July 6, 2006

Modernistic Fireplace Opens to Reveal a Small Bar (May, 1939)

Filed under: House and Home — @ 9:01 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: May, 1939
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Modernistic Fireplace Opens to Reveal a Small Bar

FOR the small apartment or house where space is at a premium, a combination fireplace and bar may be constructed by anyone who can use a hammer and saw at a cost of approximately five dollars. The one illustrated was built from clear white pine 1″ thick. The hearth is made from a piece of pressed composition wood, and the same material is used as a back, which is then covered with an appropriate wall paper. The top door swings down to make a handy serving shelf. The decorations on the front are pieces of large dowels, cut in half and painted a contrasting color.—J. S. Bardwell.

Cameraman Wears His Darkroom (Nov, 1932)

Filed under: Just Weird, Photography — @ 7:55 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1932
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Wow. I think all instant photographers owe a great deal of gratitude to Edwin Land for helping save them from this fate.

Cameraman Wears His Darkroom

PITY the poor news cameraman. In other days he carried his camera slung over his shoulders, but now he must wear it.

This innovation in cameras, shown in the photo below, made its first appearance during a sports meet in Birmingham, England. The camera is a combination portable developing and printing room. In order to speed up the business of gathering news photographs for the papers, the cameraman not only takes his pictures, but immediately develops and prints them also on the spot, using the light weight outfit built into the large camera.

With the use of this camera, every function of photographing is performed on the field, so that the editor gets the picture along with the story.

July 5, 2006

Automatic Milk-Bottle Safe (Jun, 1932)

Filed under: DIY — @ 2:52 pm
Source: Science And Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1932
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Automatic Milk-Bottle Safe

By DONALD A. PRICE

THIS simply constructed milk bottle safe will obviate the pilfering of milk from the door or porch, by automatically locking itself when full bottles of milk are placed inside. In addition, it provides a shelter from the weather.
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Human Sunshine Tester Compares Two Brands (Jun, 1940)

Filed under: Impractical, Just Weird, Personal Appearance, Photography — @ 10:01 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1940
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Quick! Someone call Batman!

Human Sunshine Tester Compares Two Brands
Which has the better quality of sunshine, Florida or California? To settle this longstanding dispute, the gentleman at the left is exposing half of his epidermis to Florida’s sun, reserving the clothed half for a comparison test in California.

“Carryphone” Aids Trainmen (Apr, 1947)

Filed under: Radio — @ 9:58 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1947
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Wow! Look how portable and convenient it is!

“Carryphone” Aids Trainmen
Engineers and trainmen can keep in constant touch with their own crews or talk with the crews of other trains with the “Carry-phone,” a portable telephone announced by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The device uses railroad tracks or wires as its communication channels, but transmits and receives messages through the air by induction, using a large metal loop.

Stencil Is Used to Tan Name or Initials on Bathers’ Skin (Sep, 1929)

Filed under: Personal Appearance — @ 6:55 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1929
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Stencil Is Used to Tan Name or Initials on Bathers’ Skin

FAIR bathers may initial their skin this summer with a “paint” that only time will erase, if they so desire. Stencils, in which the name or initials of the owner are cut, are held or taped on the skin. The stencil is easily made from a piece of cardboard or similar material. The photos at right and below show Raquel Torres, M-G-M motion picture star, tanning her name on her skin.

July 4, 2006

How a Fireworks Magician Tames Dynamite (Aug, 1934)

Filed under: General, How to — @ 3:03 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1934
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How a Fireworks Magician Tames Dynamite

Flaming dynamite and exploding mortars are the chief tools of the fireworks expert. In this vivid, intimate story one of the aces of the fireworks army takes you behind the scenes to reveal, for the first time, the thrills and dangers of his roaring trade.

MILLIONS of Americans thrill yearly to the glittering wheels, flaming rockets and spectacular bombs of the giant fireworks displays; but the men who fire them are the men nobody knows—the world’s most mysterious showmen.
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Little Uncle Sams (Apr, 1918)

Filed under: Advertisements, General, Scary, Sign of the Times, War — @ 10:27 am
Source: National Geographic ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1918
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This scares me.

If You Have Not Already Enlisted in the Great Army of U. S. Savers, TODAY is the Best Time to Begin

What Your W. S. Stamps Do for Uncle Sam
A single Thrift Stamp (25 cents) will pay for a soldier’s identification tag, which may save him from an unknown grave. Two (50 cents) will buy a trench-digging tool which may save his life. One War Savings Stamp ($4.16) enables U. S. to buy a pair of shoes or a flannel shirt or a steel helmet which may save a soldier’s life. One War Savings Stamp ($4.16) will feed a soldier or sailor for a week or buy the gasoline for an hour’s flight of an airplane. Three stamps pay for an overcoat or a gas mask. One War Certificate filled with 20 stamps ($83.20) will feed the entire crew of one of our torpedo-boat destroyers on the day they catch a submarine.
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Fireworks Ads (Jun, 1940)

Filed under: Advertisements — @ 9:34 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1940
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Thought these might be nice for the fourth.

July 3, 2006

Bringing Primeval Monsters to Life for Chicago Fair (Jun, 1933)

Filed under: Cool, General, Sign of the Times — @ 7:13 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1933
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Behold! The most dreadful of Primeval Monsters, the Holstein Cow!

Bringing Primeval Monsters to Life for Chicago Fair

A remarkably life-like model of the saber tooth tiger, which ranged the primeval forests, is here seen nearing completion for display at the Chicago Century of Progress Fair, opening on the first of June.
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Huge Kettle Affords Tea Room Customers Hot Stimulant (Sep, 1929)

Filed under: Just Weird, Kitchen — @ 1:07 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1929
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Of course when it is full that thing would weigh 175lbs.

Huge Kettle Affords Tea Room Customers Hot Stimulant
THERE is an old saying that an Englishman can’t do without his tea. The manufacture of this huge kettle shown at left seems to bear this out, for it was made for the purpose of being able to brew large quantities of tea to accommodate the hundreds of persons who drop in a prominent tea room in London at any time of the day or night and demand a stimulant. A study in contrast is afforded in the photo in which a young woman is pouring tea from the immense kettle into an average sized tea pot. Ordinarily she would not be able to lift it so easily, but the kettle is nearly empty. It has a capacity of approximately 20 gallons and weighs 15 pounds.

Odd Shout-O-Phone Spans Border (Jun, 1940)

Filed under: Just Weird — @ 1:01 pm
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1940
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Odd Shout-O-Phone Spans Border

FRIENDS and relatives on opposite sides of the French-Swiss border must exchange greetings across a forbidden zone seventy feet wide, but that doesn’t matter to the well-equipped conversationalist shown at the left. He talks through a megaphone, and listens with ear trumpets like airplane detectors, while his binoculars complete the illusion of nearness.

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