Completely Motionless

odditiesoflife:

The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 - Life on the Moon

On Tuesday, 25 August 1835, the New York Sun began publishing, in serial form, a long account of stunning astronomical breakthroughs by the famous British astronomer, Sir John Herschel. They were made “by means of a telescope of vast dimensions and an entirely new principle.” Herschel, the article declared, had discovered planets in other solar systems and had “solved or corrected nearly every leading problem of mathematical astronomy.” Then, almost as if it were an afterthought, the article revealed Herschel’s final, stunning achievement: he had discovered life on the moon!

But the newspaper article described more than just life, they discovered entire civilizations. The account told of fantastic animals, including bison, goats, unicorns, bipedal tail-less beavers, and bat-like winged humanoids who built temples. There were even trees, oceans and beaches.

Eventually, the authors announced that the observations had been terminated by the destruction of the telescope, by means of the sun causing the lens to act as a ‘burning glass’, setting fire to the observatory.

The article was an elaborate hoax. Herschel hadn’t observed life on the moon, nor had he accomplished any of the other astronomical breakthroughs credited to him in the article. In fact, Herschel wasn’t even aware until much later that such discoveries had been attributed to him. However, the announcement caused enormous excitement throughout America and Europe. To this day, the moon hoax is remembered as one of the most sensational media hoaxes of all time.

Authorship of the article has been attributed to Richard A. Locke, a Cambridge-educated reporter who was working for the New York Sun at the time. Locke never publicly admitted to being the author and the newspaper never issued a retraction.

(via scientificillustration)

theartofanimation:

Nargyle

(via etherelle)

Cape. 1912, French. 

House of Worth.

Source: Met Museum.

(Source: travellinganachronism, via overlordrae)

mikikoponczeck:

Useful refs by Vishstudio on Deviantart. :3

charlestonmuseum:

As exercise began to increase in popularity in the late 19^th century, women’s clothing emphasized freedom, movement and the ability to explore the world outside. Taking walks became fashionable, and women’s walking skirts shortened in length to accommodate movement. A woman’s walking suit might consist of a durable fabric like tweed or wool in two pieces – a bodice or jacket and a skirt – like the garment shown here. The illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson for Life Magazine in the 1890s epitomized this sporty woman. She became a symbol of emancipation and modern independence through her tailored and practical outfits.

Our tweed suit, c. 1895, follows this new fashion aesthetic. The bodice is ornamented with brown braid and has stylish, huge leg-of-mutton sleeves. The smooth, gored skirt was favored by this modern woman, making activity – both at work and at play – easier. This outfit has a blue silk lining which is unfortunately in very fragile condition. It was given to the Museum by Col. & Mrs. George B. Buell in 1980.

By 1893, the “hourglass” figure had taken shape. Ballooning sleeves and widening skirts helped to make an already tightly corseted waist seem even smaller. It was an era of exaggeration – everything was done in a big way, especially the sleeves. Voluminous sleeves, not seen at this level since the 1830s, actually increased to the point of absurdity by 1896. There was even a patent for a wire hoop in some of the most expansive. The skirt was gored rather than pleated or gathered to result in a smooth, snug fit at the hips. Sometimes, godets (additional pieces set in which were wider at the bottom than the top) were added for even more flare without waistline bulkiness. Skirts were usually unornamented, as is this one, and just brushed the floor or was a inch or two shorter.

Our suit is also pictured in this posting with a bicycle, 1895. This Model 102A Racycle Self Oiling bicycle, was patented Dec. 3, 1895 by the Miami Cycle Company, Middleton, Ohio. It was sold in Charleston by their agent, the Army Cycle Mfg. Co., at 22 Broad Street. It has a metal frame and wooden wheels (the tires are missing). It was given to the Museum by Mrs. John R. Cone in 1965.

Susan B. Anthony stated that “the bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world.” Gaining popularity since the 1860s, bicycling for women allowed greater freedom on many levels. While considered an excellent form of exercise for both men and women, women especially were now able to travel unchaperoned by bicycle as far as they chose. Many who were once confined to the home found new independence.

This suit is currently on exhibit in Seasonal Fashion: Autumn in Charleston.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

(via fuckyeahvictorians)

dredsina:

Sorry for making such a huge post! I was just concerned about some of the bigger pictures being viewable, so I didn’t want to make this a text post…

(via snoozlebee)

coffeecupsandraybans:

Tiffany & Co. Arms from the Robert M. Lee Collection. See more from the collection here.

Top Photo: Colt Single Action Army Tiffany & Co. Revolver, popularly known as a Third Generation Colt Single Action Army.

Bottom Photo:Smith & Wesson Presentation and Exhibition Frontier Tiffany & Co. Revolver, circa 1892-93.

(via mynameismad)