Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 398
July 28, 2017
Coney Island’s Strange Medical Marvel: Baby Incubators
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Cool Stuff, Strange Things
Hosted by Ripley’s lead researcher, Sabrina Sieck, let Ripley’s Believe It or Not! introduce YOU to the coolest stuff and strangest things.
Today: Baby Incubators
Destination: Coney Island
With easy access from New York City, Coney Island was a major vacation destination between the 1800s and World War Two. In its heyday, nothing was too eccentric, too big, or too outlandish. Three major parks—Luna Park, Steeplechase Park, and Dreamland—all competed for visitors, taking advantage of the public’s fascination with the unknown, from distant lands to tragic disasters.
Couney
A German immigrant, Couney struggled to find a way to implement and profit from his intensive care technology. It was thought to be too radical by the medical community, but just radical enough for the oddities of Coney Island. The exhibition was a pristine operation—one in which Couney trusted enough to display his own premature daughter, Hildegarde. During his 40 year run, Couney saved the lives of about seven thousand five hundred of the eight thousand five hundred children who were taken to his hatchery on the boardwalk.
One of those children was Lucille Horn, who passed just February of this year at age 96. Weighing only two pounds when she was born, doctors told her parents she wouldn’t even survive a day, but her life spanned nearly a century after they put their faith in Dr. Couney’s exhibition.
In 1941, the exhibit closed, but with it, a preemie ward opened at Cornell’s New York Hospital. Couney’s technology is now commonplace in hospitals around the world, so you can thank Coney Island for more than just hot dogs.
Coney Attractions
Alongside Couney’s Baby Incubators were some one of a kind attractions…
Like, Dreamland’s Fighting Flames where over 2,000 performers re-enacted what it was like to be a firefighter—from hitching live horses to the fire engine to extinguishing a real fire. They even made dramatic rescues as trapped victims jumped from blazing buildings to the ground. Safety was the least of their concerns. It was all about entertainment, but, that got the best of them because, in 1911, Dreamland itself went down in flames. Park entertainers from Fighting Flames, who went through the motions daily, tried to help—even the Midget City Fire Department sprang into action.
Midget City was Dreamland’s miniature town populated by over 300 little people. In their built-to-scale world, a world that was a proportional replica of 15th-century Nuremberg, Germany, villagers lived on-site full-time and functioned as a community, even boasting their own police and fire departments!
A smart dude named Sigmund Freud supposedly once said,
“The only thing about America that interests me is Coney Island.”
Source: Coney Island’s Strange Medical Marvel: Baby Incubators
July 27, 2017
Medieval Vampire Burials Found in Poland Will Frighten You
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe it or not, the three graves date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. They were not buried in the cemetery but at the town’s edge in the village of Górzyca. Polish archaeologists say that the mangled corpses displayed holes in their spines, what others like to consider: a stake to the heart. These graves were not a coincidence. They were strategically concealed vampire burials.
Practices
Apotropaic practices—practices meant to subvert evil—were common in post-medieval Poland and were used on anyone who was thought to become a vampire or was ‘already’ one. Locals used sharp instruments to bind the neck and sometimes, the abdomen. It’s been said that locals believed this would damage the body enough to prevent the vampire from rising from their grave.
Screenshot from World Source YouTube
Out of the three mutilated skeletons, the archaeologists found the female had the worst punishment. Her knees were forcefully broken before they buried her face-down and pinned her head with stones. One of the male skeletons was found decapitated and dismembered.
Why did they consider these individuals vampires in the first place? It looks like they suffered from kyphosis. This condition gave them an exaggerated rounding of the back. As for the other male? It looks like his bones were in healthy condition; however, he too was buried with his head confined by two stones and a hole in his spine.
Yes, these were people who just happened to have health problems.
Drawsko
Did you know that in northwestern Poland, specifically Drawsko, around 285 human skeletons were found? Only six of the remains were vampire burials. One adult male, three adult females, one adolescent girl, and one skeleton of unknown sex was found. Most of the remains were pinned down with a large stone under their chin or with a sickle across their neck. These tools were intended to prevent the dead from biting and feeding on the living.
