Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 58
November 3, 2022
November 2, 2022
Who Was the First Woman to Bicycle around the World?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
On June 25, 1894, Annie Cohen Kopchovsy, a mother of three from Boston, Massachusetts, set off on a cycling tour of the world that took 15 months to complete. Sponsored by Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company, brand officials spotted her $100 to brandish an advertising placard on her bike and to temporarily change her last name to “Londonderry.” Remarkably, she had little experience bicycling, with only a few days of practice under her belt.
But what she lacked in experience, she made up for in chutzpah, allegedly winning a $20,000 bet in the process. Here’s everything you need to know about the Jewish mom-turned-adventurer and her fantastic global cycling tour.
An Unlikely Liberator of WomenThe late 19th century proved an exciting and controversial time for women’s rights. By the 1890s, women’s suffrage represented a significant social movement and one that was changing society in a myriad of ways. Surprisingly, some of the technology we take for granted today was also disrupting the norm. The invention of the bike came with both enthusiasm and concern, especially in the context of women.
In the most traditional circles, people whispered about the invention’s potential threats to the “purity” of women. But among suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony, it elicited celebration. In 1896, Anthony famously remarked, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. It has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.”
Annie Londonderry Takes OffAnnie Londonderry experienced the liberation of the bicycle firsthand. In late June 1894, she officially departed on her whirlwind adventure, just 24 years old at the time. To pursue her endeavors, she left a husband and three children behind.
Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, 1896 via Wikimedia Commons.
After departing Boston, Londonderry took three months peddling her way to Chicago, Illinois. When she arrived in the “Windy City,” she recognized some changes were in order. Chief among them? Swapping her bike for a lighter version.
From Chicago to France and East AsiaFrom Chicago, Londonderry made her way east for transatlantic passage via ship to France. There, she continued her unprecedented expedition, motivated by an alleged $20,000 bet between affluent Boston merchants. (The participants in the bet have never been named, leading to speculation the story was a fake.) Nevertheless, Londonderry took advantage of one of the so-called wager’s loopholes.
The wager contained no stipulations about how many miles she had to peddle to complete her journey. As a result, the would-be cyclist generously seasoned her adventure with transportation via steamers, ferries, and trains. Nevertheless, she didn’t shirk her responsibilities, either. After time spent in Europe, she peddled parts of Egypt, Sri Lanka, and Singapore. She also claimed to have cycled around Jerusalem, but experts have their doubts.
On the Road with Annie LondonderryAlong the way, Londonderry earned plenty of publicity and even received marriage proposals. The married mother-of-three turned these down with grace. But she didn’t always explain that she had a husband and family on the Eastern Seaboard. (Maybe she enjoyed the taste of romantic independence the excursion offered?)
Annie Cohen Kopchovsky (1870-1947), known as Annie Londonderry, is known as the first woman to bicycle around the world. She took fifteen months, setting off from Boston in June 1894, and arriving back in September 1895. pic.twitter.com/YWLdMsgyCA
— Of Things Past And Imagined (@VeraNijveld) March 5, 2021
The last leg of the journey involved biking from San Francisco to Chicago, an incredible feat considering the lack of infrastructure across the United States. After 15 months on the road, she completed her trip in September 1895, winning the bet. (Besides the physical journey, the wager supposedly included making $5,000 while on the road, an endeavor that proved a woman’s ability to fend for herself.)
Shattering Stereotypes and Enjoying LiberationDuring her journey, Londonderry shattered many notions about the female mystique. She wore a man’s riding suit and had a bold and charismatic personality. Some people accused her of abandoning her husband and children to complete her itinerary, but this was only a temporary situation.
As she navigated her 42-pound Columbia bike around the world, she captured the public’s imagination, especially in France. She also paved the way for greater freedoms for the so-called “fairer sex.” Londonderry excelled in public relations, and she loved promoting herself, two talents that came in handy as she traveled from one destination to the next.
If she lived today, she might earn the title “click-baiter.” Not only did she do plenty of lying, but she organized fantastical scenarios like a fake robbery at gunpoint near San Francisco, which conveniently enough, got photographed. Sources also say her biking skills remained mediocre at best. During one leg of her trip, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, the average pedestrian could’ve walked faster than she peddled. Nevertheless, it was all about first-wave feminist optics, and Londonderry provided them in spades.
By Engrid Barnett, 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: Who Was the First Woman to Bicycle around the World?
November 1, 2022
Dogue: Raising the Bar(k) on Canine Fine Dining
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Most dog lovers feel elated when they stumble across a restaurant that allows more than service animals through their door. And if an occasional bowl of water or food is thrown into the mix, all the better. Establishments that go all-out in the name of man’s best friend offer canine-exclusive menus, so your pups can dine with you. Sadly, these are often few and far between.
But nothing compares to what one Bay Area restaurant tempts four-legged friends with. Dogue (pronounced like “vogue”) recently debuted in San Francisco’s ritzy Mission District, offering the kind of posh fare you’d expect from the Michelin star–studded neighborhood. As for gourmet dog food, it shares something with its human equivalent: a lofty price tag. Pooches can experience foodie bliss at Dogue starting at $75 apiece for the tasting menu.
