Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 150
April 15, 2021
How Seven Victorian Sisters Made Millions With Their Long Hair
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In the late 1800s, seven sisters from upstate New York wowed crowds with their long locks, touring the world at dime museums, P.T. Barnum’s circus sideshows, and even world’s fairs.
The Sutherland sisters—Sarah, Victoria, Isabella, Grace, Naomi, Dora, and Mary—came from humble beginnings, growing up on their family’s turkey farm, where their mother concocted a smelly lotion to make their hair grow… and grow it did. The long-haired ladies happened to share 37 ft (11.3 m) of hair between them—a length exaggerated later in their career when they were billed as the “7 Wonders of the World! 7 Accomplished musicians! 7 Ladies with 49 feet of hair! 7 Feet of hair each!”
Miss Grace Sutherland from about 1890.
They initially began their life in show business as talented singers and musicians, but people didn’t flock to see their skill so much as to see them let loose their luscious locks. This was quite a spectacle because while long hair was fashionable in the Victorian era, any respectable woman would always keep her hair up in polite society.
The family began to market their hair more than their talents and capitalized on the patent medicine trend by selling what they called “hair fertilizer” at their shows. They claimed that it was the secret lotion that their mother had used to make their tumbling tresses grow so long, but it was actually just a mixture of alcohol, oil, and water that they had recently invented. (Their mother had already died and taken the hair growth recipe with her to the grave.)
There was very little regulation surrounding “patent medicines” in the mid-nineteenth century, most of which were not even officially patented. || CC: Joe Mabel
Despite this, the concoction made them rich: along with other ointments and soaps, they netted $90,000 in sales the first year. When Naomi died in 1893, the family simply hired a replacement sister to keep the show on the road. The Sutherland Sisters fell out of favor when short bobbed hair became the fashion, but they still managed to make around $3 million over the course of their career. The girls used the money to build a mansion on the family farm, where they lived much of the rest of their lives together, as only two of the sisters ever married.
In 1981, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon featured the Sutherland Zisters on the June 7 panel.
Snip Snip!Short bobbed hair is still on-trend and, Believe It or Not!, is the new style for the Guinness World Record title holder for longest hair on a teenager ever! Check out the full clip of Ninlashi Patel’s majestic mane over at Guinness World Records!
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: How Seven Victorian Sisters Made Millions With Their Long Hair
April 14, 2021
Ripley’s Acquires More Than Six Feet of Hair From World Record Holder!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Until very recently, 18-year-old Nilanshi Patel of Modasa, Gujarat, India, hadn’t cut her hair since experiencing a bad haircut at six years old. Her dedication to growing her locks earned her three Guinness World Record titles, including the most recent record for longest hair on a teenager ever.
Nilanshi, a.k.a. the “real life Rapunzel,” first entered the record books in 2018, when her hair was 170.5 cm (5 ft 7 in) long. She then broke her own record in 2019 after her locks had grown another 19.5 cm (7.7 in) and again days before her eighteenth birthday in August 2020, at a final length of 200 cm (6 ft 6.7 in).
At its longest, Nilanshi’s hair appeared to just reach the ground when dry. However, once wet—as it must be for official record measurements—her natural waves straightened, and it reached the final impressive length.
After 12 years of growing out her hair, and approaching an age making her ineligible to qualify for the longest hair on a teenager record, Nilanshi decided to donate her magnificent mane to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Guinness World Records. It was her mother, Kaminiben, who helped her come to this decision, as she also considered auctioning off the long locks.
Nilanshi recalls what her mother said to her: “Your hair is made to inspire people.” Indeed, it takes a great deal of perseverance and determination to maintain such a large amount of hair. Once a week, Nilanshi and Kaminiben would work together to wash, comb, and dry the lengthy locks. “My hair gave me a lot,” says Nilanshi, “Because of my hair I am known as the ‘real life Rapunzel’, now it’s time to give back.” Inspired by her daughter, Kaminiben vowed to donate a portion of her own long hair to cancer patients.
Finally, the moment to say goodbye arrived. Anxious and excited, Nilanshi held her hair and thanked it. The tresses were tied into manageable sections and then—with her eyes closed and fingers crossed for good luck—the first snip was made. After much nervous giggling and exclamations of “Oh my god!” after each ponytail was cut, Nilanshi’s stylish new bob was revealed to her.
The verdict? She loves it! “I feel proud that I’m going to send my hair to the U.S. museum—people will see and be inspired by my hair. I’m really, really happy… Today is a new beginning, and I hope I will break many more records in the future,” she commented. She maintains that even though she no longer has Rapunzel-length hair, she is still a princess. And after seeing her giddy dancing, we have to agree!
You can see Nilanshi’s hair for yourself for a limited time at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood, beginning in May 2021. Following its time at Ripley’s, Nilanshi’s hair will go on permanent exhibit at the Guinness World Records museum in Hollywood!
All photos copyright: Ripley Entertainment and Guinness World Records
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Ripley’s Acquires More Than Six Feet of Hair From World Record Holder!
April 13, 2021
April 12, 2021
April 11, 2021
April 10, 2021
April 9, 2021
Taking A Bite Out Of A 1,500-Year-Old Roman Burger
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The Romans are well-known for many innovations during their reign. They built the Colosseum, created a calendar, crafted one of the first sewer systems, made complex roads, and developed an alphabet. But let’s focus on one of their tastier contributions to humanity: the “burger.” A unique variation of the common burger we know today, the Romans’ isicia omentata loosely translates to “minced meat and caul fat.”
