March 21, 2007

World’s First Drive-in Movie Theater (Aug, 1933)

Filed under: Automotive, Origins, Toys and Games — @ 9:38 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1933
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Movie Theater Lets Cars Drive Right In

First of its kind in the world, an open-air movie theater exclusively for motorists has just been opened at Camden, N. J. Patrons drive in and park their cars in semicircular rows. Then, without leaving the vehicles, they enjoy talkies projected on a sixty-foot screen. Occupants of a car may chat or smoke without fear of disturbing others, since their car is for practical purposes a private theater box. A newly perfected system of directional sound projection make the talkies as plainly audible to the farthest as to the nearest of the 400 cars accommodated. Each row is inclined so that cars may use the rear part as an aisle without interrupting anyone’s view.

General Motors’ Rear-Engine Car (Apr, 1949)

Filed under: Automotive — @ 9:33 am
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1949
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General Motors’ Rear-Engine Car

By Bernard W. Crandell

WHENEVER the subject of rear-engine cars plays across the auto columns of the nation’s newspapers, a certain bunch of boys in Detroit snicker to themselves!

Rear-engine cars! Not for the American public, they say. And they ought to know. They’re the head stylists and engineers for General Motors Corporation. Why are they so convinced?

They know this rear-engine stuff isn’t new at all. In 1902, 18 out of the 23 automobiles in production had their engines placed aft. But then gradually the engineers were overcome with violent symptoms of front-engine fever. They wanted to put the motors up front! And they said they had good reasons for doing so.

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Electronic Hot Dog (Apr, 1946)

Filed under: Kitchen — @ 9:20 am
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1946
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Electronic Hot Dog is the latest wrinkle as the machine at the right demonstrates. A coin inserted, a button pushed and the frankfurter is cooked by radio waves and delivered to the customer. The electronic grill will also dish out grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers.

Elevator Garage Stores Auto Under Lawn Of Home (Feb, 1938)

Filed under: Automotive, Cool — @ 9:10 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1938
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Elevator Garage Stores Auto Under Lawn Of Home

LACKING room to build a garage at the side of his home and being forbidden by city ordinance to erect one in front or at the rear, a suburban Londoner solved his problem by installing an elevator garage under the front garden. The elevator is electrically driven and control switches within the house cause it to rise or lower within a few seconds. When in a fully lowered position, the elevator roof is flush with the ground.

Radio Gets Robot Sound Technician (Feb, 1936)

Filed under: Radio — @ 9:06 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1936
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Radio Gets Robot Sound Technician

A ROBOT sound effects technician for broadcasting studios has been perfected to eliminate more than 800 gadgets now required in the presentation of various programs.

The new device consists of two turntables for records and three automatic pick-up arms. Each record is divided into numerous channels, and each channel contains a special bit of sound, such as street noises, gurgling water, railroad trains, and the like.

In the event the program called for a street parade in a large city, one pick-up arm would be placed on a street noise channel, another on the marching feet channel, and the third would pick up martial music.

Do you Weigh More in Denver or New York? (Feb, 1932)

Filed under: Science — @ 9:01 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1932
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A quirky article that tries to explain gravity and relativity.

Do you Weigh More in Denver or New York?

by JAY EARLE MILLER

Maybe you think you weigh the same in Denver as you do in New York, but that’s because you don’t know your Einstein or your relativity. You really weigh more in New York, Why? Read this article and find out—we defy you to begin Mr. Miller’s story and lay it down without finishing it.

A FEW weeks ago a British Air Force cup racing plane, piloted by Lieut. G. H. Stainforth, took off from the waters of the Solent, that protected arm of the sea lying inside the Isle of Wight, and flashed eastward over a measured course at more than 415 miles an hour—just under 7 miles a minute.

The trim little racer weighed something more than two tons just before the start. Roaring down the eastward course all out, she weighed something less than that. Coming back, westbound, she weighed a bit more than before she took off.

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