Screenshot from Barkly Documentary
Folklore
Vampire Folklore originated from pagan traditions that spread throughout Eastern Europe; however, Roman Catholicism didn’t accept such beliefs. It was a turbulent time during the Reformation period in Poland, but it seems that priests were willing to accept pagan funeral rituals. Churches believed it helped encourage people to follow their doctrine.
Unlike the movies, vampires weren’t always made; they were born. They were also never aristocrats, how convenient, but average people.
Vampire Kits
At Ripley’s, we have one of the world’s largest collections of Vampire Killing Kits. No two kits are exactly alike! Sold in the 19th-century, Vampire Killing Kits contained items considered necessary for the protection of people who traveled to countries of Eastern Europe, where the populace was known to fear Vampires. These kits usually included a wooden stake, cross, and garlic powder. Rupert Giles would be proud!
You can find this Vampire Kit in our Orlando Odditorium
Source: Medieval Vampire Burials Found in Poland Will Frighten You
July 26, 2017
Say Yes to the Dress Made Out of Toilet Paper
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The annual Cheap Chic Toilet Paper Wedding Dress just wrapped up in New York City, and Ripley’s is proud to announce your winners.
RULES
Contestants had to use Quilted Northern® brand toilet paper.
They were allowed to use any type of tape and/or any type of glue.
They could also use needle and thread.
The dress must be able to be worn by a human and be able to be taken on and off.
Dress Design
It’s hard to imagine that these stunning dresses are made out of something like toilet paper, but that’s what makes them so unbelievable. Winners have gone on to work for major fashion brands, and all have unique personalities. We caught up with last year’s winner, Van Tran, who competed again this year after a brief stint in hot dog eating competitions before landing a job in fashion.
CONTEST
Our own Edward Meyer, VP of Exhibits and Archives, judged this year. The judges scored in five different categories with a number between 1-5. The categories were:
Creativity
Originality
Beauty
Use of Quilted Northern®
Workmanship
The Winner
The judges all agreed on which dresses were their favorite, but the real debate was over what order to place them in. Ripley’s also sponsored a fan favorite prize determined by popular vote, and awarded $1,000 to Ronaldo Cruz.
The first prize dress, and winner of $10,000, was Kari Curletto!
1st prize went to Kari Curletto!
2nd prize: Susan Brennan!
3rd prize: Mimoza Haska!
The other top 10!
By Carol Touchstone
By Lindsay Hinz
By Susan Masarek Wilson
By Augusto Manzanares
By Ashley U.
By Van Tran
Congratulations to everyone who entered!
Dress Donations
With Alfred Angelo closing its 61 stores abruptly and filing for bankruptcy protection the next day, many brides have been left without a dress. Would you consider a toilet paper wedding dress?
July 25, 2017
Happy Birthday to Our Orlando Odditorium!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
We are elated to be celebrating 25 years of family fun and keeping Orlando weird!
Believe it or not!
Did you know that our Orlando location was once a franchise? We bought it back in 2010; however, before we did, the franchise wanted to buy a so-called “stone mummy”, and more than likely it was a Pompeii man. We were not willing to buy it because its origins were unknown!
“Lots of ‘possibles’ but no definitive idea what it in fact actually was; the owner lived in Jacksonville, Florida,” said Edward Meyer, VP Exhibits & Archives. “The last gallery—the cave—was built specifically for this one exhibit.
Other than our incredible fertility statues and mind-blowing shrunken head, we had a 2/3 size matchstick Rolls Royce. Yup, completely made out of one million matchsticks! The car was created in the 1970s by Reg Pollard. This remarkable piece is now a part of our traveling science show.
The Tilted Pool Room
If you’ve been to our Orlando Odditorium, you’ve definitely experienced The Tilted Pool Room. It was also designed and built by renowned Toronto architect, Bob Fleming. The Pool Room was created to compliment the slanted building exterior. Take a look for yourself.
Van Gough
We once had a 26’ high Self Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh made from 30,000 (110 different) postcards of Van Gogh paintings. It is the tallest exhibit in our company, and the room it was once in was literally built around the Van Gogh. It has since been replaced with a Jim Hendrix picture made from playing cards.
Scavenger Hunt
Did you know that you can enhance your Ripley experience by playing our brand new scavenger hunt?
