In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin. The choice was meant to signal Germany’s return to the world community after defeat in World War I. Then Hitler & the Nazis rose to power… Continue reading “Hitler’s Olympics, 1936”
Wish you were here? c.1909
Originally named the Kansas State Penitentiary when the facility was authorized by the Kansas Constitution in 1859.
Executions of state, federal, and military prisoners were performed by hanging at KSP until 1965.
A few notable residents:
- Emmett Dalton, of the Dalton Gang, was sentenced to life imprisonment after their Coffeyville, Kansas bank robbery attempt in 1892.
- Harvey Bailey, “The Dean of American Bank Robbers” & cohort of Machine Gun Kelly.
- Alvin Francis “Creepy Karpis” Karpowicz, met Fred Barker here and later formed the Barker-Karpis Gang (1931 to 1935).
Here there be Giants!
The Red Haired Giants of Lovelock Cave, Nevada
Giant mummy found in Lovelock cave (below). The Paiute tribe found in the Nevada region have an ancient legend of the Si-Te-Cah (or Tule-eaters), a race of red-haired cannibalistic giants. In 1886, a mining engineer named John T. Reid heard the tale and begane to investigate, however news traveled quickly that the cave was also full of bat guano, a key component for gunpowder and ladies cosmetics.
Captain America, the 1st Avenger
Has it already been 7 years?
Post Cards
A couple of scans of the backs of postcards, for use as props or whatever you fancy. Unknown dates, probably 1907-1917.
Postage Rates for stamped cards and postcards (in cents) 1873-1951
05/12/1873 – 1¢ (see Note Below)
11/02/1917 – 2¢
07/01/1919 – 1¢
04/15/1925 – 1¢ for stamped cards; 2¢ for postcards
07/01/1928 – 1¢
01/01/1952 – 2¢
Continue reading “Post Cards”
Armored Police Cycle, 1932
The Coronation Scot & Royal Blue, 1939
The Coronation Scot, in America for the New York World’s Fair, made several runs between Washington and Baltimore, where she awakened considerable interest. The Coronation Scot stops here on a bridge near Washington, alongside the famous American train Royal Blue, on March 27, 1939. (AP Photo)
Mystic Maze, Hotel Del Monte
The Hotel Del Monte was a large resort hotel in Monterey, California, from its opening in 1880 until 1942. It was one of the finest luxury hotels in North America.
The hotel itself is an imposing white building, with red tile roofing. it has a 120 ft.tall, Spanish style tower, a huge, 200 ft. dining room and there are hidden passageways that wind around the building’s old walls. Upstairs, as was the custom of upper crust hotels, there is a large ballroom.
Iron Whale, 1933
Iron Whale Swims Ocean Bottom Like Fish
Denizens in the ocean depths may soon find prowling among their haunts a huge iron monster swimming with fishlike motions and bearing a close resemblance to themselves. This strange monster is to be built from plans devised by Herr Schiff, a German engineer, who has already constructed a workable model for his astounding brainchild, which is shown in accompanying photos. The curious undersea craft is equipped with two fins and a tail which operate in the same manner as do these elements of a live fish. Intended chiefly for the exploration of the ocean bottom, the ship is said to be capable of maneuvering with all the flexibility of its fleshy prototype. Two electric eyes placed in the head for observation purposes make the resemblance to a sea serpent more complete. The craft was designed and constructed after an extensive study of the swimming motions of many types of fish, particularly the larger sharks and whales. (Illustration by Norman Saunders)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, 2004
