A Smattering of Curiosities

(Above) July 28, 1925. Washington, D.C. “Undelivered Mail of World War I Soldiers (crucifix in bottle).” National Photo Company glass negative.

Repeat after me:
“I will not stare at the thing above his eye. I will not stare at the thing above his eye. I will not stare at the thing above his eye.”
Click for MUCH larger view.

(Above) 1930. “The hen with the mechanical internal organs surprised visitors at the World’s Poultry Congress in London by giving a brief lecture on how she utilized her food to make eggs. Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.” Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. Click for larger view.

(Above) Circa 1920. “Agriculture Department.” Cow jumps over moon: astrophysically impossible? Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. Click for larger image.

1917. “J. Reynolds, performing acrobatic and balancing acts on high cornice above 9th Street N.W.” National Photo Company Collection glass negative.
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(Above) “Amplifiers at Bolling Field, 1921.” Two giant horns with ear tubes, evidently designed to listen for approaching aircraft. National Photo Co.

This is so great, it could be right out of Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison’s “Architect’s Brother” series— except this is real!
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(Above) New York circa 1908. “Making a plaster death mask.” 8 x 10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress. Click for larger view.

(Above) September 1939. “Paul Bunyan monument at Bemidji, Minnesota.” 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon, Farm Security Administration.
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(Above) “See what Prince will do for me.” Prince Albert, Ida Cuthbertson’s “famous educated horse.” Brown Studio, Riverside, circa 1909. Click for larger image.

Strange enough to be mistaken for a Joel-Peter Witkin photograph.

(Above) A world’s record 384-pound black sea bass caught by Franklin Schenck of Brooklyn with rod and reel off Catalina Island, California, on August 17, 1900.
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ALL OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE REAL, FROM VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES. The only one I have a slight problem with is the 384 lb. black sea bass photo above, but I am inclined to believe it. It’s a strange world we live in. Very strange, indeed.

All images from Shorpy.