As you tour the Odditorium, you will be invited to play a new challenge for each of our 16 themed galleries.
Believe it or not, there is no app to download! All you have to do is log in to our free Wi-Fi to start playing the challenge!
Celebration!
A special thank you to all of our guest who came out and celebrated with us! If it wasn’t for all of you, we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate such an incredible milestone. You, the fans, make this Odditorium one-of-a-kind. Once again, thank you for the support and love.
Kona Ice making a splash with our fans!
Blood Drive and Kona Ice making waves in front of our Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium
The sink hole inspiration for our Orlando Odditorium
Just because you missed out on the celebration doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the weird fun! Our Orlando Odditorium is open 365 days a year from 9:00 a.m. until midnight! !
July 24, 2017
Salvador Dalí’s Mustache Is Still Intact
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
There’s no doubt about the talent and inspiration of Spanish surrealist, Salvador Dalí. He remains in the headlines, even today. Unfortunately, it isn’t for his odd fascination with cauliflower—yes, cauliflower, something he loved—but for something oddly morbid and insanely cool. We think he would have just loved the surrealism of this new story.
Salvador Dali’s Crypt in Figueres via Wikimedia Commons
Digging up Dalí
Believe it or not, Dalí’s body was exhumed last week. Why? Well, 61-year-old Maria Pilar Abel Martínez—also a tarot card reader—claims the artist is her father.
Dalí died at the age of 85 from a congestive heart failure in 1989. He was then buried and embalmed in the museum he dedicated his life and work to in Figueres, Spain.
About a month ago, a judge in Madrid ordered they exhume Dalí’s body to settle the tarot card reader’s claim. The team that manages the estate of Salvador Dalí says there is no way he had children.
The fortune teller told El Mundo newspaper that her grandmother said,
“I love you a lot, but I know that you’re not the daughter of my son. What’s more, I know who your father is – he is Salvador Dalí.”
If Martínez is his daughter, she could take his surname and also become a 25% owner of his estate.
Even though Dalí was married to his Russian muse, Gala, for five decades, it was said that he never really did have a “traditional” physical relationship with her or any women. Many say you can see his complex sexuality throughout his paintings.
Teater Museu Gala Salvador Dalí building from the outside via Wikimedia Commons CC Andris
Embalmed
Did you know Dalí’s handlebar mustache is still intact? Yup, when they excavated the body for hair samples, Narcís Bardalet, Dalí’s embalmer, said that his mustache is “its classic shape of ten past ten!”
So where are the pictures? His resting place was put on lockdown. The estate did not want pictures of his body leaking to the press. There was even a marquee installed under the museum’s glass dome so no pictures or videos could be taken from pesky drones.
This isn’t the first time Martínez has claimed to be the daughter of Mr. Dalí. In 2007 she had a paternity test done and was able to do so with preserved samples from the painter’s body. Martínez claims that she never received the results, which only leaves her with the notion that it was indeed positive.
Salvador Dalí via Wikimedia Commons
The Affair
The supposed fling between Martínez’s mother and Dalí happened during the 1950s in Port Lligat, Spain. It was here that her mother worked as a maid and mostly attended to Gala.
Keyboard Mosaic Dalí
At Ripley’s, we are proud owners of an unusual art form that entails mosaics created with cast-off items such as shotgun shells, jigsaw puzzle pieces, and computer keys. Doug Powell of Oviedo, FL has created a one-of-a-kind Mosaic Dalí with just keyboards!
There is a total of 3,886 keys in this mosaic as well as hidden words and phrases that are related to Dali. You can find the words “Melting Clock” to “Eggs on a Plate.” Can you locate them?
Did you know?
Martínez had a television series for about eight years that made her somewhat famous.
Salvador Dalí was born on May 11th, 1904 in Figueres, Spain.
Dalí was expelled from art school, but only because he wanted to be.
Dalí produced more than 1500 paintings in his lifetime.
He designed the Chupa Chups logo.
Dalí once collaborated with Walt Disney, an animated short film called “Destino.”
The artist was a frequent Hollywood party animal, befriending the likes of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, David Bowie, Pablo Picasso and Alice Cooper.
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