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Finally... => General Discussion => Topic started by: freeformschooler on March 18, 2015, 03:30:57 pm

Title: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: freeformschooler on March 18, 2015, 03:30:57 pm

Most history education focuses on martial and political affairs: the exploits of kings, clashes between nations, civil unrest and uprisings. History also has a weird and wonderful side that is rarely mentioned except in folk tales: odd regional customs, funny but useful inventions, and bizarre domestic circumstances. You won't get any kind of worthwhile education from this thread, but if you have or find weird photos or illustrations about the past, this is the place for them.

I don't mind discussion on these pictures as the thread is likely to fall into a lull. Necro it if you have new material.

Pictures of your own family or region's weird history are especially appreciated!

To start, here are two of my favorite examples.

Spoiler: The Turnspit Dog (click to show/hide)

(http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/05/12/463895653_master-8d45c165deba8d27d304fb6cb7d819ccd39506e4.jpg)

Quote from: http://www.patrickchaplin.com/Turnspit.htm

Harper remarked that ‘the turnspit dog’, usually of the ‘Dachshund type’ was a familiar sight in the kitchen of any ‘considerable inn’ at that time. They would have been in great demand in the numerous coaching inns as coach after coach disgorged its hungry travellers. Harper described the poor animal and his employment as like ‘a caged mouse or squirrel with his recreation-wheel, revolved [in a kind of] treadwheel which, in this instance was connected with apparatus for turning the joints roasting at the fire and formed not so much recreation as extremely hard work.’

The turnspit dog breed - and breed makes a vast difference in the sort of work a dog is suitable for - is now extinct.

Spoiler: The Penny-farthing (click to show/hide)

(http://www.kansascyclist.com/img/news/Vintage-WichitaWheelmen.jpg)

What's so strange about this picture? Notice the make of the bicycles. The Penny Farthing was not, as you may have heard, the main precursor to modern bicycles: indeed, the "Dandy-horse" (http://www.studiolum.com/wang/games/dandyhorse/17k.jpg) was around long before. Increasing the size ratio of front to back wheels was an intentional adaption for the comfort of the rider.

(http://blog.krrb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tumblr_lv2uxhugTU1qzwdjso1_500.jpg)

Quote from: http://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/03/all-trends/penny-farthing-bicycle-and-the-history-of-the-bicycle

By 1870, the designs of the boneshakers began to change with the front wheel of the bicycle being made larger and larger in order to improve the comfort for the rider.  Originally known simply as bicycles or “high-wheels”, people began referring to them as “Penny Farthings” because of their resemblance of its wheel sizes to the largest and smallest English copper coins of the day.  The Penny Farthings were expensive too and thus riders were mostly wealthy young men.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Baffler on March 18, 2015, 08:04:17 pm

I don't think any such thread would be complete without these pinnacles of old-timey science:

Spoiler: Difference & Analytical Engines (click to show/hide)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Babbage_Difference_Engine.jpg/320px-Babbage_Difference_Engine.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine

Charles Babbage, an English engineer and inventor, designed this machine (about the size of a horse) that was essentially a device for tabulating functions using divided differences. He pitched it as a machine that could work out "astronomical and mathematical tables" to the Royal Astronomical Society, but the machine ended up costing too much and the government abandoned the project. The above is a fully functional replica constructed by the London Science Museum completed in 2001, the first complete model ever produced.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/AnalyticalMachine_Babbage_London.jpg/220px-AnalyticalMachine_Babbage_London.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_Engine

An improvement on the Difference Engine that Babbage designed drawing from experience gleaned from building the Difference Engine. the Analytical Engine is the first known example of a Turing complete general purpose computer, incorporated "an arithmetic logic unit, control flow in the form of conditional branching and loops, and integrated memory," with the plans finalized in 1837. Input would have been given in the form of punched cards, already a common component of industrial machinery at the time.

Unlike the above, this one has never been completed. Incomplete attempts have been made over the roughly 2 centuries the design has been kicking around, but none of them have got very far.

Also this thing:

Spoiler: The Tempest Prognosticator, AKA IRL Creature Logic (click to show/hide)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/Merryweather.jpg/220px-Merryweather.jpg)

The tempest prognosticator, also known as the leech barometer, is a 19th-century invention by George Merryweather in which leeches are used in a barometer. The twelve leeches are kept in small bottles inside the device; when they become agitated by an approaching storm they attempt to climb out of the bottles and trigger a small hammer which strikes a bell. The likelihood of a storm is indicated by the number of times the bell is struck.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on March 18, 2015, 09:24:16 pm

PTW

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Xantalos on March 18, 2015, 09:31:27 pm

Oh mah goodness

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: WealthyRadish on March 18, 2015, 09:32:46 pm

I actually keep a text file saved to desktop with about 400 lines of records of bizarre shit I've found in late night research binges, and this thread sounds like the perfect place to get more. Sadly no pictures though. PTW.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: LordBucket on March 19, 2015, 12:11:48 am

Can you say one-man open-air helicopter where you stand above the blades?

Spoiler: 1951 HZ-1 Aerocycle (click to show/hide)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/HZ-1_Aerocycle_flown_by_soldier.png)

Also, it worked. Mostly.

Later they improved on the concept.

