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Objects Of Intrigue

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objects of intrigue

The Victorian Tool for Everything From Hernias to Sex—a Vibrating Electric Belt

How a medical invention abused the electrotherapy fad.
Lauren Young July 12, 2016
objects of intrigue

The Man-Made Gut Stones Once Used to Thwart Assassination Attempts

Gilded Goa Stones couldn't cure poison, but they sure were beautiful.
Eric Grundhauser July 5, 2016
objects of intrigue

Who Needs a Weather App When You Can Get This Weather Stick?

Swap your Apple phone for an actual branch.
Tao Tao Holmes June 28, 2016
objects of intrigue

'No One’s Got A Crush On Peter' and More from the Forgotten Spider-Man Rock Opera

It was 1975 and the world needed a superhero's prog-rock anthems.
Eric Grundhauser June 21, 2016
objects of intrigue

The Secret Messages Hiding Inside 17th Century Engagement Rings

They make the modern diamond ring look rather boring.
Ella Morton June 14, 2016
cults

These Eerie Bronze Hands Were Tokens of a Mysterious Ancient Cult

The Hand of Sabazius is one of the last artifacts of this lost religion.
Lauren Young June 7, 2016
Paperclip replica in Kipling
Kipling, Saskatchewan

Paperclip Cottage Cafe

A cozy cafe tells the remarkable story of how one man started with a little red paperclip and wound up with an entire house.
objects of intrigue

In the 16th Century, the Best Office Decor was a Tiny Rotting Corpse

Miniature memento moris were all the rage for around 300 years.
Ella Morton May 31, 2016
objects of intrigue

How One Man's Desire to Flaunt His Wealth Became a Book of Psalms

It provides a searing glimpse of the toils of medieval laborers.
Urvija Banerji May 24, 2016
A step-by-step guide to floraphoning your tree.
objects of intrigue

The WWI Plan To Turn America's Trees Into Telephones

George O. Squier's Floraphone was set to transform the country's forests into communication hubs—until it didn't.
Cara Giaimo May 17, 2016
objects of intrigue

The World's Most Romantic Socks Are Knitted on an Active Volcano

For a unique gift, order a pair from the island of Tristan da Cunha.
Ella Morton May 10, 2016
objects of intrigue

A Mother's Day Gift Idea from Imperial Russia

It starts with a hand-painted enamel egg.
Ella Morton May 3, 2016
objects of intrigue

Here Are the Medals Given to Eugenically Healthy Humans in the 1920s

People were judged alongside livestock at state fairs.
Ella Morton April 26, 2016
objects of intrigue

Why Modern Meteorologists Use a 19th-Century Crystal Ball

The answer is as simple as sunshine.
Ella Morton April 19, 2016
objects of intrigue

Witch Hunting for Dummies: The 15th-Century Witchcraft Manual

Cornell's witchcraft collection has an original copy of the Malleus Maleficarum, an early witch-hunting handbook.
Sarah Laskow April 12, 2016
Hail cannon in Banska Stiavnica (Slovakia) Old Castle. Probably designed by Julius Sokol
objects of intrigue

Hail Cannons, the Devices That Supposedly Blast Away Bad Weather

They're startlingly loud and scientifically unproven.
Tao Tao Holmes March 29, 2016
A few Optibees in action. (Photo courtesy Optibee)
objects of intrigue

Optibee, and Other Buzzworthy Apps For Monitoring Your Beehive

After a century of just droning along, beekeeping is going high-tech.
Cara Giaimo March 22, 2016
objects of intrigue

Object of Intrigue: Disneyland's Flirty, Talking Trash Can

An animatronic trash can named PUSH eventually got the shove.
Tao Tao Holmes March 15, 2016