November 18, 2005

Kerosene Radio (Jun, 1956)

“Hold on ma, let me go light the radio!”

Made in Moscow for use in rural areas, this all-wave radio is reportedly powered by the kerosene lamp hanging above it. A group of thermocouples is heated internally to 570 degrees by the flame. Fins cool the outside to about 90 degrees. The temperature differential generates enough current to operate the low-drain reciever. Regular listeners may want fur lined union suits, though: it works best in a room with open windows.

Camera Tests Eye Appeal of New Packaging Designs (Jun, 1956)

Filed under: Scary — @ 3:53 pm
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1956
Buy on Ebay

Am I the only one who thinks this looks like something out of A Clockwork Orange?

Taking a cue from photographers who used to clamp your head in a vise to keep it still, modern package designers made this harness to help them test the eye appeal of new packages. A camera (left foreground) is focused on the subject’s eyes to record their movements and thus rate her interest in packages on the shelves within her view. It’s a research project conducted by the Folding Paper Box Association.

November 16, 2005

“Glamour Bonnet” Provides Vacuum to Aid Complexion (Mar, 1941)

Wow, that sure is glamorous.
Actually, I’m not quite sure how that works. The mask doesn’t look like it’s rigid, so shouldn’t it just shrink-wrap her head?

“Glamour Bonnet” Provides Vacuum to Aid Complexion
Some persons believe a mud pack is the answer to the search for a beautiful complexion, others think massage will do the trick, but Mrs. D. M. Ackerman, of Hollywood, Calif., has decided that reduced air pressure is a good treatment. So she has devised a “glamour bonnet” like a diver’s helmet with which the atmospheric pressure around the beauty seeker’s head can be lowered. The effect is similar to what a person feels who climbs a high mountain or flies high in a plane, and Mrs. Ackerman claims that the reduced pressure stimulates blood circulation and thus aids the complexion to attain its natural beauty. A window has been installed so the customers can read during treatments.

Where’s the man who doesn’t THRILL to railroading? (Mar, 1939)

I know I do.

Turn your kitchen mixer into a power tool (Mar, 1950)

Is it a mixer? a buffer? a sander? No, it’s TOOLZON and it’s all of the above!

Nonskid roll grips wandering weenie (Mar, 1939)

“AT LAST America has it – the nonskid roll for hot dogs! A clever inventor has devised the metal mold shown at left to turn out rolls imprinted with a series of ridges. They take a masterful grip upon the delectable but elusive weenie and prevent it from slipping from it’s rightful place to fall to the floor or one’s lap.”

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