Spoiler: 1957 Hiller Flying Platform (click to show/hide)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiller_VZ-1_Pawnee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiller_VZ-1_Pawnee)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/Hiller_VZ-1_Pawnee_%282%29.jpg/200px-Hiller_VZ-1_Pawnee_%282%29.jpg)

Video of it in operation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3FS3D1rCos)

Surprisingly smooth. And yet here we are 58 years later and I still don't have a jetpack.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on March 19, 2015, 12:32:15 am

Quote from: LordBucket on March 19, 2015, 12:11:48 am

And yet here we are 58 years later and I still don't have a jetpack.

The world needs another serious ground war to make tech like this viable.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: freeformschooler on March 19, 2015, 11:32:11 am

Quote from: LordBucket on March 19, 2015, 12:11:48 am

Can you say one-man open-air helicopter where you stand above the blades?

Spoiler: 1951 HZ-1 Aerocycle (click to show/hide)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/HZ-1_Aerocycle_flown_by_soldier.png)

Also, it worked. Mostly.

Amazingly, that looks almost exactly like today's quadcopters which are all the rage among RC hobbyists.

While on the topic of bizarre vehicles...

Spoiler: The Monowheel (click to show/hide)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/One_wheel_motorcycle_Goventosa.jpg/800px-One_wheel_motorcycle_Goventosa.jpg)

Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monowheel

Today, monowheels are generally built and used for fun and entertainment purposes, though from the 1860s through to the 1930s, they were proposed for use as serious transportation.

If only...

But really, would you want to ride in this? I would not! It looks outrageously deadly.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Urist Imiknorris on March 19, 2015, 11:51:49 am

Hey, it's that thing from Revenge of the Sith.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: GiglameshDespair on March 19, 2015, 04:16:23 pm

Quote from: LordBucket on March 19, 2015, 12:11:48 am

Can you say one-man open-air helicopter where you stand above the blades?

Spoiler: 1951 HZ-1 Aerocycle (click to show/hide)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/HZ-1_Aerocycle_flown_by_soldier.png)

Also, it worked. Mostly.

If that man fell he would be so, so dead.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: XXXXYYYY on March 19, 2015, 04:31:54 pm

ptw

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Levi on March 19, 2015, 04:39:29 pm

Quote from: GiglameshDespair on March 19, 2015, 04:16:23 pm

Quote from: LordBucket on March 19, 2015, 12:11:48 am

Can you say one-man open-air helicopter where you stand above the blades?

Spoiler: 1951 HZ-1 Aerocycle (click to show/hide)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lackner_HZ-1_Aerocycle)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/HZ-1_Aerocycle_flown_by_soldier.png)

Also, it worked. Mostly.

If that man fell he would be so, so dead.

If that man forgot to tie his shoelaces he would be so, so dead.   :P

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Itnetlolor on March 19, 2015, 06:30:11 pm

Spoiler: 1920's Pod Racing (Motorcycle Chariots) (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/nqgJnwX.jpg)

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: nenjin on March 19, 2015, 06:52:52 pm

The dominant theme here seems to be that all this stuff is dangerous as shit :P

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Redzephyr01 on March 19, 2015, 07:02:44 pm

Quote from: Itnetlolor on March 19, 2015, 06:30:11 pm

Spoiler: 1920's Pod Racing (Motorcycle Chariots) (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/nqgJnwX.jpg)

is that
is that a chariot being pulled by motorcycles instead of horses

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: GiglameshDespair on March 19, 2015, 07:04:40 pm

Quote from: Redzephyr01 on March 19, 2015, 07:02:44 pm

Quote from: Itnetlolor on March 19, 2015, 06:30:11 pm

Spoiler: 1920's Pod Racing (Motorcycle Chariots) (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/nqgJnwX.jpg)

is that
is that a chariot being pulled by motorcycles instead of horses

It is indeed.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on March 19, 2015, 07:05:20 pm

Quote from: GiglameshDespair on March 19, 2015, 07:04:40 pm

Quote from: Redzephyr01 on March 19, 2015, 07:02:44 pm

Quote from: Itnetlolor on March 19, 2015, 06:30:11 pm

Spoiler: 1920's Pod Racing (Motorcycle Chariots) (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/nqgJnwX.jpg)

is that
is that a chariot being pulled by motorcycles instead of horses

It is indeed.

And it's amazing.

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: TempAcc on March 19, 2015, 07:18:19 pm

Maurice "the angel" Tillet (populary known today as "the real Shrek") was a french pugilist who suffered from acromegaly, a disease that affects the pituary gland, causing his muscles and bones to thicken and grow till he ended up looking like a warhammer ogre. Ironically, he was nicknamed "angel" because of his behavior as a child, and his angelic face (the disease only kicked in when he turned 17). He was said to be an extremely intelligent and charismatic person, speaking multiple languages and was an aspiring actor.
This photo was taken during a shoot about his extremely successful wrestling carreer.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d5/ab/a0/d5aba0a047e6f411e9bb38ebf169dda1.jpg)

He must've been a pretty swell guy

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://lounge.obviousmag.org/um_gole_de_utopia/2012/06/15/shrek-7-maurice-tillet.jpg)
(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2437418/thumbs/o-MAURICE-TILLET-900.jpg?6)
(http://www.ilpost.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/maurice-tillet-shrek-8-680x539.jpg)

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: Zrk2 on March 19, 2015, 10:04:26 pm

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://theoldmotor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/TrainIV-444x600.jpg)

Context. (http://theoldmotor.com/?p=71014)

Title: Re: Weird History Picture Thread
Post by: TheKaspa on March 20, 2015, 02:49:37 am

This is not really weird... as a DF player, you should know that shit happens!