek, which was believed to be the location of the last major battle in the region between […]
Franz Reichelt, a French tailor, was obsessed with his idea of creating a wearable parachute suit for aviators who might be in danger. He called himself The Flying Tailor, and arranged to have a test run for his invention atop the Eiffel Tower on Feb. 4, 1912, promising to use a dummy. It turns out […]
The custom of burying infant children in the foundations of new buildings – a sacrifice to “ground” the building and assuage the gods of earthquakes, floods, and other misfortunes – was well established in ancient and even medieval times. However, nowadays we run into this extraordinary legend about the nineteenth-century Chinese and Russian railway. According […]
This headstone is also located at the Recoleta Cemetery in Argentina. What’s unusual about it? Well, a man sitting on his sofa looking seriously at the horizon while a woman is seated in another one, at his back, but they are looking in opposite directions. They are placed like that because he died first, so […]
A treasure trove of stolen Nazi art worth billions and believed to be lost forever was discovered behind tins of rotted food in an apartment in Munich. Some 1500 works by master painters such as Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, and Chagall were said to have been lost in the bombing of Dresden in 1945. The paintings […]
When Jonathan Reed’s wife, Mary, died in 1893, the widower didn’t want to leave her side. In fact, he was so devoted he moved in to her tomb, where he lived (with a parrot) for over 10 years. From Evergreen Cemetery’s website: Reed had his Mary’s casket transferred to the vault, where he installed an […]
Types of Vintage Cameras For Beginners Here is a brief description of eight types of vintage cameras that is needed for any beginner’s collection. For each camera described one manufacturer is suggested to help you in your search for these vintage beauties. 1. Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras A single – lens reflex camera employs […]
The world’s oldest known mattress unearthed in South Africa. The mattress—which consists of layers of reeds and rushes—was discovered at the bottom of a pile of bedding made from compacted grasses and leafy plants. The bedding had accumulated at the Sibudu Cave site in KwaZulu-Natal over a period of 39,000 years, with the oldest mats […]
Now that people are realizing who, what and where we are (30 Hatt Street)… we are loving the attention! (especially Mark) Thanks for the love and support. Remember, we not only sell rare and often strange or creepy antiques, but we also BUY!! So email us pictures of your goods and if it fits, we […]