Here’s everything you need to know about the restaurant that’s singlehandedly defining canine fine dining.
Posh Provisions for Pampered PoochesIn recent years, there’s been a revolution in the pet food industry when it comes to canine chow. More pet owners than ever before have jumped on the wagon to feed their beloved pets raw or freshly cooked cuisine. The number of brands offering human-grade food for furry friends has exploded, with companies like The Farmer’s Dog, Ollie, and Nom Nom becoming household names.
Within this environment, Dogue’s premise doesn’t sound so far-fetched. If people are willing to pay more to have the highest quality food delivered to their doorstep, why wouldn’t they stop in for a bite while in the City by the Bay?
Tasting menus include between five and seven courses, including a starter course of mimosas for the humans. This formula for success appears to be working because Dogue has seen plenty of pampered puppy patrons since its recent opening.
Fur-Friendly Dining in the Heart of the City
Dogue, which rhymes with Vogue, offers a $75 multi-course tasting menu for dogs. The restaurant in San Francisco is believed to be the first fine dining tasting menu restaurant exclusively for dogs. pic.twitter.com/Snfnna36wI
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 27, 2022
The canine-centric restaurant is the brainchild of dog lover and classically trained chef Rahmi Massarweh. And it features everything fur babies could ever drool over… and then some. Owners of lucky pooches pay top dollar for chicken skin waffles, steak tartare, wild antelope heart bites, and more. In other words, there’s no eating old slippers, dust balls, or grass at this joint!
Why has Massarweh allowed his culinary skills to go to the dogs? The new venture has not only permitted him to eschew the human cooking world’s rat race, but it also allows him to serve some of the most appreciative clientele in the biz. That said, he also laments their tendency to scarf down meals: “Our pastries, for example, take about two days on average to make. I know they’re going to be eaten in two seconds.”
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Fresh Food for Happy Fur BabiesDespite the rough handling of his cuisine by canine guests, Massarweh appreciates their enthusiasm. And he considers his entrepreneurial endeavors a job well done if they bring awareness to the need for real, fresh food for dogs. But he also derives immense pleasure from the way clientele relish his gastronomic offerings.
He notes, “It’s rare when as a chef, I walk into the dining room to touch tables and every single guest has a smile on their face.” If wagging tongues, drooling mouths, and hypersonic feeding speeds bear any correlation to smiles, Massarweh is top dog of the still-emerging fauna foodie scene.
By Engrid Barnett, 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!
October 31, 2022
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October 29, 2022
October 28, 2022
Must-See Halloween Display Attracts Thousands to Man’s Yard
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Halloween is a time of year where those that celebrate are free to let out their inner child and dress up like their favorite characters, villains, and monsters. Homes and even entire neighborhoods become stages for creepy decorations and our once-normal world is made into a dreamlike wonder for horror and spooky season fans alike.
You may think you are unmatched in your Halloween celebrations with pro-decorating skills and jaw-dropping costumes, but everything Halloween-related you have ever seen pales in comparison to the work of Tony DeMatteo and his truly unbelievable yearly yard show.
Creeping It RealTony DeMatteo of Churchville, New York, constructs massive Halloween displays in front of his home every single year and has even began to garner notoriety outside of his hometown. Believe It or Not!, last year Tony constructed two 50-foot-long pirate ships in his front yard to celebrate Halloween 2021!
The maritime-themed scene is one of Tony’s most ambitious undertaking to date. It included cannon effects, a light show at night, and even handmade kraken tentacles attacking one of the ships!
Known locally as “Halloween on Ambush,” the decorations attract thousands of visitors each year, many of whom donate to local causes of Tony’s choosing. The 2021 display helped raise $6,000 for Golisano Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, plus 1,800 pounds (817 kg) of food and nearly $1,000 to Open Door Mission of Rochester, New York.
Believe It or Not!, Tony starts between eight and 10 months in advance to create his annual masterpieces. The 2021 project required 5,000 feet of cabling in the front yard and even included visitations by professional actors playing the roles of Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa!
The self-proclaimed Halloween enthusiast has spent the past five years outdoing himself each October with displays that continue to increase in production value and size — and Halloween 2022 is no exception. This year, Tony doesn’t have just two ships on his front lawn, but an entire pirate town called Port Royal!
The money raised from the show will be donated to the Dream Factory of Rochester New York, a volunteer organization that fulfills the dreams of children diagnosed with critical or chronic illnesses. The incredible work of Tony’s yearly yard show is an inspiring example of taking something you’re passionate about and using it for a good cause.
To stay up to date with Tony and see what he has up his sleeve this year, follow him on Instagram and if you’re near Churchville, New York, consider stopping by and experiencing his extraordinary work firsthand!
Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Source: Must-See Halloween Display Attracts Thousands to Man’s Yard
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