The Classic Roman Recipe Involves:Minced meatCaul fat – A fatty membrane from the digestive organs of pigs, cows, or sheep. While it may sound a bit unsettling, caul fat is typically used to wrap up foods like sausages, and a webs of this stringy substance can be found at most local butchers or meat markets.Bread soaked in white wineFresh ground pepperLiquamen – A fermented fish sauce used as a condiment in the cuisines of Phoenicia, Ancient Greece, Rome, and Carthage. Though a popular ingredient 1,500 years ago, it may be tricky to secure at your local grocer.Caroenum – Another unpopular addition to any present-day recipe, caroenum is a Roman liquid sweetener made by simmering down grapes. As it’s not heavily mentioned or referenced in ancient texts, the exact recipe for creating caroneum is still left up to interpretation.Pine nuts
The result of combining these unique and unconventional ingredients left the Romans with a rather delicious variation of the burger. Watch this episode of Believe It or Not! Bites, do as the Romans do, and let us know how your very own isicia omentata turns out in the comments below!
Believe It or Not! BitesWhat’s cooking in the Ripley’s kitchen? Video producer by day, chef by night, Matt Mamula is serving up the strange on Believe It or Not! Bites. Grab a glass of circus-born pink lemonade, paired with a 1,500-year-old Roman hamburger, and you’ve got yourself a meal (and a story for the dinner table).
Ayanna Williams Cuts Record-Breaking Claws After 30 Years
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[April 5–April 11, 2021] An explosive beach find, bees in a Buick, and a “worm tornado”—all round-up in this week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Naval Mine Washes Ashore for Explosive Spring BreakThe Broward County deputy was patrolling the area Sunday morning when he noticed something unusual on the horizon—a military explosive device relaxing in the sand.
Though the mine was etched with the word “inert,” indicating it was used for training, the deputy was quick to close off the beach and contact the local bomb squad, who called in the U.S. Air Force for backup.
The Air Force removed the mine from the beach and has started an investigation into how it got there in the first place.
Bee Enthusiast Firefighter Removes 15,000 Bees from Buick
#BREAKING — Apparent naval mine has washed ashore in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. BSO on scene with bomb squad on the way to check the device out. pic.twitter.com/7oATCTqvjs
— Parker Branton (@ParkerBranton) April 4, 2021
A New Mexico man left a trip to the grocery store with more than he bargained for upon returning to his car to find 15,000 bees buzzing in his backseat.
The unnamed man left the Buick’s window cracked for 10-minutes while making a quick stop at into a Las Cruces Albertsons. After returning to his vehicle and beginning to drive away, he noticed something was off. When he turned to his backseat to investigate, he was faced with a massive swarm of honeybees!
Unsure of the proper protocol in this situation, the man instinctively called 911, who sent the Las Cruces Fire Department to assist. Upon arrival, they contacted Jesse Johnson, an off-duty firefighter who happens to be a beekeeping hobbyist.
Johnson spent about thirty minutes transporting the bees from the vehicle into a hive box, which he will relocate to join the four hives he has at home.
According to Johnson, the vehicle’s open window was likely appealing to the thousands of bees and their queen, who had recently split from their colony and were on the hunt for a new home. The scenario is not uncommon in the spring, so take this as a lesson to BEE aware, and close your windows!
“Worm Tornado” Stops New Jersey Woman in Her Tracks
15,000 bees swarmed into a man’s car while he made a 10-minute stop at a New Mexico grocery store.
The bees were safely removed by an off-duty firefighter, whose hobby is beekeeping. “I’ll do anything to keep people from killing the bees,” he said.
https://t.co/tNpsvUOlbQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 1, 2021
A woman in Hoboken, New Jersey, was out for a leisurely morning stroll along the Hudson River when she encountered something out of a horror film—a spiral made of hundreds of earthworms on the pavement!
The woman, who requested to remain anonymous, sent pictures of the bizarre sight to Hoboken City Councilmember Tiffanie Fisher, who took to Facebook to survey just how strange it was, asking followers if they’d ever seen anything like it.
While April showers commonly bring earthworms to the surface, the number of worms in the photo, along with the swirl-shape they created, was similar to that of a cyclone, though it should be noted that they were not spinning like a tornado.
What exactly caused the earthworms to gather in such a way remains unclear, but scientists theorize that the ground may have dipped in the location, causing the worms to follow the slope.
Mummy Parade Livens Up Streets of CairoThe streets of Cairo, Egypt, were alive with a parade of royal mummies Saturday as they made their way through the downtown area during a museum relocation.
The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade, which consisted of 22 prominent Egyptian rulers like King Ramses II, began its 3-mile procession from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, making way to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat.
The 18 kings and four queens were transported in style with a full motorcade surrounding vehicles carrying the nitrogen-filled boxes the mummies were housed in for protection during the relocation—the city even repaved the path to ensure their safety!
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el Sissi hopes the move will reinvigorate the country’s tourism industry, which has taken a hit over the years due to political turmoil.
“This majestic scene is new evidence of the greatness of this people, the guardian of this unique civilization extending into the depths of history.”
Ayanna Williams Cuts Record-Breaking Claws After 30 Years
Egypt holds a multimillion-dollar parade to move the ancient mummified remains of royal pharaohs to their new resting place: the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
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https://t.co/ZJ9dWoTdeL pic.twitter.com/5hl2B22ndW
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 4, 2021
After 30 years of growing out her fingernails, Ayanna Williams made the call to cut off her record-breaking claws and regain her independence.
Rather than filing the talons always, Guinness World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! teamed up to make sure “her babies” have the place in history they deserve.
Last weekend, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! had the honor of accompanying Williams to Trinity Vista Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas, where Dr. Readinger used an electric rotary tool to chop off her 24 ft 0.7-inch fingernails.
Ayanna’s incredible nails are now on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando.
By Meghan Yani, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Ayanna Williams Cuts Record-Breaking Claws After 30 Years
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